All-Natural Homemade Facial Scrubs - Sugar and Honey-Oatmeal!


Facial and Body Scrubs are not only one of the most popular bath items, but they are also very good for all skin types.  The main difference between facial and body scrubs is the oil to sugar ratio {you don't want to use salt on your face}.  Typically, you want more oil in your facial scrub so it's not quite so abrasive.

Many people think if they have oily skin they can't use a scrub on their face.  Not so.  What you want is to make sure the scrub has ingredients that are helpful for oily or acne-prone skin i.e. tea tree oil, lavender, citrus, etc.  Conversely, if you have dry or sensitive skin you may want to avoid citrus.

Which essential oils should you use for your skin type?  Here's a few choices:  Dry Skin - geranium, chamomile, rose or lavender.  Sensitive Skin - geranium or lavender.  Oily Skin - geranium, citrus {lemon, orange or grapefruit}, chamomile, mint, rosemary or tea tree.

Below you'll find 3 basic recipes for scrubs.  You can certainly alter them by adding things such as yogurt, or crushed cucumber, mashed avocado or crushed strawberries, but remember, if you add fresh food it will decrease the shelf-life of your scrub.  Additionally, once you begin using an all-natural scrub {read as containing no preservatives}, it will begin decreasing the shelf-life because your hands and/or water are introduced to it {which means bacteria has been introduced to it}.  Because of this I've given the recipes as small amounts, something easily used up within the month.


Lets talk about oats.  The only downfall to an oatmeal scrub is it potentially clogging your drain.  If you have a sink with a mesh strainer meant to catch food particles, I would recommend washing your face in that sink.  This way, the strainer will catch the oats and you'll be able to toss them when you're finished.  Oatmeal is extremely soothing to dry or irritated skin - perfect for winter dryness and also for summer sun damage but has also been known to help reduce breakouts.

Now a bit about oils.  Coconut oil is all the rage right now and for good reason.  It offers amazing benefits.  The only downfall?  It becomes solidified in colder temps and, therefore, may make your sugar scrub extremely difficult to use.  Same goes for Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, or any other butters.  If you would like to use one of these, I recommend using 1 Tablespoon of either coconut oil or one of the butters, and for the remaining oil, use an oil that remains liquid {olive oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, and sweet almond oil are all great choices}.  This way, even if the coconut oil or butter starts to harden, you've got enough liquid oil in the mix to help it remain pliable.

If you've never tried scrubs before, I highly recommend it.  They are a wonderful addition to your cleansing routine.  Try a small amount first, to ensure your skin doesn't react negatively, then get scrubbing!



All-Natural Honey-Oatmeal Facial Scrub 
{for all skin types but particularly effective for dry or sensitive skin}

1/2 cup lightly ground oats
2 1/2 Tablespoons oil - olive oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, etc. {see note above}
1 Tablespoon runny honey {heat gently to liquefy if not runny}
10-15 drops essential oil, optional {tea tree and/or lavender are particularly nice}

Lightly grind your oats.  I pulse mine in a food processor a couple of times.  You don't want a fine grind or you'll lose the exfoliation benefits of the oats.

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Transfer to a jar or container with a lid.  Use within 2-3 months.





Lemon Sugar Scrub
{for oily or acne-prone skin}
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 Tablespoons oil - grapeseed, olive oil, or sweet almond oil, etc. {see note above}
1/2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  {if using coconut oil or a butter, melt first}  Transfer to a clean container with a lid and use within 2-3 months.


Basic Facial Sugar Scrub
{for all skin types}
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons oil - grapeseed, olive oil, sweet almond oil, etc. {see note above}
10-15 drops essential oil {see note above}

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  {if using coconut oil or a butter, melt first}  Transfer to a clean container with a lid and use within 2-3 months.

9 comments

  1. How cool! I like the recipe with oatmeal and honey. I've never tried a scrub with oatmeal but it sounds like it would work really well. And the lemon sugar scrub sounds like it would be invigorating!

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  2. Thanks for sharing Staci! I'll be whipping those up this weekend! Can't wait to try them!

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  3. Thank you for sharing! I am going to start with the lemon scrub. Which works better for the oatmeal, quick cooking or old fashioned oatmeal?

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  4. Thank you for sharing!! I will be making the lemon scrub first, I love the clean smell of lemons and eating anything with lemons :) What oatmeal works better, quick cooking or old fashioned?

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  5. Thanks all - I hope you like them!! Nancy - it doesn't matter. They get slightly ground and then softened with the oil and honey so either will work.

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  6. These sound lovely and refreshing. I'm thinking that the oatmeal honey scrub with lavender would be just the thing before bed. :-)

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  7. Oohhhhh, Sue, Lavender in it and used before bed is a great idea!!

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  8. I made these for Christmas gifts this year and everyone loved them. This is becoming a tradition…last year I made your spice mixes as gifts. Can't wait to pick a new recipe for next year's gift box. Thanks for posting such great ideas and recipes!

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  9. The best results are usually achieved using pure Tee Tree Essential Oil directly on spots, Simply put a couple of drops on a cotton bud and dot onto each spot. Look on: skincaretour.com .

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