Essential Oils For Homemade Sugar Body Scrubs
Have you been using chemical cleansing formulas to no avail? Maybe it’s time to switch to sugar scrubs containing essential oils for naturally glowing skin!
Although there are plenty of skin cleaning products on the market, many people prefer to make their own scrubs using natural ingredients. And there is a reason why these homemade body scrubs have been popular in recent times. They can help you exfoliate your skin with the daily morning shower and help cleanse the skin naturally.
Besides, the ingredients used are 100% natural making them ideal for acne-prone skin or sensitive skin. But before we get to the best essential oils to add to your homemade scrubs, let’s find out why you should use one in the first place.
Why Use A Sugar Scrub?
Exfoliating is an essential part of skincare because dead skin cells can pile on the skin, causing several problems. It is common to find frequent breakouts, rashes, and pus-filled pimples on skin that has not been cared for regularly. Top that with naturally oily and acne-prone skin, and the skin issues never seem to end.
Thus, scrubbing the skin with fine granules is a tried and tested method for reducing clogged pores and removing the old layer of skin. While it is possible to use any scrub from the store, making sugar scrubs from scratch can be pretty fun. You can customize a homemade body scrub right down to the scent and color.
Plus, they renew the skin underneath and prevent the effects of drying. Not to forget the spa-like luxurious and silky feeling right after a good old scrub!
Besides, once you prepare a sugar scrub mixture, it has a long shelf life due to the preservative effects of brown sugar. So, you can store the contents in an airtight container like mason jars to use over and over again.
How To Make A Homemade Sugar Scrub?
As the name suggests, the main ingredient in a sugar scrub is sugar. The coarse sugar is mixed with a base oil like coconut oil which usually has a subdued fragrance. But if the purpose is to gain aromatherapeutic benefits, consider adding some essential oils to the mix.
Ingredients List
- Granulated sugar or brown sugar
- Vitamin E oil
- Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, or grapeseed oil
- Essential oil of your choice
- Glass jar for storing
Preparation Method
Step 1: Firstly, take a medium bowl and fill it with one cup of brown sugar. Granulated or fine sugar will work too, depending on the type of scrub you have in mind.
Step 2: Next, add ¾ cup of base oil like coconut oil and stir to get an even mixture. However, you can decide the amount of oil based on your skin type. If you have oily skin and prefer a dryer mix, keep the coconut oil to a minimum. On the flipside, if you want extra moisturizing effects, add liberal amounts of coconut oil.
Adding vitamin E oil is optional, but you can add some to improve the skin benefits even further.
Step 3: Once the mixture is thoroughly mixed, add a few drops of your favorite essential oils but don’t add too much because they can be quite potent.
Step 4 Finally, add the mixture to an airtight jar for safekeeping and use whenever you please.
Also, some recipes use fractionated coconut oil which prevents it from solidifying in cold temperatures. Other recipes replace organic sugar with coarse salt or fine sea salt to create an exfoliating salt scrub.
Best Essential Oils for Sugar Body Scrubs
As you have seen in the previous section, making a homemade sugar scrub is a piece of cake. But let’s see which essential oils should be used in the sugar and coconut oil mixture. Well, your choices are varied, and we have shortlisted a few choice options that everyone can enjoy…
1. Chamomile Essential Oil
Chamomile oil is the ideal ingredient for a sugar scrub recipe because it has many uses in natural skin care therapies. For starters, it has calming and soothing properties that also work to improve skin complexion. Also, it is known to deal with skin conditions like redness, acne, rosacea, making it a natural remedy to calm irritated skin.
Additionally, using this component in a body scrub can flush out toxins from the skin and promote blood circulation. [1] Also, the active components in chamomile oil can repair skin irregularities and reduce the appearance of pores, spots, and blemishes.
However, just like any other essential oil, it is recommended to use chamomile oil in low concentrations. Ideally, mixing it with carrier oils like coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil would be better for the skin. For dry skin, simply increase the quality of the carrier oils while keeping the amount of essential oils and brown sugar the same.
2. Peppermint And Lemon Essential Oil
Yes, you can even use a combination of two essential oils in your homemade sugar scrub. Some oils go naturally well together and complement each other in fragrance and healing properties. It might be a lesser-known fact, but peppermint oil is great for skin which is why you can find many body scrub recipes using it.
Peppermint has important nutrients like omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, potassium, and iron. It also has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits making it the perfect addition to scrubs for skin susceptible to acne. Oily, irritated, or inflamed skin may also benefit from the cooling properties of peppermint oil. [2]
On the other hand, lemon also possesses anti-microbial and astringent properties that remove dead skin cells and improve hyperpigmentation.[3] The active ingredients work to kill and remove the bacteria in the pores, leaving the skin clean and fresh. However, use a limited amount of these oils because they can irritate the skin if used in excess.
Adding a few drops of both essential oils to brown sugar and coconut oil/grapeseed oil should be enough to reap its benefits. Finally, the combination of these two scents can work as an energizer and mood enhancer.
3. Lavender Essential Oil
When it comes to flowery and heady scents, the most common fragrance that comes to mind is the gentle lavender. And we might know lavender for its unmistakable scent, but it also has various lesser-known health benefits.
