Salt is a great base ingredient for a scrub, as it allows you to exfoliate and hydrate the skin. You can use a few simple ingredients and prepare it at home, following consolidated recipes or trying your hand at new creations. Adding dyes or perfumes will make the treatment energizing or relaxing, depending on the essential oils you choose, and even more enjoyable. When you have developed your recipe you can put the scrub in decorated jars and offer it as a gift to your friends.
Ingrediants
Basic Salt Scrub Recipe
- 300 g of salt
- 120 ml of oil
- 5-15 drops of essential oils (optional)
Salt and Citrus Scrub
- 120 g of fine sea salt
- 120 ml of oil
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of citrus peel
Salt and Coconut Scrub
- 400 g of coconut oil
- 240 g of Epsom salts
- 8-10 drops of essential oils
Degreasing Salt Scrub
- 145 g of kosher salt
- 175 ml of grapeseed oil
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of liquid castile soap
- 12 drops of essential oils
Salt and Coffee Scrub
- 470 g of fine sea salt
- 25-30 g of instant coffee
- 100 g of coconut oil
Salt and Mint Scrub
- 240 g of Epsom salts
- 200 g of coarse sea salt
- 80 ml of grapeseed oil
- 6 drops of mint essential oil
- 4 drops of red food coloring
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making a Salt Scrub (Basic Recipe)
Step 1. Choose the type of salt
Its job inside the scrub is to eliminate dead cells from the skin to make it smooth and soft. Salt is available in numerous varieties: marine, table, kosher, Himalayan, Dead Sea or English (better known as Epsom salts).
- The ones most used to prepare scrubs are sea salt and English salt. However, what matters most is not the variety, but rather the grain of the salt. To exfoliate the skin it is preferable to use the fine one.
- You can also combine different varieties of salt in one scrub.
- If you want, you can replace the salt with another grainy ingredient. For example, you could use white or brown sugar, coffee, oatmeal, or ground walnut shells.
Step 2. Choose a carrier oil
It will be the basic ingredient that will act as a binder for the scrub, it will also have the task of moisturizing the skin. You can buy a particular oil or use one of those you already have at home. To avoid the risk of slipping in the shower, choose an oil with a liquid or medium consistency, however not very dense, that can be easily washed off:
- Grapeseed oil and jojoba oil have a liquid consistency and a very faint scent.
- Sweet almond oil has a medium consistency and a light scent.
- Olive oil is medium dense and not very fragrant.
- Coconut oil is medium fluid and is characterized by its intense and sweetish scent.
- Walnut, peanut and hazelnut oils are quite liquid and have a delicate nutty scent.
- Castor oil is thick and difficult to wash off.
Step 3. Personalize the scrub with a scented essential oil
To be effective, the salt scrub does not need to contain anything other than oil and salt, but you can add scented ingredients and essential oils if you want it to give off a pleasant fragrance while using it. You can choose the fragrance you prefer, perhaps according to the season. The important thing is to use only ingredients that are suitable for your skin.
- Essential oils extracted from citrus fruits, such as those of lemon, orange or grapefruit, are fresh, energizing and therefore perfect for the spring and summer season.
- Essential oils extracted from flowers, such as rose, ylang-ylang and geranium, have a sweet and summery connotation.
- Mint and cinnamon essential oils have invigorating properties and are great for the winter season. You can use them to make a scrub to give at Christmas.
- The essential oils of lavender, vanilla, chamomile and frankincense give off fragrances that promote relaxation.
Step 4. Assemble the ingredients
Get a glass jar with an airtight lid in which to store the scrub. Pour the salt into the container, followed by the carrier oil, then add a few drops of the essential oil or scented ingredient you have selected to obtain the desired fragrance and intensity. Mix the scrub thoroughly before using it.
Step 5. Keep the leftover scrub
At the end of the beauty treatment, screw the lid onto the jar and then store it in a cool and dry place, for example in a bathroom cabinet. Since salt is a preservative, the scrub should last well over a year without becoming rancid.
