I am one person that fought hard for my facial skin to come to the state it is now. Body scrub is my secret.
My face just produces oil naturally and I run away from groundnuts and other oily foods because of it.
If you are like me, chances are that you have tried different things that did not work.
I was there.
The only thing I did not try on my face is rubbing poo on it. Talk about urine and the likes, I used all of them.
Sadly, they all failed me. But when I started using body scrub, everything changed.
I will love to share with you the natural body scrub that I use for my body and face.
Also, I interchange the ones in this article just so I can have different experiences with them. Again, different seasons call for different scrub.
I use milder ones during dry season. It helps my skin maintain its moisture through the season.
Basically, I had to look up studies on the benefits of these items as body scrub.
You can also check them out to be sure of what you are using.
Can Exfoliation Make Skin Glow?
Before we look at these exfoliating products you can make by yourself, let us look at why you should exfoliate your skin and how often you should.
You can use body scrub, brush or loofah to exfoliate your skin.
Exfoliating your skin with natural body scrub helps detoxify the skin and stimulate its metabolism.
Also, it enhances absorption and retention of moisturising agents and restores the skin’s own natural moisture factor.
Another thing exfoliation does for your skin is that it improves the quality and tone of skin by assisting in the removal of dead skin cells from the surface (1).
This removal of the top layer of dead skin cells helps make your skin look brighter.
Also, exfoliation stimulates the production of collagen, which may help your skin stay firm and glow.
Materials You Need For Your Body Scrub Production
There are different types of body scrub that we recommend here and the materials you will need are ;
- Dry lemon or orange peel powder.
- Coffee Powder
- Sugar (White or brown. Brown preferably)
- Base oil – Olive oil, Almond oil, Coconut oil or Flaxseed oil
- Honey
- Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt
- Spoons for mixing
- Measuring spoons or cups
- Mixing bowl
- Essential oil that will serve as fragrance
- Camwood
- Can for storing your scrub
Natural Body Scrub Recipes
Here are few natural body scrubs that you can make at home and use on your skin.
1. Lemon Or Orange Peel Powder Scrub
To get your lemon peel powder, you should either order from vendors or make yours.
To make a thick paste use
- 2 tablespoon powder
- 1 tablespoon of any oil of your choice (see oils above)
- 3 drops of essential oils (optional)
If you want to make much, increase the quantity using the above measurement as base.
It is okay to add lemon peel to your body scrub because lemon peel is a significant antimicrobial agent that also has an astringent property (2).
Another study says the citric acid and flavonoids in citrus showed marked skin brightening effects at a concentration of 1% (0.4mg/ml).
According to the study, it is effective at 1% in a cosmetic formulation to fade age spots and brighten skin tone.
2. Coffee Powder
You know that coffee is high in caffeine and this compound is what makes it great for skin glow.
According to a study that tested a cream containing caffeine and other ingredients on some participants, caffeine is able to reduce the appearance of cellulite (3).
The decrease happened within 12 weeks of use.
Basically, this means that it will take some time before you begin to notice the effect of the body scrub.
Also, coffee is gentile on the skin and it helps in removing dead cells from the skin.
How To Make Coffee Scrub
- 1/2 cup coffee grounds
- 2 tablespoon of hot water
- 1 tablespoon of any oil of choice.
Add the hot water in a bowl and then add the coffee and oil. Mix thoroughly until you see the consistency is okay.
You can add more ingredients till it is consistent enough for your skin.
Add your favourite essential oil to give it fragrance and your scrub is ready.
3. Sea Salt Body Scrub
The image above is how sea salt is, but you will need to blend it in your dry blender to make it smooth.
If you decide to use it this way, it will be harsh on your skin and give you bruises.
To make a body scrub with sea salt, get 2 tablespoon of sea salt and one tablespoon of oil. You will also need to add few drops of your essential oil for fragrance.
You may also add 1 tablespoon of honey to it if you would like to increase the effectiveness. This will further make it mild on your skin.
Mix them in a bowl until it is consistent enough for you to add to your container.
Sea salt is a great scrub for your body and this is because it has antibacterial properties.
They are helpful for different skin conditions. However, as you use it, observe how your skin react to it. You may not need to use sea salt during dry season.
4. Sugar And Honey Scrub
Sugar scrub is almost the same with sea salt. We recommend that you use olive oil to make your scrub.
Use 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of Olive oil, and then remember to add few drops of your favourite essential oil.
Also, we will advise that you use brown sugar for your scrub. You can find it in super stores.
Brown sugar is great for skin exfoliation.
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It is mild on your skin and unlike sea salt, if you have injuries on your skin, you will not feel hurt.
While it might make your skin sticky, it contains antimicrobial properties that help ward-off skin issues.
It also cleans out dead cells from your skin.
5. Camwood Scrub
This is another material for exfoliation that works really well. It contains antimicrobial properties that make it effective for your skin (4).
It helps in removing dead skin cells and make your skin glow over time.
To make a thick paste that you can apply on your skin, use:
- 2 tablespoon of camwood powder
- 1 tablespoon of any oil of your choice
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 3 drops of essential oils (optional)
Mix then thoroughly in your bowl until the mixture is consistent. Remove and save it in a container to enable you reuse it.
How To Exfoliate With Body Scrub
If you wonder how often you should use body scrubs, here is something to guide you.
Scrubs should not be an every day thing. When you do, you expose your skin to high sensitivity that could result in dryness and irritation.
Too much of everything is bad. Always remember this.
Exfoliating 2 or 3 times in a week is not a bad idea. While you do, observe your skin reaction to it.
If you notice that your skin is becoming dry, discontinue and reduce the number of times you exfoliate.
You may also want to try a milder body scrub like the sugar or camwood.
Also, note that body scrubs are better used when you are bathing.
Apply gently, in a circular motion, like you are massaging your body. Allow for a maximum of 10 minutes before you rinse off thoroughly with warm water.
To help you go through the time, take a book you can read in your bathroom while in the bathtub waiting.
Try it out and share your experience with us.
Also remember to share this tips here with your friends. If you look good, help another person also look good. Share! Share!! and Share!!! and make life more worthwhile.