March is Bathroom Month at our sister sites, and while cooking and bathrooms don't instinctively mix (although, oh, how we loved Kramer's shower drain garbage disposal on "Seinfeld"), there are some common kitchen ingredients you can use to whip up all-natural bath products.
First up: We're test-driving a trio of homemade body scrubs.
Most do-it-yourself recipes call for oil combined with either salt or sugar, resulting in a scrub that sloughs off dead skin cells but still moisturizes. We decided to try olive oil combined with each of these three: brown sugar, granulated sugar, and kosher salt.
As far as measurements, a little trial and error produced the following:
• For brown sugar, use equal parts oil and sugar. We used 2 tablespoons of each for our sample.
• For granulated sugar, which is finer and tends to dissolve a bit in the oil, use twice as much sugar as oil. We used 2 tablespoons of oil and 4 tablespoons of sugar.
• For kosher or sea salt, use two parts oil to three parts salt. We used 2 tablespoons of oil and 3 tablespoons of salt. You can adjust it, depending on how coarse your salt is.
We'd also recommend a few drops of essential oil, like lavender or grapefruit, which you can find in health food stores. That way, you'll smell more like a spa and less like a muffin.
As for the results... We preferred the granulated sugar mixture. It felt like smooth sand and provided good exfoliation without being too harsh. The brown sugar was clumpy. And brown (lemony yellow seemed more aesthetically pleasing). The salt was too abrasive for our skin, although it would be great for calloused heels. Just scrub sitting down, as your feet get pretty slippery from the oil.
Speaking of oil, check out this post on how much to spend on your olive oil. An inexpensive brand with a less pronounced flavor is certainly sufficient for this recipe.
And stay tuned for more kitchen ingredients in the bathroom!
(Image credit: Elizabeth Passarella for The Kitchn. From left: granulated sugar, brown sugar, kosher salt.)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
whenever i'm tossing potatos or veggies with oil and salt, i scrub my hands with the mixture before washing up. it's actually makes a difference, yes.
whenever my aunt made ceasar salad, she'd use the egg yolk but then slather the egg white on her face as a face mask - yes, but WHILE making the salad?? strange family, all mine. :)
view kdkaboom's profile
just don't put mango peel on your face, It is a relative of poison ivy.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
i make a scrub using leftover coffee grounds and salt. the smell is awesome!
view the_hummocks's profile
I use glycerin instead of oil, as lots of oil going down the drain is not so good. Added bonus: the bottom of your tub doesn't get slippery. You can still add a few drops of essential oil without it bothering the drains.
view eat more lemons's profile
Here's a blog that has more do it yourself recipes http://sugarliciousscrubs.blogspot.com/ if your interested. I usually avoid salt scrubs. If you have any small cuts or scrapes it will sting like crazy for quite some time. Sugar doesn't sting.
view PennyT13's profile
Be careful what essential oils you use as some are extreme irritants to the skin, like peppermint, clove, and cinnamon.
view roseslaw's profile
I use jojoba or grapeseed oil in my brown sugar scrubs. Jojoba is my favorite. All winter I had the softest skin and I didn't need any other moisturizers.
view karene's profile
I use sweet almond oil and raw sugar for my scrub, but often I just use the sweet almond oil alone.
view Booker's profile
Aspirin. Uncoated, regular ol' aspirin. I smoosh it with a little water to make a paste and then add oil and scent. It doesn't dissolve like sugar or scratch like salt. It exfoliates beautifully. After all, it is pure salicylic acid.
view sjj40's profile
on that note kdkaboom, after eating kiwi fruit my mother in law will smear the left over all over her face...during lunch no less. :)
view ammanda's profile
I actually combine brown sugar, white sugar and sea salt with grapeseed oil and Palmer's
Cocoa Butter Formula, Moisturizing Body Oil with Vitamin E. I usually add a little lemon zest and a few drops of essential oil. Smells lovely, exfoliates well and far less expensive than Fresh's signature product "Brown Sugar Scrub."
view citypixie's profile
Ground almonds and flax seeds mixed with a hint of pumice powder. Reconstitute with a few drops of water and scrub away. Leaves a nice layer of almond/flax oil on the skin.
view kmswann's profile
I'm so glad you all have such fun families. After buying bath and body works sugar scrub I now have some recipes to fill the empty container. I also add avocado to some of the recipes.
view Ãngel's profile
I made a scrub with granulated sugar, olive oil, and a toss of sea salt with ginger. I can see myself becoming obsessed with creating new scrubs. :):) My legs thank you all!
view Kimber's profile
@ the_hummocks - Coffee grounds? I've got plenty of those! I'll have to try this one after my morning brew tomorrow!
I've used coarse sea salt with some lavender oil before but found the salt to be too big and it hurt. So I switched to not-so-coarse sea salt, and it was MUCH better!
- From your indoor antenna & outdoor antenna gal ;)
view water damage restoration's profile
Wouldn't the coffee grounds cause your skin to turn brown? I mean, you make homemade brown paint from it...
view Kimber's profile
Kimber- the coffee grounds don't dye your skin! And the caffeine in the beans *supposedly* helps reduce the appearance of cellulite. I generally compost what I don't use (I only use the grounds to exfoliate occasionally) because they have the nasty tendency to clog a drain!
view magmapdx's profile