sugar scrub

I have wanted to make a sugar body scrub for a while, but never got around to it. With my sister's birthday yesterday, and a quite limited budget, I figured that now would be a great time to try it out. And after I realized it only took about five minutes, I wondered why I had waited so long. Bonus: I made enough for myself, too.

If you've browsed the Internet at all, you'll know there are a hundred different recipes available, most of which are very similar to one another. So, I picked the most simple recipe of all, found on Pinterest, at this site.

I decided to swap the regular white sugar for raw sugar for a more abrasive result. You know, to really scrub that dead skin away. I liked that she used vanilla extract for scent, leaving the essential oil (which always smells awesome, but can be kind of pricey) as an optional ingredient.

Here's what you do:
Mix equal parts raw sugar and brown sugar in a jar. Fill the jar with olive oil, add a tablespoon, (or 2 or 3) of vanilla extract, and mix it up.  The oil will compress the sugar quite a bit, so if you want the jar to be full, you might need to add more sugar and then more oil again. It isn't an exact science.

Since I was making a gift for only one person, I used a huge 20 oz jar (found at Walmart for $2). I think I used about 1 1/2 cups of each sugar and 1/2 cup or so of olive oil. If you want to make a bunch of gifts, I would recommend smaller jars. Also, if I were to make it again, I would experiment with using only the raw sugar, just to see what texture it creates.

This scrub is super oily, as if you didn't already figure that out, so, unless you have really dry facial skin, I wouldn't recommend using it on your face.  You can also substitute the olive oil for something lighter, like almond oil, if you would like a face scrub.  I think the olive oil is great for hands and feet and elbows and knees, especially during the dry Winter months.  I used it in the shower this morning, and it was awesome.  The heat of the shower brings out the vanilla scent and I didn't even need moisturizer.  And yes, the color is kinda gross, especially in these pictures, but there's nothing you can do about that (that I know of).

And because my sister is awesome, and Pinterest is full of awesome ideas, I also crocheted her two washcloths. With some cotton yarn I had in my bag and a simple pattern you can find here, I thought these were the perfect colorful compliment to a jar of what looks to be scum.

One last thing. Before it is assumed that I'm Miss Super Suzie Homemaker, please remember that I don't currently have a home, which means I don't have to spend much time cleaning, which means I have time to do crazy things like crochet and make sugar scrub. I suppose there are some perks to being homeless.

Follow me on Pinterest here.  If you need an invite, let me know, I'll send you one.  That is, if you're ready to risk pinning addiction.