Sugar Scrubs!

It's not been terribly wintry here in the past couple of weeks (AND I AM NOT COMPLAINING!!!) but I'm still trying to stay ahead of "winter skin." Anyone else ever have that? Maybe it's dry air, maybe it's wind, maybe it's the occasionally itchy clothing of winter, or maybe it's a little of all of that together! Whatever the cause, my skin always seems a bit dry and angry in the winter.

I used to notice it more on my legs than anywhere else. I would get little dry patches and if I accidentally scratched one, it would take forever to stop itching. It was so annoying! 

A few days ago, I happened to notice that my legs didn't have any little dry patches on them. Once I realized that, I paused to think about it and realized they haven't had any little dry patches for a really long time. (I'm nothing if not wildly observant. Eyeroll.) 

Once I started thinking hard about it, I concluded that the change came when I started using a sugar scrub as shaving cream. (We won't talk about how long ago that was, because then you'll know how REALLY unobservant I've been.) 

I had never heard - or thought - of using a sugar scrub to shave until after I started using Lemongrass Spa products. They sell sugar scrubs and recommended using them for shaving (among other things). I tried it mostly because I knew there were probably a bunch of toxins in my regular shaving cream. I wanted to try to get away from that. I did notice pretty quickly that it made my skin soft - not just on my legs, but also on my hands from when I applied it. Since my hands also take a winter beating, that combo was enough to keep me using it for shaving. 

(I did try a Lemongrass Spa salt scrub to shave, but I learned quickly that if you're a sloppy shaver, as I tend to be, you do NOT want a salt scrub in that wound! Just FYI.)

I loved everything about the sugar scrub shaving life except...the price. We're a one income household, for the most part, so I try to be frugal, and the sugar scrub was a bit beyond my budget, especially as frequently as I needed it.

I adored the scrubs I bought from Lemongrass Spa, and if you're using their products and have the scrubs in your budget, by all means! Keep getting them. They are great quality. But the truth of it for me is that their products work better for my skin than ANYTHING I have ever used, and I am not wealthy enough to buy everything I'd like to have every month. So I'm allotting my budget toward the products I can't make for myself, and my skin loves me for it.

But a sugar scrub? I can make that. 

Making it is cheaper than buying it, which is one big bonus. Another bonus is I tend to not realize I'm running out until I have like two shaves left...and that's not enough time to have a new supply shipped. Making it in my kitchen speeds up the order-to-delivery turnaround. 

Here's how I do it.

Sugar Scrub

* 1 cup white sugar

* 1/4 cup (plus extra as needed) vegetable oil

* 5 drops essential oil of choice

Combine sugar and vegetable oil in a bowl. If scrub is crumbly, slowly add a little more oil until the scrub nearly resembles a very thick syrup. Add essential oil(s) of choice and combine. Store in airtight container.

Random Tips

* You could any kind of carrier oil if you don't want to use vegetable oil. You could use almond or olive (though I've read olive can carry a strong scent that some people don't like) or grapeseed oil if you want. Since cost-effectiveness is part of my intent, vegetable oil works well for me. 

* Start with the 1-cup-to-a-quarter-cup ratio and add oil as needed. The first time I made a scrub, I stuck to that precisely, but the scrub was super crumbly. That would have been fine if I'd just been using it as a hand scrub at the sink or a foot scrub in a foot bath, but it didn't hold together well for the shaving scrub. I found that adding more oil until the scrub amost lresembled a very very thick syrup was the best fit for me. If you add too much oil, just add a little more sugar! 

* The sugar and oil combo in and of itself would work, but adding the essential oils gives it a great scent and depending on the oil you choose, it may also be extra great for your skin!

Here are some oil ideas if you need some:

* Lavender

* Lemon

* Peppermint

* Cinnamon

If you need a good winter project for your winter skin, give this one a try! It assembles quickly and works well. Hope you like it!