How to Make Inexpensive Body Scrubs

Making inexpensive body scrubs is easy, and you've probably got the ingredients in your cabinet or pantry to make a number of natural, home made body scrubs.

Different scrubbing agents can be used for different skin types or skin problems.

The most common scrub agent is salt. Salt can be drying to the skin, but is very effective for scrubbing those calloused and dry spots on feet, knees and elbows.

Sugar is finer grained and more suitable for a facial scrub. Brown sugar is even less abrasive that refined sugar, but equally effective.

Oatmeal can be ground in a coffee grinder for an effective, gentle, soothing scrub any where for any type of skin.

Cornmeal is a wonderful scrub for oily breakout prone skin.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• salt
• sugar
• oat meal
• cornmeal
• vegetable oil

1. Salt scrub is the most widely used in spite of the fact that salt is drying to the skin. It's advisable to add oil to the salt to counteract the drying effect. Just put 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup in a small bowl and mix in a few drops of what ever vegetable oil you have on hand.
   
   If you're scrubbing your feet, it will help to soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes to soften up the skin. Scrub well with the salt/oil mixture. Rinse and moisturize as usual.

2. Sugar scrub is usually used on the face as it's gentle, nourishing and helps tighten pores. To make a sugar scrub, just put a tablespoon or two in a small bowl. Clean and rinse your face, but don't dry it. Rub the dry sugar over your face, gently moving in circles. Rinse well and moisturize as usual.

3. Oats are a wonderful body and face scrub, and if you don't have a coffee grinder you can use them as they come out of the box, but it's a pretty messy process.
   
   If at all possible, grind from 2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of oats, depending on whether you're just going to scrub your face or your whole body.
   
   Wash and rinse the area, then rub the ground oats over the area in a circular motion. Rinse and moisturize as usual.

4. Cornmeal body scrub is very effective on oily break out prone skin. Cornmeal contains some antibacterial properties as well as being soothing to the skin.
   
   As with all the scrubs except the salt, put a small amount in a bowl and us it to scrub damp skin. Rinse and moisturize. Yes, even oily skin needs moisturizer.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a shaker can or jar with big holes in it like a spice jar you can fill it with any of the dry scrubs and just sprinkle it on the body for easy application
• When using a body scrub containing oil be careful as it can make the bath tub or shower slippery.

[debinflorida]

on 9/5/2009 Very good advice on scrubs! I bought some salt and sugar scrubs at the dollar store, then realized it was just cheap face cream with sugar or salt in it, so I add salt and sugar to facial cream when I want to scrub. My friend makes an oatmeal scrub with real milk that she says is great because of the milk acids.