Sugar Scrub

Growing up we used a lot of salt scrubs... and I loved them. As an adult I learned that sugar scrubs are also a great option and now I like them more than salt scrubs. Sugar scrubs are not as harsh on your skin. Things I have read say this is due to the smaller nature of sugar granules, as well as their shape, and their ability to dissolve more quickly. I occasionally use a larger granule of sugar that I run through the blender to break it up. Over the years, I have made quite a few different sugar scrubs and two hold the title of favorite.

The first of these favorite scrubs is a Lemon Sugar Scrub. I love the fresh clean smell of lemon. The second is a Lavender Sugar Scrub. The relaxing, soothing scent of lavender is a long time favorite.

Making sugar scrubs is extraordinarily easy. There is a simple ratio found in most sugar scrubs of sugar to oil. The typical ratio you see is 1 cup sugar to 1/2 cup oil. I like my sugar scrubs with less oil so I usually do 1 cup sugar to 1/3 cup oil. I use olive oil a lot of the time because it is something I always have in the house. You can also use coconut oil, jojoba oil, or almond oil. While I regularly use olive oil, I prefer the other oils because the scent of olive oil can be overpowering with some essential oils and olive oil is more greasy than many of the other choices. The amount of essential oil really depends on the type of essential oil and the carrier oil you choose.

My lemon sugar scrub is a great sugar scrub. I use white sugar, olive oil, or whatever carrier oil I have on hand, the zest of a lemon, and some lemon essential oil. Mix the zest and sugar together first then I slowly pour my olive oil in. Don't pour too fast because it is really easy to make this scrub more oily than you want to. Then, I add my essential oil. This scrub has such a fresh clean scent. I love to use it after I come in from gardening and my hands are dry and gross. I, also, love this in the winter months when the world is a cold, dreary place. This lemon sugar scrub is bright and cheerful!

The lavender sugar scrub is a little more time consuming. It uses two types of sugar. I use Demerara Sugar and white sugar. It also uses dried lavender flowers. I dump all of these dry ingredients into my blender and pulse until the sugar crystals and the lavender are well mixed and somewhat broken down. I like it somewhat chunky, but not quite as chunky as it is without running through the blender. Then, I slowly pour my carrier oil into the dry mixture, stirring. The amount of oil you need really depends on personal preference. I like this scrub to be a little drier than the lemon scrub. Then, I add my essential oil until I get just the right amount of lavender scent. The flowers and the essential oil give you a lot of room to play with the scent to make it as subtle or as strong as you would like. I use thus scrub before bed a lot. Lavender is very relaxing and soothing. This scrub is great for use as a body scrub in the shower.

I put my sugar scrubs in 8 ounce wide mouthed canning jars. I like these Ball jars the best. They hold quite a bit and they are low profile and sit close to the counter which keeps them from getting bumped and knocked off the counter by my son, like taller jars tend to do. When I started making sugar scrubs I was using a spoon from my kitchen to scoop it out. Some people use their hands, but I try not to contaminate them as much as possible. I now use some cool little wooden scoops, I found on amazon.com, that remind me of gelato spoons. They are the perfect size for sugar scrubs and are cute to attach and give with a scrub as a gift.

You can print these recipes here.