Sugar is also a preservative, but sugar-based scrubs have a limited shelf life of a few months
Part 2 of 3: Variations to the Basic Recipe
Step 1. Make a citrus-scented scrub
Used in the morning, this exfoliating blend gives body and mind freshness and energy. You can also use this scrub to recover after a workout or a nap. The recipe is very simple: just assemble the following ingredients in a glass jar in the doses indicated above:
- Fine sea salt.
- Sweet almond or jojoba oil.
- Zest of a citrus fruit of your choice between orange, lemon, lemon or grapefruit (or more combined fruits).
Step 2. Use coconut oil for soft and sensual skin
It is a refreshing, nourishing and moisturizing ingredient, perfect to combine with the exfoliating properties of salt. Take a glass jar and pour the following ingredients into it in the proportions mentioned above: coconut oil, Epsom salts, and an essential oil of your choice. Stir to get a uniform consistency mixture. The essential oils indicated for this recipe include those of:
- Vanilla.
- Patchouli.
- Orange.
- Pink.
- Geranium.
Step 3. Prepare a scrub to use to degrease the skin
You can use it to thoroughly clean your hands after cooking, gardening or repairing your car. Liquid castile soap replaces regular soap, while salt helps remove dirt and grease from the skin.
Combine the salt, grapeseed oil, and castile soap in a glass jar. Add 12 drops of one or more essential oils of your choice. Mix and store the scrub in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or next to the sink in the garage
Step 4. Awaken your senses with a salt and coffee scrub
This is another excellent option to start the day well, a valid alternative to the citrus one. The procedure for preparing it is as follows:
- Mix the salt with the coffee.
- Add coconut oil at room temperature (if it's cold, warm it so it softens so you can mix it).
- Stir to mix the ingredients.
Step 5. Make a peppermint scrub with the colors of Christmas
This two-tone scrub recalls party decorations and makes a great gift for your girlfriends. The recipe is very simple: mix the two types of salt, the carrier oil and the essential oil of mint, in a bowl. Stir to combine the ingredients, then divide the scrub in two and pour half into a second bowl.
- Use red food coloring to dye half of the scrub. Stir to distribute the color evenly.
- With a spoon, create a layer of red scrub at the bottom of a glass jar. Level the salt with the back of the spoon, then create a second layer with the white scrub. Continue in this way alternating the two different colored scrubs until the jar is full.
- You can also use cosmetic dyes or add an iridescent powder or body glitter.
Part 3 of 3: Using the Salt Scrub
Step 1. Moisten the skin
Step into the tub or shower and wet the part of the body you intend to exfoliate. Run the water over your skin for a few minutes to soften it. It is easier to distribute the scrub on wet skin.
- If you want to exfoliate your hands or feet, simply fill a basin with water and soak them for a few minutes.
- You can also use the scrub on the face, but very gently and avoiding the eye contour area. Fill the sink with water and moisten your face with your hands or with a soft microfiber cloth.
Step 2. Rub the salt scrub into your skin
Open the jar and stir the mixture before pouring a spoonful into the palm of your hand. Rub the scrub where the skin is dry or rough, such as elbows, heels, etc. Massage the body in circular motions for 1-2 minutes to effectively remove dead skin cells.
- If you want to exfoliate your face, treat it gently. Be careful to avoid the eyes.
- Do not take the scrub directly with your hands from the jar, use a spoon. Otherwise, bacteria and moisture could contaminate the mixture.
Step 3. Rinse your skin after using the scrub
After scrubbing it gently with salt, rinse it with running water from the shower or immerse the part of the body you exfoliated in the bath water.
- If you have normal skin, you can use the scrub 1-2 times a week, but no more. If you exfoliate too often, it may become dry, red, itchy, and more sensitive.
- If you have oily skin, you can use the scrub 2-3 times a week.
- If you have dry skin, use it once a week or when you feel the need to remove dead skin cells.
