Coconut Sugar Scrub

What You'll Need:

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

White Sugar

Tupperware Container or Jar with a Lid

Optional: Lime Juice, Essential Oils

How to Make the Scrub (Quick Instructions):

1. In a bowl using a spoon, stir together softened 1/2 cup coconut oil with 1/3 cup of sugar.

2. Transfer to a container with a lid (Tupperware, mason jar, etc.).  Cover until ready to use. Can be scrubbed over entire body, including face, once to twice a week.

How to Make the Scrub (Detailed Instructions):

1. Make sure the coconut oil is at the appropriate temperature: you want it pliable, but not liquid or hard as a rock. If it's the winter, this means you might need to let it sit out in room temperature for a little bit.  If it's the summer, you may need to put it in the fridge for a few minutes.  As I'm typing this, it's almost Spring in Georgia, which means the coconut oil is naturally at perfect consistency.

2. In a bowl, mix with a spoon 1/2 cup coconut oil with 1/3 cup sugar. After you've given the sugar scrub a try, you may find that you need to re-adjust the ratio to your liking. Some people may prefer a more vigorous exfoliate (especially for feet and hands), and therefore like to do a 1:2 Oil:Sugar ratio. Others like a more gentle scrub (especially if you plan on using this on your face), so they do a 2:1 Oil:Sugar ratio.  I like a happy medium, that's closer to half and half, with a little bit more coconut oil for moisturizing purposes.

3. To make a tropical Coconut-Lime Sugar Scrub, stir in the juice of half a lime. If you'd rather make something soothing, instead add in 5 or so drops of essential lavender oil.  Or just mix it your favorite citrus or essential oil. It's really quite versatile. You can also use brown sugar instead of white sugar, or your favorite oil (olive, almond, etc.) instead of coconut oil. I personally like to just use coconut oil and white sugar because it's cheaper and easier, yet still works beautifully in its simplicity.

4. Transfer the sugar scrub to a container with a lid. I use a Tupperware container or a mason jar. When ready to use, if the scrub has gotten too cold and formed into a hard solid, hold the closed container under your hot shower water to soften it up.  Use the sugar scrub as a body exfoliate twice a week, and as a face exfoliate once a week.  It can be stored in your bathroom indefinitely. However, if you added a citrus juice, I'd recommend keeping it in your fridge to maintain freshness. Try to keep the bath water out of the container while using, as that can breed bacteria.

Tip
This should be an incredibly inexpensive body scrub to make.  The trick is to find affordable extra virgin (yes, it needs to be extra virgin) coconut oil. I get a 16 ounce container at Trader Joes for $5.99, a price that cannot be beat. The second cheapest option I've found is on Amazon.  As for sugar, I buy the cheapest sugar I can find at the grocery store (usually store brand).  All together, it is under $10 to make 2 pounds of Coconut Sugar Scrub.  I'm not much of a mathematician,  but I figure that to be less than a dollar to make a jar of the scrub. You seriously cannot beat that price, especially when you take into consideration that it produces softer skin than any type of store brand scrub I've ever bought! 

Added bonus?  This stuff tastes great! I use it as a lip scrub, so I always end up tasting a little bit (maybe on purpose...)