Homemade Scrub for Soothing Skin Relief

The winter blahs not only affect or moods but also our skin. A great way to sooth your dry and flaking skin is with a homemade scrub. The store bought scrubs often contain chemicals or other elements that are harsh on the skin. To skin that is more sensitive even the fragrance oil used to scent the scrub can be drying. There are two recipes below one uses all natural ingredients that are commonly found in lotions or scrubs and the other uses ingredients that can be found in any drug store or discount store.

Some of the exfoliants that are most commonly used in scrubs are salt and sugar. Both work great but can often be too harsh for skin that is more sensitive. A great alternative to this is coffee grounds or poppy seeds. They each work just as well as the sugar and salt but work in a gentler manner to fight the dry flakes of the winter season.

To create a skin soothing exfoliating scrub you will need a rich butter. The selection of what you can find on the internet is endless and they will all work great. I prefer Shea Butter or Mango Butter. Melt 2 cups of the butter in a saucepan until liquefied. Add 1 Cup of Olive Oil. Pour into a mixing bowl and let cool. When it starts to set up, start blending with a mixer the whisk attachment works the best. As the oils cool, the mixing makes them light and fluffy. When desired consistency is reached, fold in exfoliant. The amount of exfoliant that is used is entirely up to you. However, the consistency will change as it sits over night so I suggest starting out with just a little and then adding if needed. A great starting point is 1 cup of exfoliant.

A quick and easy recipe for those needing relief from their dry skin now is to buy a great lotion. The Queen Helene line is great. Just add your choice of exfoliant to the lotion and you are ready to go.

A bit of added advice for those creating their own scrubs, package in single use containers. These scrubs do not contain a preservative and will grow mold if they meet moisture or water. Have fun with your creations and ply around with adding different butters and oils to your scrubs. There is not soap in these scrubs so they may leave your tub a bit slippery. Most commercial soaps have detergents and are very drying to your skin.