This homemade sugar scrub is so easy to make and it smells heavenly! It only takes 5 minutes to make and uses simple ingredients.
Turn your bathroom into a spa and use it 2 to 3 times a week on your hands, face, or body to gently exfoliate. It leaves your skin feeling silky smooth with just a faint lavender smell. So luxurious!
I used essential oils to give the homemade sugar scrubs their scent, and they smell SO GOOD! You can leave out the food colouring if you want to make your sugar scrub even more natural. But somehow for me, the colour added to the spa like quality of the sugar scrub. That’s the great thing about making this at home. It’s totally up to you what you decide to put into it!
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Sugar Scrub Recipe
Materials:
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons Organic coconut oil
- 10-20 drops Essential oils (lemon and/or lavender)
- 5 drops Food colouring (purple and/or yellow)
Equipment:
- Small glass jar (for storage)
Check Out The Video Tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Mix homemade sugar scrub
- Scoop 4 tablespoons of coconut oil into a microwave safe bowl and microwave it on high until it's completely melted (about 25 seconds).
- Pour the melted coconut oil into the sugar and mix well to combine. It it's too wet, add small amounts of sugar and mix until you get a consistency you like.
- Add the food colouring and mix well until the colour is consistent.
- Add the drops of essential oils and mix until well combined.(For the lavender lemon scrub, I used 10 drops lemon essential oil and 10 drops lavender essential oil.)
Step 3: Store DIY sugar scrub
- Scoop the sugar scrub into an airtight container, such as a small mason jar, and cover it with a tight fitting lid.
- Your homemade sugar scrub is complete!
How do I use this homemade sugar scrub?
You can use sugar scrubs on your hands and body up to three times a week. You can use them on your face as well, but I’ve been too nervous to get it into my eyes, so I’ve avoided it on my face.
If you do use it on your face, tie back your hair, wet your face, and gently massage the sugar scrub into your skin in a circular motion. Then use lukewarm water to rinse off the scrub. You can use the same technique on your hands and body.
What if I don’t have essential oils for the fragrance?
If you don’t have essential oils, you can try to make this with cooking extracts, but keep in mind that extracts (such as vanilla extract or peppermint extract) often have alcohol in them, so they might dry out your skin and give off a slight alcohol smell, especially if they sit for a few days.
If you’re giving sugar scrub as a present, you’ll probably want to test it out with your particular brand of extract to make sure it works properly. You can also add dried lavender, dried rosemary, or vanilla beans for scent instead.
Will the food colouring in this DIY sugar scrub recipe colour my skin?
It’s only 5 drops of food colouring for an entire 1.5 cups of sugar scrub, so it didn’t leave any colour on my hands or in my bathtub. You can add more if you want a stronger colour, or you can choose to leave it out.
How should I store this homemade sugar scrub?
You’ll want to store your sugar scrub at room temperature in an airtight container.
I found these adorable glass jars at the dollar store. They have a flat spot on one side so you can keep them on their side if you want. And the lids were stainless steel with a clear plastic top.
How do I make labels for my DIY sugar scrub?
I printed out a very simple label and used my label punch and my 1/8″ hole punch and tied it around the top of the jar with plain twine. So simple, but definitely adorable if you’re giving them as a present!
>>> Printable PDF of my Sugar Scrub Labels <<<
Is this sugar scrub okay for sensitive skin?
This body scrub is FANTASTIC for people like me with sensitive skin. It’s pretty much just sugar and coconut oil.
There are no hidden ingredients and you can use as much or as little colour and scent as you like!
How long will this sugar scrub last?
If you store your sugar scrub in an air tight container, it should last for about 1 to 2 months. If it starts to smell different from the day you made it, it’s time to make a new batch.
You can also store homemade sugar scrub in the refrigerator, where it will last up to 6 months (but I haven’t actually tried that yet).
DIY Sugar Scrub
This homemade sugar scrub is so easy to make! And it’s just so luxurious! I had no idea that sugar scrub was so easy to make! But seriously, it takes less than 5 minutes. And when it’s done, it smells heavenly! It’s such an awesome homemade gift idea – or if you make it for yourself, it’s a fun way to spoil yourself!
Sugar scrubs are a great way to exfoliate and moisturize your whole body in the shower. I’ve been using my little batch of homemade sugar scrub on my hands at bedtime, and I’ve been shocked by how silky smooth it makes my skin feel! And it leaves my hands with a gentle lavender smell that’s really soothing as I drift off to sleep.
