In keeping with my 2014 New Year’s Resolution to transition all of my body products to products I can either make myself or at least understand the ingredients of, my latest challenge was making an all-natural face and body scrub. Everyone’s skin reacts differently to ingredients, but I’ve personally found this brown sugar and honey scrub to be very cleansing and moisturizing!
BENEFITS FOR YOUR HEALTH:
Each of the ingredients in this recipe has unique benefits for your skin. Raw honey, for example, has antibacterial properties that speeds the healing of wounds and acne, hydrates the skin, and is ideal for sensitive skin because it is an anti-irritant.1 Raw honey also helps protect the skin from UV rays.2 Like raw honey, extra virgin olive oil hydrates the skin, protects the skin from UV rays, and has antibacterial properties. Olive oil also has anti-inflammatory effects on the skin, which can help treat some skin conditions such as eczema.3
Brown sugar is a great option for an affordable, natural exfoliator. While salt scrubs are often too abrasive for sensitive skin, brown sugar particles are smaller and softer, creating a gentler scrub. Brown sugar also breaks down skin cells so that new cells can generate. It also contains glycolic acid, which fights bacteria. Lastly, brown sugar naturally absorbs moisture from the environment and then locks that moisture into your skin.4 The final ingredient – vanilla extract – has antibacterial properties, which help treat wounds, acne, and burns.5
BENEFITS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT:
To truly make your homemade scrub all natural and eco-friendly, and to boost health benefits, buy sustainably produced ingredients. The honey sold at most conventional supermarkets is heated and filtered, meaning it is simply pure sucrose. The heating and filtering process strips honey of its nutritional value and healing properties. On the other hand, raw and unheated honey, which can be found at health food stores and farmers’ markets , has a myriad of health benefits because of its antibacterial and anti-irritant properties and its antioxidants.6
Olive oil is another tricky product to buy. It is important that the label states “extra virgin olive oil,” since that type of olive oil goes through the least amount of processing, and therefore retains its nutrients. Olive oils that aren’t “extra virgin” are often cut with lower-grade oils. Since olive oil shouldn’t be exposed to heat or light, it is also important to buy olive oils that are stored in dark-tinted glass bottles or tins and to keep olive oil in a dark cabinet away from the stove.7
In terms of brown sugar, unrefined and sustainably grown sugar is the healthiest and more eco-friendly choice. When sugar is refined, the process strips the sugar of its valuable properties and adds harmful chemicals to the product instead.8 The best choice for vanilla extract is to choose a brand that actually uses vanilla, as most vanilla products are imitation. Imitation vanilla will not have the same health benefits since it is produced from clove oil or lignin from conifer trees.9 Like with the rest of the ingredients, look for brands that use sustainably grown vanilla beans.
BENEFITS FOR ANIMALS:
By making face and body scrubs yourself, you avoid accidentally supporting animal testing. For more information on animal testing check out this Greeniacs article: Animals and Testing .
Cost: Low. You most likely already have many of the ingredients in your kitchen for baking purposes. If not you can go to the market and only have a maximum of four relatively low cost ingredients to purchase.
Time and Effort: Low. Once you have all of the ingredients, the scrub only takes five minutes to make!
Ingredients:
½ cup unrefined brown sugar
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. raw, unheated honey
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Additional materials needed:
Bowl
Measuring cups
Airtight glass jar—mason jars are great for this!
Instructions:
- Put the four ingredients into a bowl. Mix well with a spoon.
- Pour scrub into an airtight glass jar. I keep my scrub in a cabinet in the bathroom.
- When showering, gently exfoliate your skin using the scrub. I usually let the scrub sit on my skin for a few minutes to let the honey and olive oil sink in. I also use the scrub on my lips to remove dead skin and keep them soft and moisturized. The scrub will cause a tingly feeling on your lips.
- Wash the scrub off while in the shower. There is no need to use a lotion moisturizer after you get out of the shower, as your skin will be fully moisturized from the scrub.
Enjoy your beautiful healthy skin treated right at home ☺
