DIY Tropical Scrubs

SUGAR & SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE: DIY TROPICAL SCRUBS FOR SUMMERTIME

I’m as guilty as any 20-something-year-old southern girl when it comes to spoiling myself at the spa. I find cruelty free beauty treatments absolutely essential to my physical and mental well-being, but of course, these treatments come with a price tag. Although I do live by the notion that true beauty comes from within, I’m always on the hunt for creative ways to pamper myself without breaking the bank. To keep costs down and beauty regimens up, I’ve come up with some fun DIY tropical scrubs that are both effective and smell a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

SUMMER SCENT SUGAR SCRUB

If you’ve ever used Pure Fiji Sugar Scrub, then you know how wonderful the dissolving sugar in it is. I became obsessed after a visit to Reflections Spa at Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa in Orlando and I haven’t looked back since.  The scrub itself is a bit pricey, so I decided to take a stab at a homemade recipe myself. The trick to making a homemade scrub as close as possible to the actual spa product is simple: it’s all in the sugar.

Summer Fun Scrub

2 cups raw cane sugar-I prefer raw cane sugar found at Trader Joe’s.

1/3 cup organic coconut oil

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla or vanilla essential oil

Mix the ingredients together, and delight in an incredible sugar scrub exfoliation and moisturizing process at home.  Use approximately a tablespoon’s worth and rub all over your skin, especially dry elbows and knees.  Let it soak in for a few minutes, then rinse off and enjoy your out-of-this-world soft skin. Sometimes I use it in January to remind myself that the frigid temperatures—well, frigid for the south—won’t last forever.

As a Floridian, nothing says summer to me quite like oranges.  For a twist on the same recipe, use orange essential oil instead of vanilla essential oil.  You may need a few drops more than the 1/2 tsp recommendation, but don’t overdo it! Essential oils are strong, and even though oranges smell great, no one wants to smell like a walking orange grove.  Lemon oil, a lemon/lime combination and mango are also wonderful summertime scents.  This recipe is completely versatile, so all you have to do is determine which summertime scent is the most appealing to you and go for it.

ZESTING FOR OIL

The oils in fruits are found in the skins. To add a hint of color and genuinely fresh scents to your scrub, simply zest the skin until you have about 2-3 teaspoons and add to the sugar.  You’ll still have to add oil, but it can be something less expensive such as a lightly-scented olive oil rather than coconut oil.

FROM THE PANTRY

You may already have everything you need for a yummy sugar scrub sitting right in your pantry.  If you have brown sugar (or any other sugar that isn’t too fine), olive oil and some spices such as rosemary or basil, you can still make a sugar scrub that smells delightful and reminiscent of summer.

2 cups of sugar

1/3 cup olive oil or canola oil

1-2 teaspoons rosemary, basil or both

Mix and use the same way as the previous scrub recipe.

The best part of trying to imitate spa treatments is that you may come up with a recipe that’s entirely your own. Who knows? Maybe you’ll like your own recipe even better than the product at the spa. With any luck, you’ll be able to give yourself the royal treatment way more often and for a lot less.

BONUS TIP

Mix and store your homemade scrubs in glass jars when possible. Pliable plastic absorbs the oils over time and your scrub will lose its effectiveness and possibly have a plastic smell to it.

The most important tip of all is to have fun with experimenting. These recipes aren’t set in stone, which means that you have a lot of creative freedom. Half the fun is coming up with your own perfect recipe that you know for a fact is cruelty-free and is great for your skin!

Author Bio: Emily is a proud University of Florida alum and a passionate DIYer. When she’s not trying out new crafts or projects, you can find her at the beach with friends, reading a good book or playing with her golden retriever, Mia. She’s also a sucker for baby animals and will never turn down a nice glass of red wine. She loves meeting new people, so go ahead and reach out to her on twitter @eculclasure or Google+