It’s no surprise that winter takes a toll on our skin. The cold weather outside combined with increased heat inside our homes creates the perfect environment for dry, cracked skin. With Summer right around the corner, it is time to shed our dry skin for fresh, glowing, summer-ready skin with homemade exfoliating body scrubs.
I started making my own exfoliating body scrubs after never feeling satisfied from store-bought scrubs. My skin would feel too oily, or the granules in the scrubs weren’t strong enough, and not to mention the list of ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. So I decided to make my own body scrubs using 3-4 simple ingredients: carrier oil, brown sugar, and essentials oils (with option to add petals or other fragrant additions.)
The best part is you can custom make your exfoliating body scrubs by using your favorite essential oil scents and tailor the scrubs to what your skin needs.
My skin is notoriously dry. No matter how much body cream I use during the winter months, I am burdened with alligator skin. My go to scrub to slough off the old skin and prep for the new skin is a rose essential oil exfoliating body scrub. In addition to rose oil’s naturally delicious scent, it has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing properties that are perfect for dry skin.
For my dry skin friends…
ROSE OIL EXFOLIATING BODY SCRUB
1 cup organic brown sugar
1/3 cup jojoba oil (or almond oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil)
20 drops of rose essential oil
Directions
Mix the brown sugar and jojoba oil in a bowl. I like jojoba oil because it contains vitamin E, which is great for moisturizing your skin. That’s it! Easy right?
You may need a touch more than 1/3 cup of carrier oil depending on which oil you use. I like to add the oil until I find a smooth consistency that is not too runny or too clumpy.
Finally, add in the rose essential oil and stir everything together. When I want to kick my scrub up a notch, I add in a small handful of dried rose petals!
For my oily skin friends….
LAVENDER OIL EXFOLIATING BODY SCRUB
1 cup organic brown sugar
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
20 drops of lavender essential oil
1 handful of dried lavender buds
Directions
I love this lavender oil exfoliating body scrub so much, I made tiny jars for my wedding favors! Mix the brown sugar and grapeseed oil in a bowl. I choose grape seed oil for oily skin as it’s lighter than most carrier oils and contains linoleic acid, a potent, moisturizing fatty acid. Next, add the lavender essential oil and dried lavender buds. Stir and jar!
Making your own scrubs is not only cost-effective, it’s chemical-free. When given the choice to give my body a break from chemicals, I am all in. Awareness is the best tool to stimulate change, so I encourage myself to do research on chemicals that are present in my everyday products. I understand the difficulties of being entirely chemical free, but awareness helps me make baby steps towards a more chemical-free lifestyle. These exfoliating body scrubs are a fun step in the right direction!
I hope you enjoy playing around with different essential oils and find an exfoliating scrub that you love!
Also by Kayla: The Autoimmune Protocol Changed My Life–Why It Will Make You Feel Phenomenal
Related: DIY Detoxifying Sea Salt Body Scrub
Show Off Smooth, Sexy Legs In All Your Summer Outfits With These 4 Easy Steps
Get more like this—Subscribe to our daily inspirational newsletter for exclusive content!
__
Photo: Unsplash, Kayla Adams
