Scrub away your holiday stress with sugar

Ah, the holidays are here: chock-full of stress, elbowing shoppers out of the way to get the last gift on your list and scaly skin thanks to the cold air.

‘Tis the season for sugar scrubs!

A scrub is one of the easiest and wallet-friendly gifts to make — it’s environmentally friendly, too! — and most of what you need is already in your pantry. One big batch of scrub could be scooped into individual jars and customized for even the most finicky gift recipient, including you. Also, playing with your food is so much fun!

The basic rule of thumb involving sugar scrubs is one part sugar, two parts liquid — so half a cup of sugar for every cup of oil. If you want a grainier scrub, you can add some more sugar until you get the desired consistency. Olive oil is a great base, but go wild! You could use coconut oil, almond oil or even argan oil if you’re feeling super luxurious. As for oils and extracts, add one drop at a time until you get the right scent. Cloying is a no-no; let’s not go into cheap dollar-store scrub territory here!

 

How to select your sugar

Plain old cane sugar is a wonderful base for your scrub. Add a tablespoon of pure vanilla extract for a scrumptious sugar cookie scent that will also work wonders as a lip scrub to soothe wind-chapped lips. For a calming scrub, add lavender oil and some dried thyme, which is an anti-inflammatory. For an energizing pick-me-up and a fantastic foot treatment, peppermint oil is a must! Try turbinado sugar for a more powerful scrub.

Brown sugar is a great alternative to cane sugar and has a softer texture for those who may want gentler exfoliation. Try adding a hit of grated lemon zest and some lemon extract for a DIY take on Fresh’s Brown sugar scrub. A scrub spiked with ground nutmeg, cinnamon and grated or powdered ginger root will improve circulation, ease inflammation and gently warm the skin, bringing some yuletide cheer to cold mornings. Putting in a little honey is also super soothing for the skin! A teaspoon or so per jar should do.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your scrub on!

Tags: body scrubs, DIY

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