How to take a few things from around the kitchen and turn them into a ginger-infused coconut oil sugar scrub for body and face.
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Today’s post is not about food that you eat. It is, however, about things you normally find in your kitchen like oils and ginger and sugar and kosher salt. While you could technically eat what we are going to make today, I’m suggesting that you feed it to your skin instead.
My mom is a lotion fanatic. She has a giant bottle that she is constantly using at home on her hands, her arms, legs, face, wherever. I’m sure part of this stems from being a nurse, where washing your hands so many times a day leads to dryness, which leads to an increase need for lotion. That or she just really likes soft skin.
You would think that as her oldest offspring, I may have picked up those same lotion usage habits. Instead, I have avoided lotion and anything with moisturizing qualities my entire life like the plague. Rather than have soothing properties, it has irritated my skin, dried my skin out more creating a dependence on using more lotion, or caused my skin to break out.
Water. Water was surely the answer, to stay hydrated. This works, but my skin has essentially been starved of any other form of nutrition, and I figured it was high time I grew up and started taking better care of it. I am, after all, no longer a stubborn teenager, and I should adopt some normal habits outside of eating, which took me a while to adopt anyway. Plus, it’s important to take care of the largest organ in your body, right?
It made sense for me to seek out all-natural ingredients when thinking about skincare, especially considering my history with products, and so, I’ve been mixing up a few things and looking for ways to go all natural in what I put on my skin, as well as with what I put in my body. On Babble I shared how to use olive oil as a face wash, and then I looked at using coconut oil for more than just cooking. If we’re being honest, I also make my own deodorant because I avoid the aluminum in anti-antiperspirants and it’s becoming harder and harder to find good deodorant-only options. (This is something my mom did manage to pass on to me.)
This isn’t a lotion, but it does have a moisturizing quality, and it keeps my skin feeling soft without a lot else going on. If I do need more moisturizing, I tend to turn to a tub of pure shea butter for that, though I’ve been eying Susan’s body butter for a while now.
Making Your Own Sugar Scrub:
- Use this to exfoliate every other week or so in the winter on your face as a way to rejuvenate the skin and shed dead skin cells. It’s like a homemade facial.
- Why ginger? Ginger is great for sensitive skin, acting as an anti-inflammatory agent to decrease redness and help with skin disorders. It also works to energize skin, making your skin tighter and more youthful, and I’ve heard it’s been used on other problem areas, too.
- The coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so this will be a bit thicker when mixed with the other oil, which I appreciate. It’s soft enough to scoop out, but it’s not runny. You could always use all cold-pressed oils if you want a thinner scrub consistency.
- It may seem counter-intuitive, but oil will not cause your face to be greasy. On the contrary, healthy oils will dissolve the dirty oils that collect on your face, leaving you with clean, clear and moisturized skin naturally.
- Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and a jar of this would make a wonderful gift to the special people in your life. We can all use a little bit of pampering every now and then.
1 tablespoon ginger, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cold-pressed oil (tea seed, jojoba, sunflower, or almond oil)
3/4 cup granulated or turbinado sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1-4 drops essential oil (I used lemongrass)
In a small saucepan over low heat heat the coconut oil and ginger pieces. Continue heating for 5-10 minutes until ginger scent and juice has transferred into the oil. Remove from heat and press through a fine mesh sieve or through a coffee filter.
While the oil is still warm, mix together with cold-pressed oil. Stir to combine and allow to come to room temperature. Stir in sugar and salt. Scent with essential oils as desired. Pack into a container.
To Use: Massage into damp skin and allow to sit 2-4 minutes. Using a washcloth covered in warm water, steam over face or stand in a steamy shower for a minute. Using the wet washcloth, wipe excess from skin. Rinse and repeat until oil is washed away.
Makes approximately 8 ounces sugar body scrub.
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Would you be able to use regular canola oil? I am not sure if it is cold pressed.
I would not use canola oil because it isn’t the best for skincare. I would consider an extra virgin olive oil, though.
Love your website!
Thank you!
WELL SAID,NEVER USE CANOLA PERIOD
If you’re not sure if it’s cold-pressed, it’s probably not. In fact it is probably GMO and solvent-extracted. I would not use it for skin. I don’t buy it and don’t use it for food either.
Thanks for the recipe! I made 4 batches and they turned out great! Christmas gifts for all my friends!
I am thrilled to hear you are enjoying it!
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Is this scrub perishable like sugar shrubs?
I really want to try this but is there anything else I could use to a fragrance that isn’t essential oil. I’m out of town and all the local stores don’t sell organic oil just the oil you use in warmers. And ordering would result in it being delivered after the new year. I would love to make this a gifts as well.
You could leave the essential oils out if you wanted to.
You can add vanilla
When you are measuring the 1/4 cup coconut oil it that firm or heated? Do you think this would work as well with lavender oil?
Firm. I don’t have personal experience with lavender oil. I would look at what properties it brings to skincare and whether it would potentially clog pores, cause a reaction, etc. before I added it in, but if all that checks out, I’d make a small batch and try it out!
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CAN’T WAIT TI TRY THIS WITH MY 9 YEAR OLD WHO JUST LOVES NEW THINGS!
THX!
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This looks simply lovely. I need something like this in the shower. I make a body scrub with almond oil but this…so delicious and decadent. Plus…coconut oil is incredible for the skin! xo
This is a really nice idea for a Mother’s Day gift
I shared this with our group members on CafeMom – Holiday and Party Crafts – with a link back to your blog for the tutorial. Thanks so much! ~Yolanda~
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Thank you so much for sharing my site!
Thanks. I will be making this in the morn..
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Does this need to be refrigerated? How long does it keep?
I don’t refrigerate it. My house is on the cool and dry side, though. It lasts about a month that way without issue, perhaps longer. You could always add vitamin E as a preservative to have it keep a bit longer.
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oh dear it sounds wonderful! I was thinking to use it for face and neck, will that be okay?
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Thanks for your tutorial on this, Shaina. I’ve never made a home scrub before so I’m going to try it. It sounds devine! I’ve shared it on my site with links back to yours.
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I don’t have any fresh ginger. Can you use powdered ginger instead?
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Love it! Thank you for sharing!
Have you tried making this in a crock pot?
I don’t own a crock pot, but the oil needs only to come up to 74º F to melt. You don’t want to cook it, so I would not recommend putting it in one.
Where can I find the homemade deodorant recipe you mention in this post?