DIY : Face/Body Sugar Scrub

I know here in California, we tend to over exaggerate about our "winter" and how difficult it can be to get through the day when it's 50 something degrees and you have to put on a jacket. But honestly, regardless of how tame our winter is compared to the rest of the nation, my skin always starts drying out a bit during these colder months. This year, however, I've got a handy little face and body scrub that I've been using since the summertime and it's done a marvelous job of keeping my skin soft, hydrated, and glowing in these "if it were a little colder, it might have snowed" temperatures.

As you know, I stick to as many natural, chemical-free, organic beauty products as possible. This homemade scrub is cheaper, healthier, and I think it works just as well (if not better) than any store-bought scrub I've tried.

So in case your skin could use a little pick me up, here's how to make your own, all-natural, lavender sugar scrub.

As far as ingredients, you'll need:

extra virgin olive oil - moisturizes skin. anti-inflammatory.

honey - aids the skin in retaining moisture, staying soft and hydrated. soothes acne.

sugar - exfoliates. natural source of glycolic acid - breaks away dead skin cells.

lavender essential oil - prevents acne breakouts. reduces redness. makes your face smell pretty.

You can store your scrub in any container that suits you - I use these little glass jelly jars. You can get them online, or they also sell them in packs at my local Food 4 Less! I usually stick to glass over plastic when I can, but a small, plastic, tupperware container would totally work for this too.

Add 3 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to your container.

Next, add 1 Tbsp of honey. Adding the olive oil first will help the honey come off the spoon easier! 

Mix the honey and the olive oil together. 

As far as sugar, I usually add somewhere between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup to my mixture. But you could use more or less, depending on how thick you'd like your scrub to be! The less sugar, the easier it stays together and sticks on your face. The more sugar you add, the more crumbly it will be.

Add 5-10 drops of lavender essential oil, mix it all together well and you've got your scrub!

If you don't have lavender essential oil, you can make the scrub without it! I did for several months - just be ready to smell a little bit like olive oil for a couple hours after using it. ;)

You can use this treatment on your lips, feet, arms, elbows, face - wherever you feel your skin needs a little extra TLC. Just rub a small amount in a circular motion on your skin and then let it sit for 1-3 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. I use mine on my face every other night. Since it does leave your skin feeling a little oily for about an hour, it's best to use it before bedtime. :)

I gave this scrub out to a lot of the women I love as a Christmas gift this past year and may make a few more to give out for Valentines Day! It's a really simple, useful, homemade gift, and I think those are the best kind!

Let me know if you give it a try!