Give Yourself a Salt Glow!

Lately, I’ve been all about homemade beauty recipes. My newest discovery are all natural body scrubs!  I can’t tell you enough how great this recipe feels while exfoliating in the shower and how smooth and refreshing it leaves your skin.

With the use of salts or sugars, this scrub revitalizes your skin by removing dead skin cells , revealing new cells underneath. The oils hold the mixer together, but also has some great benefits. Olive oil contains Vitamin A and E which helps repair  skin damaged by the sun and our environment.  They also act as great moisturizers because they help hold your skin’s natural moisture by preventing it from drying out. Some dislike this film of greasy feeling  left on the skin, so I would suggest using extra virgin coconut oil.  A bit more expensive, but it’s a dry oil with a high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, as well as antioxidants.

Lavender + Rose Sea Salt Scrub
The aromas are calming and very relaxing.  It’ prefect for a steamy shower! The therapeutic benefits of Lavender includes relief from stress, anxiety, depression, muscle and joint pain, back aches, acne, and eczema.  Rose improves blood circulation, function of glands and muscles, and can provide relief from menstrual cramps and body aches.

Materials and Ingredients
1/2 c fine sea salt (optional: add course sea salt for a nice mixture)
1/2 c olive oil (or extra virgin coconut, almond, avocado, vegetable, jojoba oil, macadamia oil)
1/4 tsp lavender essential oil
dried lavender buds
1 rose cut into tiny pieces
small jar with lid

Directions

Mix oil, salt, and flowers together.
Use more oil for desired consistency with a maximum of 1:2 (salt to oil) ratio. I only needed a 1/4 tsp of essential oil or a few drops for the small amount I made.
Try adding rose essential oil for stronger fragrance.

Honey + Lemon Sugar Scrub
Lemon is a natural source of vitamin C and is commonly used to lighten sun and age spots.  It helps even out skin tone, brightens skin, and diminished scars. The antibacterial properties of lemon also is a good natural treatment for acne.

For centuries, honey has been known to reveal radiant beautiful skin.  It helps retain moisture and it’s antibacterial elements helps treat acne.

Ingredients
1/4 c granulated sugar ( if your skin is super sensitive use brown sugar)
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 fresh lemon
1/4 tsp honey
1/2 tsp lemon zest

I ended up adding some lavender leaves for the final touch.

*careful when using this on any cuts or wounds. it might sting!

Rosemary + Lemon Sea Salt Scrub
Rosemary,  has a woodsy, herbal scent.  It is used to relieve muscle pain, relax nerves, improve digestion, help relieve lung congestion and soar throat. It also encourages dry to skin to produce its own natural oils and makes a great moisturizer.

Ingredients
1/4 c sea salt
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp lemon zest
dried mince rosemary leaves

Use these scrubs at the very end of your shower, after the outer layer of your skin has been soften.  Spend extra time massaging in circular motions around rough areas like elbows, knees, hands and feet, but be gentle on sensitive areas like your chest and stomach. I usually avoid using them on my face and neck since.

After using the scrubs, rinse with just water or with shower gel if you dislike the greasy feeling. The oils and aromatics provide moisture therapeutic benefits and are good for your skin.  Be careful no to use any citrus scrubs on cuts or right after shaving.  Also, the bath can get slippery from all the oils from the scrubs.
Remember to try these scrubs once a week to keep your skin smooth and radiant!

My favorite part of making these scrubs is coming up with my own fragrance combinations.  Stay away from synthetic fragrances by using pure essential oils, which you can find at health food stores or make some home fragrances yourself. Try using lavender, roses, mint leaves, rosemary, honey, lemon zest, tangerine zest, ginger, cinnamon or coffee grounds.  They’re are so many different combinations you can make! My next combinations I’d like to try include rose + mint and ginger + lemon.
I hope you try these ingredients or make your own, but please do share!

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