I've purchased both salt and sugar scrubs over the last few months and while I love the results they can be quite expensive. Now that we're getting into warmer weather and I'm using a scrub almost daily before shaving my legs, I wanted to experiment with homemade scrubs in hopes of finding a less expensive and natural alternative to purchasing them. It ended up being so quick and easy that I regret not trying it earlier.
I used a very simple combination, but it's quite adaptable to add-ins. I chose to use almond oil because it's noncomedogenic (meaning it won't clog pores) and is liquid at room temperature so it's very easy to mix up. I purchased mine in a quart sized bottle from
Amazon, but I've seen it available at natural food stores as well. Coconut oil would be a good substitute if you don't want to use the almond oil, though you may find it easiest to mix together if you warm the coconut oil to a liquid first. I used white sugar but I've seen other recipes with brown sugar so this could be substituted, or you could use a mix of both. I used sugar instead of salt because it's gentler on the skin and dissolves easier than salt.
I added a little Vitamin E oil because I happened to come across an inexpensive bottle at the Grocery Outlet last week, but this could be left out if you don't have any and don't want to purchase it. I didn't add any vanilla extract or essential oils but these could easily be added in to add a scent to the scrub. As I made it there was very little if any scent to it, when it was warmed up in the shower there was a very slight almond scent, but it was hardly noticeable.
Sweet Almond Sugar Scrub:
1 cup white or brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet almond oil (or coconut oil)
1 tsp vitamin E oil (optional)
Additional add-ins:
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Several drops desired essential oils (lavender, peppermint, etc)
Stir together sugar and oils, then add in optional extracts or essential oils as desired. Store in an airtight container. This amount lasts me about a week if I use it daily.
*Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links*
