DIY homemade scrubs

Do you fancy treating yourself to a face, body or all-over scrub with a ‘recipe’ that you’ve made yourself?

What a wonderful idea! DIY scrubs are quick and easy to make and, the beauty of them is, you know exactly what’s in them because you’ve created them. Just like shop-bought scrubs, you can use homemade scrubs to exfoliate, nourish and cleanse your skin.¹ We love a homemade scrub, so much so, we’ve listed some recipes you can go away and whip up right now. Because there’s no time like the present to enjoy the benefits of scrubbing away to your heart’s content right?!...

How to make lip scrub

Homemade lip scrubs tend to contain two key ingredients: an exfoliant (e.g. coffee granules, sugar, fine sea salt, cinnamon or oats²) and a moisturiser. First you exfoliate your dead skin and then you apply moisture to make sure your skin doesn’t dry out. The end result: pucker-licious lips! You can make lip scrubs from lots of fabulous ingredient combos – brown sugar and honey, vanilla and coconut, shea butter, rose petals and milk….Right now, we’re going to talk you through how to make a coconut and honey lip scrub.³

Coconut and honey lip scrub

What you'll need

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon organic honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon lukewarm water

How you make it

1. Mix the coconut oil and honey together in a bowl.
2. Add the brown sugar and the lukewarm water.
3. Gently rub the lip scrub recipe on to your lips in a circular motion for two to three minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.

What’s so great about this scrub

Coconut oil contains antioxidants and fatty acids that nourish the skin, while the brown sugar exfoliates, and the honey heals with its natural healing properties. Bliss…

How to make a homemade face scrub

Aloe vera face scrub

What you need

• 1/4 cup of brown sugar⁴
• 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Aloe vera face scrub – how you make it

Mix all the ingredients together and massage into skin for gentle exfoliation. Then rinse off with lukewarm water.

What’s so great about this scrub

You’ve got your key exfoliating and moisturising ingredients. So, the sugar will exfoliate, while the oil will moisturise the skin. Meanwhile, aloe vera is a real skin saviour in itself because it contains antioxidants, Vitamins A and C and is highly anti-inflammatory. It can help treat burns, acne and dry skin.⁵

How to make a DIY body scrub

Coffee ground scrub

What you’ll need

• 1/2 cup coffee grounds⁶
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, warmed

How you make it

1. Mix the coffee and hot water together in a bowl.
2. Add the coconut oil. If you want to, add more coffee grounds or more oil to get the mixture just how you like it.
3. Gently apply the DIY coffee scrub to your body in circular motions and rinse off with warm water.

What’s so great about this scrub

The size of coffee granules are the perfect size for removing dead skin cells, making coffee a popular ingredient for scrubs. What’s more, some research has found it can help reduce the appearance of cellulite. Coffee is rich in antioxidants and it reportedly helps dilate blood vessels, reducing the appearance of skin dimples in the process.⁷

Some advice for choosing your homemade scrub ingredients

As with shop-bought scrubs, it’s important you choose ingredients that are suitable for your skin and aren’t going to aggravate it.⁸

• If you have oily or skin that’s prone to breakouts: Salt and baking soda can help absorb some of the oil in your pores. While strawberries are said to help clear and reduce surface bacteria.


• If you have dry or sensitive skin: Use more gentle exfoliators, such as oats and natural moisturisers that are packed with anti-inflammatory properties, such as honey or coconut oil.


• If you have combination to normal skin: Sugar and coffee grounds are great for providing a balanced mixture of buffing ingredients.

Which DIY scrub are you going to choose first? Will it be the homemade lip scrub or the homemade face scrub? Decisions, decisions….

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Last updated: 9 September 2020