First things first – the Materials. You will need the following:
- Container to hold the final product (Mason Jars, Bail Jars or other Glass Jars are my favorites)
- Rubbing Alcohol
- ¼ to ½ cup Oil of your choosing
- 2 cups Sugar or Medium to Fine Grain Salt (I will be referring only to Sugar, but you can use either – or even a mixture of the two)
- Skin Safe Scent (many Essential Oils will work) – Optional
- Food Coloring – Optional
You want to start by “disinfecting” your container. Either use a spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol to spritz the jar and wipe down, or put a bit of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and clean the container. This should sanitize the container as well as it can be done in your kitchen.
Next, measure out 2 Cups of Sugar and place in a mixing bowl. You can use any type of sugar, or you can use a medium to fine grain salt if you prefer. The finer the grain, the rougher the scrub.
You want to measure out about ¼ Cup of the Oil you have chosen and add it to the Sugar. It is best to begin with a small quantity of oil and add more as you go.
Mix the ingredients together until well blended. Check the consistency. It should look like slightly wet, but still fluffy sand. Try some on your hand and see how you like it. If it feels too grainy, add a bit more oil.
If you feel the scrub is too harsh or not moisturizing enough, add another ⅛ to ¼ cup of oil and mix. Continue this process until you feel the scrub is just right. I find that about ½ cup Oil to 2 cups Sugar is just about perfect. Now you can mix in your scent and color if you’ve chosen to add them, or place the mixture into your containers!
Adding Scent:The most important thing to remember with scent is to make sure your fragrance choice is skin safe!!! Most Essential Oils are fine for topical use – if in doubt, do a Google search. Some of the popular scents like Peppermint (NOT for pregnant women), Spearmint, Lavender, Tea Tree, Patchouli, Rose, and Sandalwood, as well as many others, should be fine for topical use. You can also use Fragrance Oils that are made for Soap, just check to ensure that the Fragrance Oil is Skin Safe! There are many Fragrance Oils out there that are made for candles only and should not be used on the skin. Fragrance Oils should always be labeled as to whether or not they are safe for use in bath & body products.
Again, it’s best to start with a small amount of scent (meaning a few drops) and add more if necessary. You can’t undo it if it makes the entire kitchen smell like a pine tree!!! J Check the scent to see if it’s to your liking. Add more if desired. You can stop here and pack the scrub into your container, or you can add some color if you’d like!
Adding Color:Color, like scent, should not be done in excess. Too much will stain the skin and your bathtub, so start with just a little bit. Keep doing this until you reach the color you’re after. Pack the scented, colored scrub into your container, and you’re ready for gift giving!!! J
Packaging: Be careful not to fill your containers too full. You want to try to avoid having oil seep out of the container. I would say as a general rule, you probably want to fill the containers about ½” below the top of the container. If you’re using a jar with an airtight lid, such as a bail jar, try to gauge where the lowest part of the lid reaches inside the jar and pack to ¼ - ½” of that point. If you overfill the container a little, it’s not a big deal. You may have some oil that seeps out of the lid, but it’s not going to do anything more than make the container a bit messy!
I alternated between uncolored scrub and the scrub with the red food coloring for a candy cane effect.
Storage: It’s best to store this scrub away from water and outside of the bathroom. I know that seems rather silly and inconvenient, but because there are no preservatives in this scrub, any water that comes in contact with the scrub increases the chance for bacteria to grow. Yuck! You can avoid this by adding a preservative, but they are not readily available so I haven’t included one in this tutorial. Also, be sure to inform the recipient that the oil in this scrub will make the floor a bit slippery, and to be careful!
If this sounds complicated, it’s really not! It does not take much time, uses ingredients you probably already have lying around, and it doesn’t even make a mess! J If you plan to give this as a gift, it’s nice to add a tag that includes the ingredients, the date it should be used before (about 3-4 months is usually a good window), some directions for use, and of course a warning that it can make the floor slippery!
Now you’ve made a great gift to help your loved ones stay soft, smooth and hydrated this year! I hope you enjoy making this scrub, and feel free to make it your own with different oils! Also, try experimenting with different exfoliants. Himalayan Pink Sea Salt makes the scrub naturally beautiful with its lovely pink hue! Try adding a bit of activated charcoal (look for capsules in the vitamin section) to detoxify and add a natural black tint, or try some black sea salt! Look around the baking aisle at the grocery store and let your imagination run wild! J
If you try this scrub yourself, I’d love to see photos! Tweet them with #MGPDIY so we can all see your creations! J Until next time, thanks so much for stopping by and I will see you again soon!!! J