Easy, natural, and budget-friendly feel-good beauty care for glowing and hydrated skin
Tired of dry and dull skin?
Whether you’re battling rough winter skin or want to achieve that perfect summer-kissed glow, sugar scrubs are a natural and easy way to nourish your skin from the inside out.
I’m a big fan of DIY natural skincare. I’ve always loved spending time in the kitchen experimenting and looking for ways to incorporate natural ingredients from the fridge and pantry. The possibilities are endless.
From turmeric, oats, amla, or aloe, there’s always something uplifting and nourishing to create.
Simple ingredients offer a natural, easy, and cost-effective skincare routine you can feel good about. And we know exactly what is going into them. We can also customize add-ins to complement areas we’d like to focus on.
- Aging skin? Choose essential and therapeutic oils that benefit mature skin.
- Acne-prone skin? Choose oils to calm and balance your skin.
- Eczema or psoriases? Add herbs to calm and soothe your skin.
Sugar scrubs gently exfoliate and moisturize our bodies — and the delicious combinations we can create are endless.
Why exfoliate with sugar scrubs?
Our skin naturally renews itself nearly every 28 days. But as we age, the process becomes a bit more sluggish, leaving our skin looking more lackluster and dull.
Exfoliating is key to reviving our skin’s natural glow. By removing the buildup of dead skin cells, you kickstart the renewal process, giving your skin that extra burst of rejuvenation.
Exfoliating may help unclog pores, promote even skin tones, may help reduce fine lines, brighten your complexion, and leave your skin feeling irresistibly smooth.
Sugar scrubs are perfect for mixing and matching. Use the base recipe as a starting point, and then experiment to find your favorite combination. Vanilla latte? Cinnamon and sugar? Or what about chocolate with a hint of orange?
From the base formula, the possibilities are endless. Your skin will feel soft and smooth and smell amazing.
📖 Recipe
DIY Natural Sugar Scrubs For Soft Skin
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- 1 cup sugar, choose from brown, turbinado, or white sugar.
- ½ cup oil, choose from avocado, grapeseed, olive, or coconut oil
- 15-20 drops of an essential oil, lemon, spearmint, grapefruit, sweet orange, lavender, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, etc.
Instructions
- Add oil and sugar to your mixing bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and any extras you’ll be adding.
- Stir and adjust ingredients to your desired consistency.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Add more or less oil, depending on the consistency you prefer
- Pick an oil and add a teaspoon or two for an extra special therapeutic touch.
Evening Primrose
Rosehip
Vitamin E
Pumpkin seed
Jojoba
Almond - Soothing and revitalizing add-ins. Experiment with these good-for-you extras:
¼ cup coffee grounds
2 tablespoons unpasteurized honey (like manuka)
1 teaspoon matcha tea 1 tablespoon of spices Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ginger
Cloves
Rosemary
Mint ¼ cup dried flowers Lavender
Roses
Calendula
Chamomile
Hibiscus
Nutrition
Sugar Scrub Recipes
A few of my favorite go-to’s.
📖 Recipe
Vanilla-Infused Lemon Sugar Scrub
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon rosehip oil
- 20 drops lemon
- Lemon or orange zest, from one fruit
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, OR 5 drops vanilla essential oil
Instructions
- Add oil and sugar to your mixing bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and any extras you’ll be adding.
- Stir and adjust ingredients to your desired consistency.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Incorporating coffee into our skincare routine works wonders for our skin.
When applied topically, coffee improves blood flow, which may help reduce the appearance of cellulite, giving your skin a healthy, radiant glow.
Coffee also helps reduce inflammation, leaving your skin feeling calm and refreshed.
📖 Recipe
Supercharged Spicy Latte Sugar Scrub
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ground coffee
- ¾-1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon evening primrose oil
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg or cardamom, optional
- 5 drops vanilla essential oil or 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add oil and sugar to your mixing bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and any extras you’ll be adding.
- Stir and adjust ingredients to your desired consistency.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nourishing infusion sugar scrub ideas:
- Hibiscus and citrus bliss
- Cinnamon vanilla swirl latte
- Miraculous minty cocoa
- Orange chamomile soothe
- Tangerine cocoa velvet
- Creamy cocoa vanilla dream
- Lemony cardamom delight
- Cocoa expresso revive
Mix and match your favorites; the possibilities truly are endless.
When you start using your own sugar scrubs, dry and dull skin becomes a thing of the past. They’re loaded with good-for-you ingredients that are natural, simple, and cost-effective.
Your skin will feel soft and rejuvenated with a perfect summer-kissed glow.
I hope you’ll give it a try; this easy DIY is self-love and self-care wrapped up in one.
Last but not least
- Sugar scrubs work best in the shower — it makes cleanup easy.
- Use roughly two tablespoons each time you use it, and avoid letting water get inside to help preserve it.
- While herbs and flowers are pretty left whole, you might prefer blending them beforehand as it makes clean up in the shower easier. A spice or coffee grinder works well.
- Always use clean, dry hands or utensils to prevent introducing bacteria or moisture.
- Store in an airtight container. Store for up to 2–3 weeks. If you’re adding in vitamin E it will extend it slightly, but discard it if it looks like it’s gone bad; use your best judgment. Small batches work well.
- While exfoliating is excellent for removing dead skin cells, overuse can strip away natural oils leaving skin feeling dry. Use 1–3 times per week, depending on your skin’s sensitivity level.
Disclaimer: Always test sugar scrub recipes on a small area of your skin first to ensure you don’t have any allergic reactions to the ingredients. If you experience irritation, discontinue use immediately. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult with a doctor if you have any pre-existing skin conditions or concerns.
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
These sugar scrubs are incredibly easy and super easy to customize! A favorite to make year-round.