The lavender essential oil can help tone the skin and bring about an even complexion. It can also soothe dry, scaly, or itchy skin with its anti-fungal properties.[4] The component can prevent the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, mainly when used with a carrier oil like coconut oil. Studies show that lavender oil may also have wound healing properties. [5]
For lavender sugar scrubs, you can modify the consistency and the size of the granules in the mix depending on your requirements. Granulated sugar is just simple sugar from the pantry which can be used for a regular homemade body scrub. But if you prefer a sugar scrub with a smoother texture for better moisturization, go for finer granules.
Brown sugar and Himalayan sea salt are used in homemade sugar scrub recipes for their coarse texture. As you can imagine, they provide thorough cleansing, which might be too rough for sensitive skin. So, make sure you consider your skin type before selecting brown sugar in the scrub recipe. Of course, any of these combinations can be used with lavender oil.
4. Rose Essential Oil
Changing the consistency and granule size is not limited to lavender oil. You can play around with texture and scent for just about any sugar scrub combination. Another popular homemade sugar scrub recipe is one that contains the sweet-scented rose oil that nourishes the skin and fights signs of aging. [6] This oil, too, makes a luxurious body scrub, commonly made using brown sugar and coconut oil.
Moreover, if you love experimenting with texture in your sugar scrub recipes, a rose-based mixture should be perfect for doing so. This is because you could add crushed rose petals in your sugar and coconut oil scrub, creating a gorgeous natural texture.
Since the scent of the rose petals might not be enough for a relaxing scrub, you can add a few drops of rose essential oil. It doesn’t get better than this mixture of sugar, carrier oil, rose oil, and rose petals. The same concept of adding crushed flowers or fruit peels can be used for other recipes too.
For example, you could use citrus zest in a lemon or orange sugar scrub recipe to experience the real extracts of the natural ingredient.
5. Orange And Ginger Essential Oil
One thing is for sure- the combination of citrus with spice can never go wrong! One such pair is the careful combination of orange and ginger essential oil in a DIY sugar scrub recipe. You might find these oil mixes in stores, but you can create the same body scrub at home for much less than the average store cost.
Making this sugar scrub is possible with a handheld spatula or a food processor. The one created using a processor might be smoother and deliver a much softer touch to the skin. Turbinado sugar has larger grains, so you can add this alternative to the DIY sugar scrub for a rigorous cleansing session.
Notably, the orange essential oil is derived by cold pressing the rind of sweet orange, and a number of health benefits have been observed. This oil may have anti-microbial benefits, as indicated by a few studies. [7] It may also play a role in reducing cancer-causing cells, making it an antioxidant. [8]
Furthermore, ginger oil contains antioxidant properties, which can also play a role in reducing wrinkle formation. [9] It might also reduce skin roughness and skin inflammation upon topical application.
6. Tea Tree Essential Oil
Sugar scrubs with brown sugar, coconut oil/olive oil, and floral or citrus oil are commonly found. But you can also make scrub sugar recipes with some refreshing tea tree oil. Along with emitting a therapeutic aroma, tea tree oil holds the key to resolving all the common skin issues you can think of.
Incidentally, tea tree oil is a safe and effective way to treat acne, lesions, and skin wounds. A study found that subjects that applied this oil to their face had reduced acne scars on their face.[10]
Whether your skin is itchy, oily, or dry, mix up some fine sugar with oil and tea tree oil to get some relief during the morning shower. However, people with sensitive skin should avoid larger granules, so it would be best to blend the ingredients in a food processor.
Selecting An Essential Oil For Your Sugar Scrub
Even though essential oils are naturally derived, they are quite potent, and you should not apply them without a carrier oil. So, you should definitely check the potency of the essential oils you buy. Concentrated oils like ginger, cloves, or cinnamon might be too intense for some people.
We also recommend looking at the therapeutic benefits each essential oil provides. If you are looking for skin polishing with a lovely fragrance, rose, lavender and peppermint would be a good choice. Alternatively, if you need the oil to have anti-microbial and acne-fighting effects, go for tea tree or lemon oil.
Also, you can use other ingredients to improve the fragrance of a simple base. Many people like to add vanilla extract to coarse sugar along with a carrier oil like coconut oil or jojoba oil.
Final Words
In conclusion, if you can’t wait to have soft, luxurious skin, go ahead and take a bath with your favorite scrub recipe. Exfoliate your skin with lush ingredients and experience a spa-like cleansing and relaxation right at the comfort of your home!
Another thing to observe is that not only does a homemade scrub with essential oils smell amazing, but it also makes for a fantastic gift idea. As far as storing is concerned, just make sure the glass jar stays at room temperature and no moisture enters the jar.
References:
[2]https://www.today.com/style/peppermint-oil-uses-benefits-beauty-health-home-cleanliness-t145583
[3]https://www.healthline.com/health/skin/lemon-oil-for-skin#uses
[4]https://www.healthline.com/health/lavender-oil-for-skin#eczema-and-dry-skin
[5]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4880962/
[6]https://www.visagenics.com/blogs/blog/2020-benefits-of-rose-oil-for-skin
[7]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22583064/
[8]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22935404/
[9]https://www.healthline.com/health/ginger-oil#side-effects
[10]https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajd.12465
