DIY: Superfood Brown Sugar Body Scrub
Everyone knows how to make a scrub right? You mix oil with sugar/salt & done. So why is mine any different? Well mine contains ginger, orange zest & juice, brown sugar & canola (rapeseed) oil which are all incredible for your skin....I wish I had planned it, I had no idea until I started writing this post!
I also wanted to see what I could do about this weird skin thing I get on the top of my arms. I hoped that by making a sugar scrub with some acid in it would have dual exfoliating action & finally get rid of whatever it is that's wrong with my arms. Well it seems to be working + it smells great!
The reason it's all so good for your skin? Well
apparently the ingredients are all skin super foods.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar contains glyolic acid which fights bacteria & is a natural form of alpha-hydroxyl acid which is the stuff in acid toners that works as an exfoliant. Plus brown sugar is a natural humectant which means that it draws moisture in from the environment & from there into your skin.
Rapeseed Oil
Rapeseed oil is rich in Vitamin E & K which are incredible for your skin. It also contains loads of anti-oxidants & treats skin infections. Being a natural oil it is also an amazing moisturiser which absorbs beautifully into the skin.
Orange Peel & Juice
Oranges are high in natural acids which mean that the juice is great at clearing out your pores & exfoliating your skin. Orange zest contains high concentrations of vitamin C which is great for your skin as are the anti-oxidants in oranges which allegedly do everything including stop you from getting old?
Ginger
Okay so ginger is just the most amazing super food but it is also amazing for your skin. Ginger helps fix odd pigmentation around scars, it increases circulation, it reduces acne, it is an anti-inflammatory & anti-cellulite....making this scrub perfect for everything you could ever use it for.
I will certainly try this tonight...its so good to have a treat for me that doesn't cost anything...this being January.
ReplyDeleteI totally hear you :) I hope this works for you
DeleteSally
I tried the scrub...I didn't use rape seed oil as I didn't have any and was feeling too lazy to shop so I used olive oil and the scrub was wonderful. The bathroom smelt lovely when I'd finished. The amounts you give are enough for at least 3 or 4 generous uses and I will certainly be making it again. Thanks
DeleteHello! Lovely post - may I commend you on choosing to use natural, skin-friendly ingredients?! Not only will it save you money, but save your body from unnecessary chemicals being absorbed through your skin... not very beautiful, I think.
ReplyDeleteI get a bit nerdy about the topic being both a licensed, spa-experienced aesthetician here in my native Canada, but also a huge believer in reducing chemicals in personal care and household products wherever possible.
Anyway, thought I'd address your "weird skin thing" on the tops of your arms. It's name is keratosis pilaris and is super-duper common - annoying for some people, but yes, common.
It's often recommended to use salicylic acid or vitamin A and/or D (adding vitamins into one's diet usually is a good thing, but of course, check with your physician or pharmacist in case you take meds which could react, etc, etc) to help slough off the built up keratin. However, this can be very drying for some people and as you found, your scrub may be an ideal way to tackle both the exfoliating part as well as the moisturising aspect!
Personally, I'm a huge fan of coconut oil in body and skin care as well as for cooking - so practical and healthful. Bonus! It is actually anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and absorbs easily by skin and even into dry or damaged hair (tiny bits make a wonderful shine potion, too) and best of all, even a good sized container of organic coconut oil will be cheaper than most beauty products in stores, and will last and last. (Note: extra virgin might smell lightly of coconuts still, but others tend to have no scent, so depending on your planned use, this might be good to know. BTW, makes an amazing lip butter/balm base or just as-is... it's wonders never cease!).
Anyway, I like to use coconut oil for scrubs such as yours, so perhaps something to consider trying sometime if you like? (I don't represent any companies, so am not recommending anything here, just sharing the love :D ). Oh - one other note if you should try the coconut oil thing; it's solid at cooler room temps, turning liquid at around 24C or when it comes in contact with your skin, so don't think it's spoilt if it's like this. You can pop it in the fridge in warmer months or gently melt it over a water bath when making cosmetic creations... It's also THE best thing for popping corn (and stir-frying) as it's high smoke point (temp before it smokes when heated) means you can turn the stove to where it needs to be with little worry it will start smoking and spoil the oil and the food you're making. Ew.
I TOLD you I get nerdy about this! Or enthusiastic, perhaps? Both, I'd say. Haha.
Anyway, great research on the scrub ingredients and well done combining them for a yummy-scented and effective homemade treat. I'm impressed! Look forward to reading more from you.
PS You can read more about KP on Wikipedia and the like. There's even a product sold just for this skin issue - I've never used it and cannot comment on its effectiveness, but I would definitely sooner recommend your scrub and some coconut oil - cheaper and all-natural win in my books.
Thank you for all the info & advice, I've heard loads about the benifits of coconut oil...I will definately be trying that next!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a blog? I bet you have some great advice & natural skincare recipes...
Sally