Don’t waste your money on expensive exfoliating skin care products; make your own with just a few easy-to-find ingredients. Not only are you saving a bundle, many skin care products contain chemicals that you really do not want on your skin. Remember, your skin absorbs the good and bad ingredients in your lotions, soaps and cosmetics. Rather than trying to figure out which ones are safest and purest, I prefer to simplify the whole process and make my own.
All you need is a small, clean, glass jar with a lid, a good oil, a good salt, and some essential oil. That’s it!
- The Oil: You can choose from several different oils. I like apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, or sweet almond oil. This time around, I am using sweet almond oil. You can find these oils at a health food store, or purchase online at a site like Vitacost.
- The Salt: I use plain old sea salt, mainly because I am looking to keep the cost down. You could certainly use some of the salts rich in minerals (Real Salt, Celtic Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt). For me, sea salt does the job.
- Essential Oils: I used Tangerine Essential Oil for my last batch. It was mid-winter and I wanted something with a fruity, citrus scent to lift away the dull, heaviness of winter. This time around, I’ll be using lavender oil, just because I find the scent uplifting and calming. Lavender essential oil has many wonderful uses. It is an anti-inflammatory, and helpful in many skin conditions. It is also recommended for anxiety, stress, depression, and insomnia.
Now blend equal parts oil and salt (let’s say you use ¼ cup oil, then you would also use ¼ salt – it depends o the size of your jar). Add several drops of essential oil – be careful not to add too much, too quickly. Add a few drops, mix well and wait a moment. See if you like the scent. It’s easier to add a couple more drops, then to discover you have gone overboard and need to dilute the whole thing. Once I’ve used about half of the jar, I add more oil. This little jar goes a long way!
Use in the shower as you would any exfoliating scrub - scrub gently with a small amount of scrub on a washcloth and rinse off well. Be careful, though – too much oil makes a shower slippery.
Be well!
Abuhamda S, Chazot P. Lemon Balm and Lavender herbal essential oils: Old and new ways to treat emotional disorders? Current Anaesthesia & Critical Care. 2008;19:221-226