Hand & Lip Scrubs

Hi friends! Today I'm sharing two recipes: one for a homemade hand scrub, and one for a homemade lip scrub. I don't know if anyone out there is as obsessed with scrubs as I am, but I love them so, so much, and I find them totally necessary in the winter months. I work in healthcare, and therefore I wash my hands approximately five gazillion times a day. Between the months of November and March, my hands are usually so dry and cracked from being over-washed that they're often on the verge of bleeding. I've tried just about every hand lotion/cream out there throughout the years (my all time favorite and daily go-to is this Organic Mandarin - Blood Orange Shea Butter Whip from Pure Suds Co in Scranton), but I still find I get the best results when I regularly use a good hand scrub in addition to a quality hand cream. I've purchased various scrubs over the past few years, but when I started seeing a few recipes for DIY-ing them at home, I figured I'd give it a try. I can't believe it took me so long to make my own! These recipes are suuuper simple, and it's highly likely that you already have all of the ingredients in your pantry! So grab a little mixing bowl, and follow these directions for softer, smoother hands (and lips!).

What you'll need:

(Don't be intimidated; there are ways to adapt the recipes to what you already have at home.)

Hand Scrub:

Ingredients:
1 c. White Sugar
1/4 c. Oil (I used Grapeseed Oil, but you can use Olive Oil or Coconut Oil)
Approximately 20 drops of Grapefruit Essential Oil (add more or less to your taste)
Optional:
A Squeeze of Fresh Grapefruit Juice (for added scent/color)
A Few Drops of Beet Juice (for added color)

Notes:
You can totally adjust the scent to your taste. If you don't like the scent of grapefruit, you can certainly use another essential oil. Or, if you don't have any essential oils at home, you can use a teaspoon of vanilla extract! And I only added the grapefruit juice and the beet juice (I boiled a few beets in water and then froze the leftover liquid in ice cube trays to use as a natural food coloring in the future) for natural coloring and added scent, but this is optional. You could use food coloring if you'd like, or just keep it color-free!

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, and then store in airtight container. Wash and dry your hands before using scrub. Scoop out a small amount (to your preference; I use an amount slightly smaller than a grape), wet your hands/the scrub slightly, and then massage into hands. Wash off with warm running water. Pat dry. Do not re-wash afterwards. Your hands might feel slightly oily, but the oil will absorb into your skin quickly. If you wash your hands after applying the scrub, you will wash away all of the oil that is mean to moisturize and nourish your skin.

Lip Scrub:

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 - 2 tsp. Oil (Coconut, Olive, or other)
1 tsp. Honey
10 Drops Essential Oil (I used Grapefruit, but again, use what you like)
Optional:
Grapefruit and/or Beet Juice for Natural Color

Notes:
If you're skipping the grapefruit/beet juice, you may want to add slightly more oil to get the scrub to the consistency you like. I prefer my lip scrub to be slightly more liquidy, while I'll keep my hand scrub more dry.

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, and then store in airtight container. Apply a small amount of scrub to your lips and rub in until sugar begins to dissolve. Let sit on lips for 30-60 seconds, and then wipe off with clean towel.

There you have it! Easy, right? These scrubs are guaranteed to give you smoother hands and lips, and they make great gifts as well. I'm so glad I took the plunge and finally tried out these recipes - I can't wait to experiment with other DIY beauty products!

Happy Scrubbing!
xoxo,
Steph