Homemade Body Scrubs

There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them.-Slyvia Path

Before there were even cosmetic industries, women had been mixing ingredients to beautify themself. One of my favourite treatment is body scrubs...cleaning all those excess dirt on dead cell alway make me feel good and they said that exfoliating is the bottom line of skin care. It clean and smoothes your skin.

There are alot of commercial body scrubs ready on the shelf and you can just pick which one you like. (the problem with this...it cost you and sometimes your skin react negatively, you might not know you are allergic to some ingredients). So we go back centuries before and do what out ancestors did...make you own. It not only save your money,but you can control what you put in the scrubs, you can use the best quality ingredients money can buy. If in doesn't suit you, change to other recipe. (so you don't need to stare at that nice palstic jar of body scrubs that put a hole in your pocket but can't use because it irritates your skin)

The recipe is pretty simple, 3 part options - granular exfoliant, moisturizer and fragrance.

These recipes are good for about once a week and offer a lot more exfoliation and moisturizing benefits. By scrubbing off the top layer of dead skin cells your skin will feel smoother, your moisturizer will penetrate easier and you will help prevent annoying ingrown hairs and body breakouts. The act of rubbing in circular motions, towards the heart also increases circulation.

1.Options for Granular exfoliant

Salt: you know all those expensive choice of body scrubs with salts from all the famous place. Well you don't actually need to go to the Dead Sea for salt. You can use plain table salt if you want, if not you can try using sea salt, kosher salt or epsom salts. Table salt is cheap and they come in smaller grain. If you bought the large chunk salts, grind it with blender, coffee grinder or food processor so the edges can't harm you. (You want a scrub not sandpaper). But if you have minor cuts or wounds...think twice because this can hurt. All salts have detoxifying and muscle-relaxing properties.

Sugar: Any sugar will do, brown sugar, white (granulated) sugar or natural cane sugar. White sugar is cheap, and work just as well as natural cane sugar. Brown sugar has better frangrance, (although it might remind you of your mum cookies) and it's gentler on your skin, good for people with dry or sensitive skin. Sugar isn't as harsh as ground nut shells, it melts fast when it hits moisture, so if your skin is delicate, you're probably not going to over-scrub it. The other benefit is the fact that sugar, unlike pumice, ground shells and other insoluble ingredients, will melt instead of sticking in your bathtub drains. It don't really have muscle-relaxing qualities but the act of scrubbing in a circular motion does increase circulation.

Coffee - People in Hawaii and Bali has been using coffee scrubs for ages because it not only cleanse you skin but the caffein in it helps to redistribute fat cells and decrease the formation of cellulite. It also acts as a vasorestrictor, tightening and shrinking blood vessels thereby helping eliminate varicose veins. Also it has a nice fragrance to it. (kind of remind you of Starbucks)

Oatmeal -very good to eat and good as scrubs as well, it's very gentle and won't exfoliate much but for people with dry itcy skin, this perhaps is your wisest choice.

Yogurt and milk - okay this one is quite expensive, you might want to think twice whether you want to eat it or smooth it on you skin. But both contain lactic acid which will dissolve skin cells and act as a non-granular exfoliant.

2. Options for Moisturizer

You need to add oil to turn the exfoliant grain of you choice into a slushy mixture, not to oily and not too dry either. It should form a mixture of a slightly wet ball without it dripping through your fingers.

Oil: There are a lot of choices, you can use jojoba oil, sunflower oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, olive or even vegetable oil. Once you massage the mixture into your skin and rinse, the grains will be gone and the oil will make your skin soft and hydrated. Mineral oil like baby oil is not recommended as in will penetrate into skin, and it is pore-clogging, it can leave you skin looking dryer.

Avocado mash: For those you don't like feeling oily, you can use avocado. Mashed it and mixed it with your exfoliating agent. It is very soothing and moisturizing. Those with itchy skin and dry skin might prefer to use it. Good for tense muscle too.

3. Fragrance

Once of the reason you take a bath is to smell nice..and in making your own body scrubs your choice of fragrance is pretty unlimited. Any essential oil (like the one used in aromatherapy) can be use as your scrubs fragrance with it's added emotional benefit. You can use you favourite perfume oil if you want too (but it can be sensitive to your face but not your body) but caution never use fragrance oils as they are chemical fakes and can cause irritation or even allergic symptoms. Among your choice:

Vanilla: Great especially in the coffee or brown sugar scrub.

Orange, lime, tangerine or lemon: For an uplifting effect.

Rosemary, eucalyptus or peppermint: For clearing out the sinuses and stimulating the body

Cinnamon or clove: For improving circulation and adding a spicy kick to your scrub.

Rose, jasmine or ylang-ylang: for a romantic floral scrub.

Geranium: For balancing your mood.

Lavender: For promoting relaxation.

Additional ingredients

Adding things like flower,herbs or honey can make your scrubs more attractive and add extra exfoliation property.

Shredded ginger: aid exfoliation.

Linden flower: great for soothing frayed nerves.

Comfrey: good for those with minor skin irritations.

Yarrow: good mucle-soothing Chinese herb.

Lemon peel: helps alleviate lethargy.

Orange peel: helps ease minor depression.

Lavender flowers: helps promote relaxation.

Ginseng: will help energize and increase circulation

Honey: add moisture

Baking soda: add a pleasant fizziness and help clarify the skin.

shredded soap: will add eliminate the need for using additional soap either before or after your scrub.

Bentonite or kaolin (Cosmetic-grade) clay, seaweed: help detoxify and purify the skin

Green Tea: for toning and a oily buildup.

******

Recipes:

Brown Sugar Body Scrubs

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup honey

3 Tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. ginger

Honey-Almond Facial Scrubs
2 Tbs. almonds

1/2 cup honey

1 Tbs. lemon juice

Oatmeal Facial Scrubs

1 cup plain instant oatmeal

1/2 cup honey

1 egg white

Sugar Body Scrubs
8 cups turbinado (raw) or light brown sugar
1 ½ to 2 cups avocado, untoasted sesame oil or jojoba oil
½ to 1 cup apricot or peach kernel oil essential oil (ginger and vanilla)
honey for smoothing the texture

Salt Scrubs

8 cups coarse pickling or Kosher salt.
2 cups avocado, untoasted sesame oil or jojoba oil
1 cup apricot or peach kernel oil
1 cup unsweetened cocoa or ¼ cup freeze dried coffee crystals
2 Tbs vanilla extract
honey for smoothing the texture

Salt Body Scrub
1/2 cup of salt preferably sea salt
1/2 cup of cold pressed vegetable oil. (or almond or apricot oil)
Optional 15 drops of essential oil ( the aroma you want)

Almond and Bran Scrub
1/2 cup very finely ground almonds
1/2 cup coarse wheat bran
1 cup hot green tea
10 drops lavender essential oil

Sea Salt Body Scrub
1 cup fine sea salt
1/2 cup grape-seed, hazelnut, or almond oil
10 drops grapefruit essential oil
10 drops juniper essential oil

Crush ingredients with a mortar and pestle, or use the back of a spoon or chop with a knife. Mix thoroughly and apply to clean skin. Rub in for about two minutes. Allow to dry. (This forces the moisture back onto the surface) Rinse off with water or jump in the shower to rinse off.

Enjoy your spa-quality body scrubs!

(Based on article written by Esthetician Jennifer Tanner and Amy Longhofer the co-founder of DermaNew Inc.)

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body- Oliver Wandell Holmes