DIY Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub: I Heart Coconut Oil
// January 9th, 2012 // No Comments » // Homemade
My love of homemade bath and beauty products is growing by the second. First, I told you about DIY Pore Strips (or as I like to call it, Way Stinky Mask for Cleaning Pores and Ripping the Hair off Your Face). Then, I brought you the DIY Miracle Mask, which smells like holidays and makes your skin super soft. Now, I’m on to sugar scrubs.
For Christmas this year, I made the ladies in my family one of two sugar scrubs: Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub or Brown Sugar Almond Scrub. I’m going to give you the “recipe” for the Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub first, because I happen to have some on hand, and so I have pictures to go with it.
This recipe is based on a Warm Vanilla Sugar and Coconut Body Scrub I found via Pinterest. My original attempt at the recipe replaced vanilla essential oil with vanilla extract. My subsequent attempts have left off the vanilla completely, because I think it smells delicious as is, and if it ain’t broke, don’t scent it.
Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub
- 1 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. coconut oil
- Mix well.
That’s pretty much it.
Actually, I do have some tips for making this. First, if you haven’t used coconut oil before, you need to know that it is solid at room temperature. The melting point is 72 degrees or some such, so when it comes in contact with your skin, it immediately liquefies. Now, the original recipe for this scrub says to slightly warm the oil so it is melted when blending. However, I just flat out skipped that, because it didn’t seem necessary to me. I just stirred it all up until it looked like cookie dough, and put it in a jar.
This has been used as a body scrub two or three times, and as a hand scrub a few times, so the picture shows less than the actual recipe makes.
Just like any other sugar scrub, you don’t want to get this wet until you’re using it. You don’t want the sugar to dissolve and harden in the water. I keep my sugar scrub in a mason jar by the sink so I can use it for hands, but when I’m going to use it as a body scrub in the shower, I scoop some into a plastic container with a lid and take it in the shower with me. Alternately, I scoop some in one dry hand, step into the shower and get all wet (except for my one dry hand), step out of the spray and apply the scrub.
Now, you may be wondering why I’m showing two different kinds of coconut oil. The recipe only calls for one kind–don’t go running out and buying two (unless you develop a coconut oil obsession like I have). The taller jar is one I bought at the grocery store. I’ve seen this particular brand at Crest, Homeland, and Super Target, so I’m guessing it’s pretty common. The price ranged from $8.99 to $10.99, I think, with Target being the cheapest. This is refined coconut oil, and it has virtually no fragrance. I think People Who Know would consider this to be inferior coconut oil, but it worked just fine for me. Actually, since you can replace butter with coconut oil in cooking (yes, I’ve used it to make healthier Rice Krispies Treats–YUM!), it might be preferable in cooking if you don’t like a hint of coconut flavor in your food.
The shorter white tub is extra virgin coconut oil. It does have a slight coconut scent and flavor–which, to me, makes it preferable in this sugar scrub. It is the oil I used in the Rice Krispies Treats, and it gave them a slightly different flavor, which I thought was pretty fantastic. I got the Nutiva Coconut Oil
I’ve actually chosen Subscribe & Save on the coconut oil because I have become completely infatuated. It’s my new favorite thing ever. In addition to using it in a scrub and in treats, I’ve also:
- Used it in place of butter on breads
- Used it in place of body lotion
- Used it as a hair treatment
- Used it as eye makeup remover
- Used it as a facial moisturizer
Okay–I know I probably lost you at telling you to slather something that looks like lard on your face, but it WORKS. A little bit goes a long way. It didn’t make my skin break out at all, and in fact, may have made it look a little clearer. It definitely made my forehead lines look smaller. Just go lightly and don’t grease up your face all crazy. Oh–and I only use it at night, because I suspect it would eliminate any lasting power my makeup may have.
As an eye makeup remover, coconut oil is the best thing I have ever, ever used. Even stuff for sensitive skin makes my eyes burn, and I always have to feel like I’m scrubbing off eye makeup. With coconut oil, I just smooth a tiny bit on my eyelids and wipe it all away. No blurriness, no burning, no eye-makeup residue (oh–I am a contact lens wearer, too). It’s effectiveness as an eye makeup remover is why I only apply coconut oil as a facial moisturizer at night.
As for using it as a hair treatment, I just goop it on the ends of my hair and rub it in–remember, the warmth of your hands melts it. I use a lot, because my hair is really thick, but I apply less at the roots. Leave it on for 30 minutes or more. Longer is better. If I plan ahead, I put it on about 2 hours before my shower. Some people say to leave it on overnight, but I shudder to think of what it would do to my pillowcase. Just rinse and shampoo it out. You may want to shampoo the roots twice, depending on how oily it feels after the first wash.
I had some pretty significantly damaged hair, so I used this every day for about a week. My hair is so much healthier; I’m ecstatic. Now I’m down to using it once or twice a week, just to keep my hair soft and shiny.
Coconut oil is pretty much my favorite thing in the history of ever. If you try it, let me know if you’re as hooked as I am.
Loading ...
