Repurpose Unwanted or Old Body Butter or Lotion

Most of us have at least one container of body butter or body lotion that we either purchased or were given as a gift that is collecting dust or headed for the trash because for some reason we don't like it. Wait! In an economy like this waste is a bad thing. Here is a way to get some use out of what otherwise would find its way to the landfill.

Last Christmas, for some unexplained reason, I received an abundant supply of body butters and body lotions. Were they trying to tell me something or was there a sale? Some of the scents I liked and some I didn't. The ones I didn't like have spent their lives stacked on a shelf collecting dust. They couldn't be donated because they had been opened and in the current political environment that meant they were " tainted." I gave some away to family and friends, but some of them they didn't like either. Pretty bad when you can't even give it away.

I am from New England originally and growing up I was taught that you should not waste anything. Instead you should find ways to use what might otherwise be considered waste. So, all this body butter was not going in the trash. I had to find something to do with it because I hate dusting.

As I set my brain in creative mode, I was reminded how much I love getting pedicures. The salt or sugar scrub with its heavenly leg message always leaves me feeling refreshed and my legs smooth. While body butter is not as thick as the base ingredient in the scrub, I decided to give it a try and make one into a scrub.

Here is my recipe (you can change the ratio of salt to butter to make it the texture you like):

3 oz of body butter or lotion
2 tablespoons of sea salt or mineral salt

Mix thoroughly just before you want to use, jump in the shower, and apply to your skin with a gentle massaging motion--just like they do at the salon.

Since I had a whole jar at my disposal, I didn't stop with my legs. I used the scrub all over. As the reason this particular jar of butter didn't get used was because I didn't like the smell, I washed it off with Jasmine scented body wash. My skin was exfoliated, I leveraged the moisturizing elements in the butter, my whole body got a message, my circulation was improved, and my skin felt smooth all over. Eureka!

Those jars on the shelf are no longer tormenting my frugal tendencies and are disappearing at a steady rate. Beyond how great my skin feels and looks, it is free! People who want to gift me this year should not be afraid to give me butter and lotion if they find it on sale. I won't mind.