There are a ton of amazing masks/scrubs out on the market, Perk Naturals and Skin Essence are two of my favourites. However, I do like experimenting at home with simple ingredients that I have on hand. This always works well when I run out of product or if I want to give my skin a little break. I love my matcha mask, but lately have been experimenting with combinations that are a bit more scrub-like. All you need are some basic ingredients and a few minutes to spare.
First off, you need to choose the base, your exfoliant, which is real simple – two options, sugar or salt. I prefer sugar as it is less abrasive and I typically lean towards brown sugar as it is usually what I have on hand and it’s best for sensitive skin since it is the softest of the sugars. Salts will give you a real good scrub if looking for a deep exfoliation.
Next, you have to select your preferred oil. Lots of options here; I do recommend one of the following: avocado oil, almond oil, extra virgin olive oil or my favourite coconut oil. Oh the wonders of coconut oil, it really is a beauty wonder. It is naturally antibacterial and packs a ton of antioxidants and free radicals that prevent all the bad stuff…ahem aging. 🙂
Lastly, add in a fruit or vegetable of your choice (coffee grounds are also amazing, stay tuned for details on this). Again, there are so many options here, all adding different amazing properties to your scrub, but do note that adding in fruit or veg will lower the shelf life and you will want to keep it refrigerated vs. in the shower. Kind of annoying, I know, but you can easily make these for one or two time uses.
For this particular scrub, I went with strawberries, since I had a ton of fresh Ontario strawberries on hand (’tis the season!). They are the best for evening and brightening your skin tone while also toning. Plus, its fragrance is beyond lovely; it’s good enough you may want to eat it.
Side note here, if you have left over strawberries mash some with baking soda and this makes for a great natural teeth whitener. 🙂
Now, the how to. Super simple, dice up your strawberries and then mash them down. Add in melted coconut oil and brown sugar. About 1 tbsp of each. All depends if you want it more oily vs. scrubby, less oil if you want it more scrublike. Then seal in an air-tight container and in the fridge.
Stay tuned for the dish on my other favourite scrubs. 🙂
Happy Scrubbing! xx