Long leisurely baths. Heavenly smelling body scrubs. Soft organic towels. Sound like something you need in your life? We sure did. Actually, a bath ritual is such a great form of self-care that it's part of our weekly routine.
6 Important Health Benefits of a Detoxifying Body Scrub
We chose these power-packed ingredients specifically for their ability to nourish and rejuvenate the skin and body.
And remember, the skin is the body's largest organ, so it's very important to be mindful of what you put on it because a large percentage of every single ingredient will be absorbed into the bloodstream. Never mind that the plastic microbeads so common in body care products cannot be processed out during wastewater treatment…
- Coconut oil is a nutritional powerhouse that nourishes and protects the entire body with its medium-chain triglycerides, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.
- Raw honey is known to heal a plethora of ailments, and is also anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal.
- Epsom salt is magnesium, an essential mineral for the health of the body. Many people are deficient in magnesium which can cause insomnia and other health problems.
- Unrefined sea salt contains a host of trace minerals that fill gaps in the immune system.
- Essential oils are useful in aiding the body to heal at the cellular level.
Using non-toxic body scrubs will help rejuvenate the skin and remove dead cells. They also get the blood flowing which helps cleanse the other oh-so-important organs. Not to mention, it feels Ah-mazing!
My Favorite DIY Detoxifying Body Scrub Recipe
Ingredients (makes 2 cups)
- 3/4 cup coconut oil (buy it here)
- 2 cups salt/sugar scrubbers (I used 1 cup unscented epsom salt, 1/2 cup unrefined sea salt and 1/2 cup organic raw sugar. You can use any combination of these, or just one by itself. Totally up to you)
- 10+ drops of your favorite essential oil (I used eucalyptus because I'm in love with that smell, and I put 20 drops in my mix)
- 2 tablespoons raw honey (we added honey because of its outstanding health benefits, omit for a vegan version)
Directions
- Set the coconut oil in a warm area where it can melt naturally, or use a ceramic pot on the stove over gentle heat. It's better to use non-metal bowls because it can be reactive to certain materials thereby reducing efficacy.
- Add honey and mix.
- Add the salt/sugar scrubbers and stir until well blended.
- Add essential oil drops and mix. Test to see if the smell is strong enough for your liking. If not, add more.
- Transfer to a non-metal container with a lid, and enjoy.
DIY body scrubs make incredibly thoughtful gifts! Grab a set of small glass jars for your next round of gift giving and make an extra batch.
P.S. This recipe is highly adaptable, so just use whatever you have on hand or customize however you want with different combinations of essential oils.
What's your favorite DIY scrub recipe?
32 comments
Love salt scrubs! Great recipe!
Me too Renee! I love that the Epsom salts add a nice bit of Magnesium too. ~Alicia
I’m going to give this a go. I have been detoxing and what appears to be a fungal infection on my skin has appeared. I’ll see if this gets rid of it.
Jordan
I sure hope it helps Jordan! It’s done wonders for my skin whenever I’ve had a little too much gluten. ~Alicia
Working in our backyard with chickens and a big garden often leaves my skin dirty and dry! Going to try this fabulous recipe. I love that it’s soft, luxurious, and able to really clean (naturally).
We’ve been doing the same exact thing lately Kristin – working with chickens in the new coop we just built! Needless to say, we’re super dirty and this scrub does wonders. ~Alicia
I love body scrubs and this one looks particularly wonderful!
You’re going to love it Linda! I personally tried it with lavender to help me relax at the end of the day and it was amazing. ~Alicia
This is such a simple recipe but has amazing benefits! This would be great for a Mother’s Day gift in a cute canister!! 🙂
Oh my gosh Rachel, you’re so right! I think you just simplified my Mother’s Day gift hunt – thank you! ~Alicia
I love this body scrub, especially as it contains coconut. I can’t get enough of the coconut smell!
Coconut smells so good and it’s benefits are seriously out of this world! Thanks Anna 🙂 ~Alicia
I keep a scrub in my shower at all times but I especially like the addition of honey. I haven’t thought about adding that! Great idea!! =)
Thanks Jessica! I hadn’t thought about keeping it right there in my shower, so I’m going to try that too! ~Laura
Hi Alicia, This looks like a great scrub. I am glad you pointed out how important it is to use natural products on our skin and how toxic most commercial skin product are. I don’t think most people realize or think about this. I am definitely going to try this. Thanks.
Thanks Susanne! A lot people ask us where they should get started “cleaning up” the toxic chemicals in their home, and we always recommend focusing on skincare first because they’re super-laden with hidden chemicals. ~Alicia
I have 3 questions. Does the sugar provide any benefit other than ‘scrubbing’ power? If not I would probably just use the salts which provide the magnesium and trace minerals. #2, Should the salts be coarse or fine? When I buy epsom salts they are always coarse, sea salt is usually finely ground. #3, would the coconut oil not be solid in the finished product? Mine is always hard solid unless I melt it. In the picture it looks like a liquid oil (olive for instance).
Hi Wendy, We use sugar in this scrub recipe because it helps moisturize the skin while it exfoliates, but feel free to leave it out if you desire.
As for the salts, we go for the middle ground there. Too course and you’re in for a hurtin’, too fine and you may lose some of that scrubbing power. However, I’d definitely choose fine over course.
Yes, the coconut oil is normally in its solid state after it sits for a while, but while you’re mixing it’ll probably be in a mostly liquid state which is what you’re seeing in the picture. Also, making the scrub when your coconut oil is liquid really makes is easy to combine everything together.
Hope that helps! ~Laura
I wasn’t aware of the moisturizing aspect of sugar. Yes, it would be easier to mix up warm. Thanks for replying to my questions.
How long does this last and and can you use kosher salt and 100% honey from the supermarket in stead go purchasing additional ingredients? Thanks
How much does this make? What size container do you fill? Thanks!
I was wondering why the recipe calls for 2 cups of the salt/sugars, but the break down of what you used only adds up to 1 cup. Also, how much does this make? What size jar did you use, to store it, and how long will it last? I’d like to make it, for take-a-ways at our upcoming family reunion. Thank you for sharing this!!!
Looks like a typo, Barb. My apologies! Amounts have been adjusted to reflect the correct mix for the 2 cup recipe. We store our scrub in mason jars or glass containers with plastic lids like these from Wean Green or Glasslock: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wean+green&linkCode=sl2&tag=nontoxicblo04-20&linkId=f9c2fd6c64a0318b7209ceff1c841e8b ~Laura
I was wondering if this scrub comes off easily or are you feeling greasy after you use it? Also can you use your Norwex body cloth with this scrub?
We love the way our skin feels after using this scrub – definitely not greasy at all! We’ve never tried it with a microfiber cloth, so can’t comment on that.
hi! would this scrub turn moldy if left in the shower? im using a glass container with a lid.
thank you!
It’s not made with water, so it should last for at least a month.
Sorry you had trouble with the recipe, Mary. You’ll probably just need to use less coconut oil in the future. The interesting thing about coconut oil is that it’s solid at room temperature, but that varies depending on where you live and what season it is. So you really can’t over-melt it.
May I use grapeseed oil instead of coconut oil? Thank you, gail
I’m sure that would work just fine Gail!
We make this in Australia using Lemon Myrtle Oil as the essential oil. It is absolutely amazing and smells delightful – give it a try. A wonderful recipe – thank you!!
Goodness, Ben – that sounds amazing!