Want a natural facial scrub that will leave your skin smooth, soft, and absolutely radiant? Try this easy homemade facial scrub with natural ingredients that surely give you the softest skin imaginable without the terrible environmental impact of micro-beads. In partnership with Mountain Rose Herbs, I am very excited to present you with my favorite DIY exfoliating scrub!
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I am not sure about you, but a facial treatment isn’t complete without a good exfoliating scrub.
Prone to dry, sometimes flaky, frequently dull complexion, I have always enjoyed the results of a freshly scrubbed face. My skin feels plump and hydrated, my moisturizer gets fully absorbed, and my complexion becomes luminous once again. Back in my (very) early days in the beauty industry, brands tripped over themselves to market products with perfect spherical beads that wouldn’t “rip” or “tear” at your delicate skin.
Ya, know… Micro-beads.
Before congress acted to remove micro-beads from the supply chain, it was estimated that over 800 TRILLION minute plastic particles were rinsing down the drain and in sensitive aquatic system (Popular Science, 2015). Once those beads enter the natural water ways, those contaminated particles pollute the area and are eaten by the very fish that often make it to our plates.
Disgusted much?
Yeah, me too.
But were these micro-bead containing facial products that much “better” for our skin? I really don’t think so. In fact, I think it is a lot of bygone marketing rubbish created in the interest of profits.
But, with a few simple, natural ingredients we can create an amazing homemade facial scrub at a fraction of the price of high end cosmetic.
How to Make an All Natural Facial Scrub
The key to a good natural facial scrub is a the right ingredients. You want a base that will allow for good “slip” and ease of application, and an exfoliating grit that gently polishes the skin surface without irritating the epidermis. Your exfoliating scrub might even contain an essential oil or two to not only provide a pleasing fragrance, but maybe even offer its own radiance promoting actions to the blend. This is all easily achieved with a few organic ingredients and a short amount of time.
Ingredients
- Oil: A nice base of oil creates an excellent “slip” when crafting a natural facial scrub. Oil not only offers the lubricating and moisturizing benefits making it perfect for even the most sensitive skin, it also whisks away all traces of makeup and grime. I like a base of coconut oil, but you may prefer sweet almond oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil (you will need to add beeswax at the higher end of the ingredient range listed in the recipe below). These oils can also be infused with herbs before making the exfoliating scrub.
- Beeswax: A small amount of beeswax will harden your homemade facial scrub just enough so that it can be poured into a tin for ease of use. A vegan option would be carnauba wax.
- Exfoliating Grits: I like to combine a a larger particle grit like apricot kernels, ground flax seed, or ground quinoa with a smaller particle grit like orange powder and or black walnut hull powder. The larger particle smooth an uneven skin surface, while the smaller particles polish the skin to a radiant glow.
- Essential Oils: This exfoliating scrub is the perfect place to use citrus based essential oils like sweet orange and lemon for their radiance boosting action (because these eo’s may increase sun sensitivity, it is best to use a scrub containing these at night; for more information on essential oils safety, see this post). More sensitive skins might prefer the calming, cool of lavender, while acne prone skin with scarring concerns might prefer helichrysum.
- Containers: I love these shallow tins.
How to Apply Your Homemade Facial Scrub
Exfoliating scrubs are best applied to moist, fresh washed skin. Scoop a generous about of the scrub onto clean fingers and apply in gentle, swiping, circular motion to the face, concentrating on areas of uneven texture (typically the chin and nose). Avoid the eye area. Using a washcloth and warm water, rinse all traces of the scrub and follow with a facial mask for more pampering or your favorite homemade moisturizing cream or lotion.
This scrub is gentle enough for use 2-3x per week.
Homemade Exfoliating Scrub Recipe
Homemade Facial Scrub
Ingredients
- 6 ounces coconut oil or oil of your choice
- 2-4 tablespoons beeswax pastiles using upwards of 4 if using a liquid at room temperature oil
- 1 1/4 cup ground meal of your choice flax, apricot kernel, or quinoa
- 1 tablespoon black walnut hulls
- 1/2 tablespoon orange peel pwoder
- 50 drops essential oil of your choice
Instructions
- Using a double boiler over a small pot of gently simmering water, melt oil and wax until combined.
- Remove double boiler from the heat source, and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Cool for approximately 10-15 minutes
- The mixture is ready to pour into tins when it is cooled and thickened enough for the added meal to not sink readily after stirred -- it will have a texture vaguely reminiscent of oatmeal at this point. If your mixture has cooled too much, place it over heat again, stirring constantly until the mixture is the right consistency.
- Pour into tins and cool completely before place the lids on the tins. Note: some setting of solids will occur during cooling but there is enough "grit" in this recipe to keep it well distributed.
To Use:
- Using clean fingers, apply the exfoliating scrub to moist skin and massage in sweeping circular motions, avoiding eye area. Rise with warm water and a wash cloth.
Can be used 2-3x weekly, depending on sensitivity.
Resources:
What are Micro-Beads and Why Are they Illegal. Bushwick, Sohpie. Popular Science. https://www.popsci.com/what-are-microbeads-and-why-are-they-illegal
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