Natural Body Scrubs

Body scrubs are an excellent self-care technique. It stimulates the skin surface increasing blood flow which helps to improve skin health and glow. Exfoliating can remove all dead skin and unclog your pores. Body scrubs and exfoliating gels have been sold saying that they are natural and filled with natural ingredients. However, you look at the back of the tub, and half of the ingredients sound like they came out of a chemistry lab.

Many of these high street products are filled with chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Many scrubs used to have these microbeads that were made from plastic instead of a natural exfoliant. Thankfully to the hard work of environmental pressure groups and campaigning in the UK and most of Europe plastic microbeads are now Illegal. Although in other parts of the world that are still legal, once you have washed them off your newly scrubbed skin they enter the water system. Ending up in our oceans. Once they are in the oceans they go into our food system.

There are more natural exfoliants like sugar, salt, and coffee grounds are just a few examples. Coffee grounds are an excellent choice because you can make yourself a pot of coffee and use the used grounds to make your own zero-waste scrub. Also using natural carrier oils help to keep the natural PH of your skin and has moisturising benefits. Carrier oil like sweet almond, coconut, or grapeseed. Everyone has their preferred oil choice depending on how dry you want your scrub. The dryer the scrub the more coarse the scrub will be at removing your dead skin. Adding to your base scrub you can add essential oils or dried flowers to the mix.

Homemade body scrubs can be great fun and also allow you to work out what works for you. Also allows you to experiment with scents and essential oils.

Coffee Scrub

Ingredients

• 1 cup of used coffee ground

• 1 cup coconut oil

• 1tbsp of ground cinnamon

Tools

• Mixing bowl

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Container with lid

Instructions

• Place your coconut oil in a bowl and heat it up until melted.

• Allow to cool down before adding your coffee grounds and cinnamon.

• Mix to combine your ingredients.

• Place your scrub into your upcycled tub.

Peony body scrub

Ingredients

• A handful of peony petals or rose petals

• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar

• 2tbsp of carrier oil ( I use sweet almond oil. )

Tools

• Jar or tub with a lid

• Measuring cups

• Spoons

• Food processor

Instructions

• Blitz in a food processor until it is the desired texture.

• Decant into your container preferably an upcycled one and seal tight.

• Enjoy the self-care body scrub, with eco-friendly benefits.