Scrubbing Up Nicely
As winter creeps upon us, (seriously it is coming) and a weekend away in the bush I noticed my skin was looking dry and in need of some love. I decided to dig back into some of my old recipes for homemade beauty products and thought I’d share this amazing body scrub!
Why make your own scrubs? Well, many store-bought scrubs come with tiny micro beads which can be made of plastics leaving a detrimental effect on the waterways and environment. Not to mention that many commercial products can contain a string of ingredients which
are not only difficult to pronounce but may also be harming our health. Think about it, our skin is the largest organ in (on) our body, it keeps our insides in and the outside world out, why subject this massive detox organ to harsh chemicals often found in commercial products?
Sugar body scrubs such as this are literally good enough to eat, meaning good for you, good for your skin and kind to the environment. Oh, and did I mention that is an inexpensive way to help exfoliate our skin and leave it feeling oh so nice. Seriously most people would have the three main ingredients in their cupboard right now!
Basic Body Scrub
1 Cup sugar 1/3 cup oil (Olive, macadamia, avocado, almond or coconut) Essential oils of preference – Choose ones that you like. Mix it up, play and have fun. There is no right or wrong here.
But for something a little more special…… I give you …….
Coconut Lemmony Body Scrub (seriously smells like lemon coconut cake – Yum!)
1 Cup Sugar – (caster sugar and brown sugar for finer texture, raw or white sugar for coarser texture) 1 Teaspoon Vitamin E Oil 1 Teaspoon Avocado oil
Enough Coconut oil to bring total oil content up to a 1/3 cup 15 Drops Lemon oil 5 Drops of Frankincense Mix all the ingredients until well combined. Place in an airtight container.
To use: In shower take a small handful of scrub and apply to skin in circular motions until sugar has dissolved. Rinse in warm water.
Caution. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. Do not apply to broken on sunburnt skin.
So why is this mix so good? I’ll tell you why…..
Sugar acts as the main abrasive, use as fine or coarse sugar as you can handle. Salt is also a great option here. All you want is a mild dis-solvable (environmentally friendly) abrasive to help exfoliate your skin and boost circulation.
Coconut oil is able to penetrate deeper layers of your skin and with its high saturated fat content, it helps the skin stay moisturised and may even help improve skin tone. Coconut oil also possesses antiseptic and antimicrobial properties which can be beneficial where skin infections may be an issue.
Avocado Oil is great for rough dry skin, helping to improve the feel and texture of the skin. Studies have also indicated that avocado oil may also enhance collagen production and help reduce inflammation.
Vitamin E oil as a powerhouse anti-inflammatory and antioxidant which has been to help skin heal by speeding up cellular regeneration
Frankincense Essential Oil helps promote feelings of relaxation and has a gentle soothing effect, while also helping to reduce the appearance of skin imperfections such as scars and blemishes. This is due to frankincense’s amazing astringent properties.
Lemon essential oil can help your skin have refreshed, healthy-looking glow while helping lift your mood through its intoxicating lemony smell.
So, get in the kitchen and try making your own scrub, its as easy as it sounds. Don’t like my blend? Mix it up and try your own oils and essential oil blends.
Allie xxx
PS if you’re a waxer then these scrubs rock at removing the leftover waxy residue.
Allison is a qualified Naturopathy and Nutritional & Western Herbal Medicine. As the founder of Fundamental Wellbeing, she specialises in gut health and stress-related conditions. Allison possesses a strong passion for all things health and wellness, she understands that balance is essential to life, looking for real-world solutions to help client’s reach their health goals.
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/fundamentalwellbeingaustralia/ or book an appointment online https://fundamental-wellbeing.cliniko.com/bookings
