Create Your Own Cleansing Scrubs

Fancy cleansers and scrubs for skin care have become a big business, as have most aspects of beauty and personal care. However, most of the scrubs you find out there can be created at home for much less money and sometimes even better results. The best thing about making your own products is that you know exactly what you are using. There are no unpronounceable ingredients to wonder or worry about if you make your own products. You are also afforded the ability to personalize everything to fit your personal needs and preferences. As with all recipes, I fully support experimentation and further personalization. I suggest that you keep a written record of any changes, so that you can repeat the mixture if you really like it, and do not accidentally repeat something that did not meet your needs or that you simply did not like.

Three Grain Scrub
Yields Around Two Ounces
Ingredients:
2 Teaspoons of wheat germ
2 Tablespoons of oatmeal
2 Tablespoons of cornmeal

Instructions:
1. Mix all of the ingredients. You can either do this in a bowl, or by putting all of the ingredients in a Ziploc bag and shaking well.
2. Store the blended grains in an airtight container for use.

To Use:
1. Combine a small amount of the grain mixture with equal parts of water to create a paste. Around half a cup of the blended grains is enough for the average person to cleanse the whole body.
2. Using your hands, or a washcloth, gently massage the paste into your skin.
3. Rinse well with warm water.
4. Pat your skin dry.

You can use this basic idea and change it up greatly. You can also use sunflower seeds ground into a powder, granulated sugar, ground almonds, crushed avocado pits, crushed apricot kernels, dried lemo peels, or dried orange peels as the abrasive ingredient in your homemade scrubs. Instead of using water, you can mix the blended grains with milk or yogurt for a creamer, gentler scrub. You could also mix any of these ingredients with your favorite cold cream, lotion, or Castile soap. You can also mix and match your favorite ingredients such as adding some dried orange peel or crushed apricot kernels to a blend of grains and Castile soap. My personal favorite is using a little yogurt, the blended grains, and ground sunflower seeds as a facial scrub. The only limit to the combination is your imagination and time to mix and test. Have fun and explore the almost limitless possibilities. If you create something amazing, feel free to comment and share your successes.