Pinterest Tested: Brown Sugar Scrub

I've been curious about making my own bath products for quite a while now, but never seemed to have the time. I mean, first you need to find a recipe, then buy the ingredients, then make it, then test it…

But I found that this process was totally worth it!

After some recent medical issues, I started doing a little research. Your skin absorbs so much of what you put on it everyday - deodorants, lotions, creams, makeup, bath soap, etc. Most of these products contain harmful chemicals, and we don't even realize it! I could give you my long spiel here, about organic foods and natural cleaning products, and a whole host of other things… but I won't.

Just know that chemicals are bad, peeps. By making different choices, one simple choice at a time, we can decrease our exposure to these chemicals and hopefully make the world a better place for future generations. I've started my own journey down this path, picking one item to change at a time.

With that in mind, I was hard at work looking for a homemade bath scrub, minus as many chemicals as possible. And eureka, I finally came up with my perfect combo!

Brown Sugar Scrub

I scoured Pinterest for weeks, tried a few scrubs, but eventually created my own combination. Here are some of the people I took inspiration from:

The Pinterest Project

Simply Southern Mom

Homemade Ginger


To get started, this is what you need:

Brown sugar, white sugar, coconut oil, olive oil, Vitamin E, and vanilla. The basic recipe is quite simple: 2 parts sugar to 1 part oil.

Start by mixing together your oil and sugars. I use ½ cup coconut oil and ½ cup olive oil. The coconut oil is much more solid at room temperature. I like the contrast in consistency, I think it creates a nice scrub texture.

Oils

I use 1 cup EACH of brown sugar and white sugar. You can use all of one type of sugar, but I prefer the combo. You might also try raw sugar, as well. I think this would make the scrub extra exfoliating, and I may test it one of these days (*see my update below! Thanks to Abigail Austin Photography, this combo has now been tested). If you try this yourself, please comment below and let us know how it goes.

Once the sugar and oils are combined, you could definitely stop right there and have a great scrub. However, I also add a teaspoon of vanilla (smells delicious!) and 4 capsules of Vitamin E (just cut the capsule open and squeeze the liquid into your mix). You could also purchase straight Vitamin E oil, which wouldn't require the additional task of opening the capsules.

That's it! The recipe makes about 2 medium-size jars (this greatly depends on the type of jar you are using). I've been using the scrub for a while now, and I LOVE it. Your skin feels so soft after stepping out of the shower. I especially like how well it helps the dry skin on my feet and hands.

I've also added raw honey to the scrub before (about ¼ cup), and this makes a nice addition. Play around with the recipe, and discover what works best for you.

This also makes an excellent gift for birthdays or Christmas, or any occasion. Decorate your jar with ribbon and a label for a polished look. Heck, decorate the bag to match (credit for the decorations here go to my pal, Becky!).

I hope you enjoy the recipe. Please comment below with any tips you may have for fellow readers. I'll be back with more posts soon, my friends! I've included the full recipe below.


UPDATE: A fellow blogger and great friend of mine, Abigail Austin Photography, tried this scrub at home and was nice enough to share her results with us. This is what she had to say:

"I just finished trying your Brown Sugar Scrub, and I loved it! My skin feels soft, and I smell pretty.

I tried the recipe spontaneously without a trip to the grocery store, so I substituted brown sugar with raw sugar. The grains did not absorb the oil, so my texture was different than yours. I added more white sugar and the oils. As a scrub, the larger granules of the raw sugar did well exfoliating, but they were harsh in the ratio I used. A tablespoon of raw sugar would give the extra exfoliation power.

I'm very happy with this recipe, and I can't wait to make it again. A natural, chemical free scrub that leaves skin this moist is a must-have for any beauty queen in the north where heaters zap all the moisture. Thanks for this great recipe, Our Army Life!"

Brown sugar scrub with raw sugar

From Abby's test, I suggest only adding raw sugar for a little exfoliating boost, perhaps a tablespoon. Stick with either brown or white sugar for the main portion of your base. Thanks for the tips, Abby!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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The Standard Form:

Brown Sugar Scrub

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup coconut oil

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 capsules Vitamin E 

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl (open the vitamin E capsules and squeeze out the oil). Mix well. Store at room temperature.