Skincare
Homemade body scrub with essential oils
Nov
On Monday the 13th November, we’ll be celebrating World Kindness Day. A great excuse for random acts of kindness, the whole day serves as a reminder that spreading kindness has a karmic effect, whether real or perceived. As with anything, you get out what you put in. So by being kind – to strangers as well as loved ones – the universe should reward you with kindness in turn.
But in order to be genuinely kind to everyone else, we’ve got to be feeling our best, right? That’s why we’re going to share with you the most indulgent body scrub recipes that we could find, so that you can lather up first thing and greet the day feeling, smelling and looking amazing, ready to spread the kindness!
All these recipes can be concocted quickly and easily, and you can even have fun making your own labels and adding your mixtures to different jars. So each time you jump in the shower or the tub, you can grab the scrub that takes your fancy.
Why scrubs?
Scrubs, especially natural, homemade ones, are great for removing the dead skin cells that can make your skin appear dull and dry. The scrub will lift and wash these away, revealing the young, fresh skin underneath. And by adding natural essential oils to the mix, you can hydrate and rejuvenate your skin as well as leaving it feeling silky soft. Oh, and the scents left behind are divine!
All good body scrubs should comprise an exfoliant (like salt, sugar or ground coffee), a carrier oil (such as sweet almond oil or grapeseed oil) and a fragrance. You can choose different scents according to your skin type and any complaints (such as flakiness, acne or sensitivity).
Sandalwood salt scrub
Simply combine eight drops of sandalwood, six of lemon and six of lavender and mix with your choice of carrier oil and a cup of salt (the carrier oil quantity should be around a third of the exfoliant).
Add the fragrance oils to the salt first and give it a good stir, then start to add the carrier oil slowly, stirring all the while. This scrub is great for using before shaving to lubricate the blade (don’t use it after – it may sting!).
Peppermint and lavender foot scrub
Combine a cup of salt with a third of a cup of sweet almond oil with 10 drops of peppermint oil and five drops of lavender and stir all ingredients together well. Rub into the soles and tops of your feet and in between your toes for baby-soft feet that will smell divine!
Grapefruit and orange body scrub
Smelling almost good enough to eat, this delicious scrub combines a cup of ground coffee and a tablespoon of salt with a third of a cup of sweet almond oil, all topped off with eight drops of grapefruit oil, eight drops of orange and four drops of peppermint.
Stir together to achieve the consistency of moist sand and use the mixture to exfoliate your whole body and leave you skin feeling silky smooth and smelling gorgeous.