How to Make Sugar Scrub
This post was originally published on August 1, 2016. This is a story from the original post:
For a few years, I had a subscription to House and Home magazine. I thought I’d enjoy all the decorating ideas in it, but it turns out that my favourite section was actually the food section that they include at the end. Have you ever tried one of the meals in that small food section? They look so amazing, but they aren’t exactly simple. There was one issue a few years ago that had a gorgeous salmon dinner in it and I decided to make it for my 30th birthday party. (This is related, I promise…)
Except as it turns out, I didn’t have any motivation on my 30th birthday – and the dinner was a TON of work. So I bought all the food, invited everyone over, and made them all help me cook the meal. lol We all chopped and cooked and barbecued together, and even though it was probably annoying for my guests, I remember it being a lot of fun! I made everything on the menu from the magazine, right down to the wine choice, and it was delicious! (You know… besides being a ton of work…)
One of the menu items was lavender lemonade, and it was soooooo good! So fresh, and so summery, and really different! My mom had to make a special trip to the farmer’s market just to find a fresh bunch of lavender to bring to my party. I wish I still had the recipe for it. (Although knowing me, it’s probably still tucked away in the night table drawer that I haven’t cleaned out in 7 years…)
This lavender lemon sugar scrub reminds me of that hot summer evening and the amazingly fun birthday party I had almost exactly five years ago when I served that delicious lavender lemonade. (And let’s just say that turning 30 somehow seemed easier to me than turning 35… Somehow, turning 35 gave me some inner angst and bothered me way more… I’m now officially in my mid-thirties… eek!).
Before I had that lavender lemonade made from fresh lemons and a fresh bunch of lavender, I probably never would have thought to pair the two flavours together. But they compliment one another perfectly! I also whipped up a batch of plain lavender sugar scrub and plain lemon sugar scrub since I had the ingredients out anyway. My kitchen smelled just like a spa!
Here’s even more ways to pamper yourself:
Easy 5-Minute Homemade Lip Balm
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Niharika Wadhawan says
Does’t food colouring stain your skin?
Debbie @ One Little Project says
It’s only a few drops in the whole batch, so for me there was no staining at all. I couldn’t even see the colour in the tub as it washed away. You can leave the food colouring out if you want to, but it’s such a small amount that I bet regular body wash has more dye in it than the sugar scrub.
Connie says
Can someone tell me why mine turned reall solid like I couldn’t break it with my fingers??
Debbie Chapman says
Sounds like some water might have ended up in it. The sugar doesn’t dissolve in the coconut oil, but it will dissolve in water and cause hard crystals to form when it dries.
Noura says
Use fractionated coconut oil. It became solid because that’s what regular coconut oil does. Also, you can add other oils like olive oil or avocado oil.
Noura says
Use vegetable/ organic food coloring. I got mine at Sprouts farmers market. It’s probably easy to find at Health Food stores.
Metanoia Siamu says
How many jars were you able to fill with this recipe?
Debbie @ One Little Project says
It will depend on the size of your jars. I was able to fill two of those little jars in the picture per batch. One batch makes 1.5 cups, so it filled a 2 cup mason jar about 3/4 full. I hope that helps! 🙂
Jenna says
How many oz were those little jars? Thanks! 🙂
Lucy says
i made this batch and it filler 2 4 oz mason jars for me.
Susan says
I found 2 batches filled 3 four oz jars to the top. I ordered the jars from Amazon. They came with pretty stick on labels.
Susan Phelps says
Can you use search salt instead of sugar? Please email me with the answer please.
Michayla Ashley says
I have this same question too about using salt instead of sugar… and would you recommend sea salt or Epsom salt? they are for baby shower gifts
sherron Merritt says
If you use salt instead of sugar it would not be a sugar scrub.It would become a bath salt.
Angela S says
Hi! I was wondering what exact type of coconut oil You used ? It seems like fractions coconut oil is already the consistency you need but I’m fairly new to this! Thanks!
Debbie @ One Little Project says
I bought my coconut oil from a local soap making shop. It was cosmetic grade (which is overkill for this recipe), and probably not available anywhere else. But I’ve read lots of other websites have used kitchen coconut oil in their sugar scrubs. I’m pretty sure you can get this organic coconut oil at the grocery store, but if not, here’s an affiliate link to it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hKiCkS
Helene C Wood says
Trader Joe’s has some great coconut oil, virgin. organic and unrefined as well. I don’t think it’s hard to find. Oh re any scrub, wash first as your skin will be soft from the oils and the water just beads up from the oils
Amina Khan says
Hi Debbie! I tried looking for the jars on Dollar tree’s website but I couldn’t find any, can you give me a link to find it I am planning to do this activity with my Youth Program, and I need to build glass jars in bulk. I would appreciate it.
Qianna Roberson says
Hi where can I find the cute printable labels?
Jason Brown says
Hi Debbie! Would it be possible to get a download of your cute labels? I would be willing to pay if you have an Etsy shop or something. Thanks! (Amy, posted as Jason ;))
Jennifer Karamol Gerrick says
Can you use fco to make these
Carpet Salons says
Lemon essential oil is photo sensitizing- which means it can cause some serious sun burns if used on the skin in non-wash off products. I know scrubs are technically wash off products, but they are the exemption to the rule, because the oil remains on the skin after the sugar or salt is rinsed. So don’t use lemon essential oil unless you want an awful sun burn!
Linda says
What size labels did you use for this project? Could you post the label number?