On hot days, this is one of my favorite recipes to whip up for my tired feet: a mint sugar scrub with just a dash of ginger to make it really sparkle. The best part is I always have these ingredients on hand, and the recipe takes just a couple of minutes to mix up.
Sugar scrubs can be fairly expensive but they are really simple to make. All you need is equal parts Kosher salt and sugar and an oil to bind them together. I’ve used brown sugar, regular granulated sugar, and cane sugar so far.
All of them have a different texture, so it really depends on what your preference is. As for the oil, I prefer to use olive or coconut oil for my scrubs. Once you’ve mixed those three ingredients together, you have a fairly neutral scrub so you can mix in different essential oils to liven it up or to give it a more calming effect.
This mint sugar scrub (along with my brown sugar scrub) also make really great gifts. Pick up a pack of small jars (aren’t these the cutest?), make a bowl full of scrub (as the recipes double and triple seamlessly) and scoop them into the jars. Ta-dah! 🙂
If you notice your sugar scrub is a little too runny for your taste, add more salt and sugar. Conversely, if you feel that it’s too dry, then add a bit more oil. For coconut oil, make sure that it is melted in order to blend it more easily into the mixture. I’ve found that the cheaper olive and coconut oils work perfectly for this kind of recipe. (Your feet won’t mind, promise! :))
Ginger Mint Sugar Scrub
You will need:
1/8 cup Kosher salt
1/8 granulated (white) sugar
1/8 tsp powdered ginger
1 drop of organic peppermint essential oil
1 TBS coconut oil (melted)
In a small glass bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, and ginger. Add the peppermint oil and coconut oil and mix completely.
Keep the mixture in a covered glass container. When it’s time to use, rinse feet clean, then massage the ginger mint sugar scrub into your feet. Rinse with warm water, and pat dry. Mixture should keep for a couple of weeks at least, though this recipe is for a one time use. The recipe can be doubled or tripled to make a larger batch.
When doubling the recipe, add essential oils sparingly as a little goes a long way.
Have you ever made a sugar scrub? What’s your favorite?
