How to Make a Body Scrub with Essential Oils

Homemade sugar scrubs offer the ideal alternative to pricey skincare products and expensive spa treatments.

You will find most of the ingredients you need in your own home and still enjoy wonderful results that can make your skin glow. We explain everything you need to know about how to make a body scrub, some of the benefits it can offer and the different types of sugar that could work for your skin.

What are the benefits of a homemade sugar scrub?

Some of the benefits you may be able to enjoy from using a sugar scrub include:

• It can exfoliate your skin: Using a sugar scrub can help to remove the outer layer of dead skin cells, gently encouraging your cells to turnover so healthier skin can come to the surface.
• Cheaper alternative: Because sugar scrubs can be made using common, natural ingredients that are found in your home, they should be less expensive compared to commercial exfoliating products sold online or in shops.
• Maximises moisturiser absorption: After you have used a sugar scrub and dried off, your skin pores are open and ready to absorb the products you want to apply. It gives you a blank canvas to work with so you can get more from your moisturiser and other skincare products.
• Can remove ingrown hairs: Ingrown hairs can be irritating and cause issues on the surface of the skin. Regular use of a sugar scrub can help to unclog pores and remove textured skin that may lead to ingrown hairs developing.
• May boost blood circulation: Aside from relieving tension and soreness, a good full-body massage can also boost blood flow, which improves your skin’s health, which in turn can help cuts and bruises to heal faster.

What is the best sugar for a sugar scrub?

Granulated sugar is absolutely fine to use for a sugar scrub – although there are alternatives that may be more suitable for your skin:

• Brown sugar: The granules in brown sugar are softer than granulated sugar, which could make it useful for exfoliating the face and softer areas of skin.
• Cane sugar: Unrefined white cane sugar is generally suited to most skin types, and it can provide essential nutrients such as iron, magnesium and potassium and a host of vitamins, including A, C, E, B1, B2 and B5.
• Turbinado sugar: This is also referred to as raw sugar due to the minimal processing involved. The crystals are medium-to-large in size, and it looks like brown sugar in appearance.
• Superfine sugar: Superfine sugar is a more refined version of standard granulated sugar and is also known as castor sugar. Because of the smaller crystals, some people do use this as a scrub for their face.

Can I use a sugar scrub on my face?

It is generally advised that you do not use a sugar scrub on your face because they contain large sugar crystals, making the scrub too harsh for facial skin.

Feel free to use the sugar scrub on all other areas of your body (including your private parts – although do so gently).

Scrubs that use small, round-shaped particles tend to be milder and better for use on the face. You can test the scrub beforehand by trying it on a small area of your arm – the rule being that if it is too harsh for your body, then it will not be suitable for your face.

A better alternative may be to use organic products that can help exfoliate your skin without using harsh particles.

Whether it’s exfoliating the dead skin on your body, improving blood circulation, or boosting the ability of your beauty products, sugar scrubs can soon become an essential part of your skincare routine. You can use them anywhere on your body (including the face – although read our notes about this above) so you can enjoy a natural, chemical-free cleanse from head to toe. And when mixed with the wonderful fragrance of an essential oil, it can leave your skin feeling refreshed and enriched with a whole host of nutrients and vitamins.