Homemade salt and sugar body scrub recipe without using oil!
Hey guys, so I was racking my brain on some homemade gifts I could make for both the ladies and the guys in my life. You just saw my cinnamon hand balm here on the blog last week and the men’s hand scrub and gift basket too. But I wanted something geared for the gals and, seriously, who doesn’t love a good salt and sugar body scrub?! When I went looking online, however, I was really disappointed to find that many of the recipes called for coconut oil. Coconut oil and drain pipes just DO NOT mix so, unless its going to be used in tiny quantities, I needed to come up with another idea!
Though it goes against my thinking of what a scrub should be to include oil, coconut oil especially, is very soothing and great for dry skin so in that way I understand why many scrubs include it. But I expected my salt and sugar body scrub to be used in the shower so it didn’t take me long to realize all I needed to do was replace the oil in the recipe with a good basic, organic, liquid soap.
Another ingredient I wanted to use was baking soda because I used it earlier this year in a face scrub/wash that turned out absolutely divine. So, I had my list: I wanted to include salt, sugar, baking soda and liquid soap after that it was just a case of figuring out the right ratios to make into a good thick SCRUB. And, of course, I also added essential oil to make it smell good 🙂
Instead of our pink Himalayan salt that we use for eating I decided to order some Epson salt just for this scrub and, goodness knows, any leftover I could use in my own bath tub for soaking later! So, this is the sweet, salty and incredibly glorious body scrub recipe I came up with and, of course, I had to try it first, right?! Yup, I spent way too much time in the shower lol, this stuff really is wonderful! I came out so soft and glowy I can’t wait to use it again.
1 cup liquid Castile soap (what I use)
1 cup basic white sugar (what I use)
1 cup Epson salt (what I use)
1 cup baking soda (what I use)
15 drops lavender essential oil (what I use)
15 drops orange essential oil (what I use)
When I first developed this recipe and mixed it up I was just flabbergasted by the reaction I created. It went from sticky, wet, stir stir stir, suddenly became mashed potatoes! It was so strange! So, heads up, when you mix this up that is exactly what is supposed to happen! That happy little plastic container I found at the Dollar Store 🙂
I decided on a combination of orange and lavender so this would have a really clean smelling kick but also be floral and girly all in one. (Lemon essential oil would be great here too!) This scrub really turned out and I’m totally urging you to make up a batch just for you! Use any type of essential oil you like or none at all, you could always use a scented liquid soap and that would also do the trick.
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I’m Tarah!
It’s been a hell of a ride since I started this blog and renovated and moved into this old farm house back in 2015. I got married, divorced, lost my doggo soul mate, spent two years as a single gal, remodeled everything, threw my back out countless times and was even found by an amazing guy in my own backyard! (The story behind Storyhardt Farm.)
Around here we’re totally fearless when it comes to bettering our home. We love to refinish old furniture, re-purpose old pieces, build it from scratch and totally renovate anything that needs it! If we can do it – so can you. We’ve got some serious plans for this old farm and, for first time ever, I have a real partner!
This is gonna be so much fun!
You can also find out more about the amazing Grandma behind this blog who moved in to this old farmhouse with my Grandpa nearly 70 years ago!
I can imagine this being perfect as a lip scrub too! Thanks for sharing – this is lovely!
Thank you Leanne!
That’s a lovely homemade gift idea, and the orange and lavender does sound like a wonderful combination. Thank you for sharing the tutorial at The Really Crafty Link Party this week, and happy 2018!
Thanks Teresa, happy new year!
Sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Thanks Jann!
Hi Tarah,
Happy New Year to you and yours.
I am in the Uk and I love following your blog and all your wonderful ideas..!!
I have been searching high and low for a body/skin scrub that doesn’t use oils and this one fits the bill..and best of all I have most of the ingredients already..!! I cannot wait to try it out..!!
Keep up with these wonderful ideas and have a truly wonderful 2018.
Emma .x.x.x
That’s great news Emma! I gave this out to several ladies for xmas and all I’ve received back is really good reviews, everyone seems to really like it!
Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home! Happy New Year.
Thanks Sherry!
I gotta give it a try! It sounds like the perfect solution for my dry skin right now. Thanks!
Thanks for commenting Cristina, hope it works out for you!
I found that my skin felt very dry and almost powdery… did you get that when you first tried it? I might add jojoba oil to the mixture since it mimics the body’s natural oil composition. But I agree that coconut oil leaves a very sticky residue.
Hi Sofia! It is definitely a real scrub and not moisturizer, let me know how the jojoba oil works!
I’m a little concerned about the plastic Dollar Store jars. I actually have the same jars, but I am concerned about putting anything with essential oils in them for fear of the plastic possibly eroding and leaching chemicals into the product. Do you know if these are PET plastic?
This is the first oil-free scrub I have seen. I personally like the feeling of my skin when using an oil-based scrub, but I may give this a try for the summer months when my skin is not so dry.
Hi Kathy! That is definitely something to keep in mind when it comes to plastics. These I gave away as Christmas gifts but normally, with my own scrubs and lotions, I keep them in glass jars. I never got on complaints about these as gifts so I’m thinking the jars held up fortunately!
This is definitely a dry scrub and you will want to moisturize afterward.
Hi made this scrub looking forward to using it but I’m having a terrible time packing it. It won’t stop expanding on me!? Help lol