27 DIY Homemade Super-Scrubs You Didn't Know

Get A Glowing Complexion Now!!!!

As promised earlier, today I’d continue with a few of my easy to make at home DIY face scrub. However, please be aware that these scrubs can also be used as body scrubs, so you can make them in larger batches.

Usually homemade body scrubs aren’t suitable for face bcause either they have more oil or they contain harsher exfoliating particles which render them unsuitable for use on thinner sensitive skin on face but not the otherwise.

If you keep the oil content in check & also ‘tone down’ the scrubbing particles a little bit, such scrubs will multitask as both: face & body scrub well. This is the tricky part because there are some scrubbing particles that can’t be toned down like baking soda. In that case, add them in a smaller quantity & rub less on sensitive body parts.

While some may not agree, but I’ve seen some finer particle compounds working as well as granulated sugar or baking soda such as Bengal Gram Flour & they also don’t irritate your skin if you moisturize afterwards.

Most scrubs here contain an innate emollient compound, but as I have oily skin & I’m making all purpose scrubs (for face & body both), I’ve kept highly comedogenic substances like coconut oil at bay. It doesn’t harm, we have various options available these days (yes I agree they’re a bit pricier than coconut oil but that’s okay, you’re not trading clear skin with acne anyway, so it saves you from buying acne medication lol).

So let’s move on to our scrubs:

1.       Coconut Sugar Christmas Scrub: Although I’m not a huge fan of coconut oil, but crushed coconut can not only serve as a great scrubbing substance but also supply that tiny bit of oil which is just ‘perfect’. So, add 2 tsp of sugar in 2/3 cup of freshly crushed coconut. Add a few drops of sandalwood essential oil & you’re good to go. This is a perfect choice for long chilling winter days to rejuvenate & cleanse the skin thoroughly. Rub the skin with this scrub gently & wash off with lukewarm water & moisturize.

2.       Vanilla Rose Rejuvenating Scrub: Get Vanilla beans & slit them open. Now take the vanilla seeds out with a sharp knife & add crush rose petals. Mix them both & add granulated sugar & crushed coconut in this. Add a few drops of Rosa Damascena (Red Rose) essential oil. Keep them in a glass jar. If the sugar granules bother you, you can always crush them into finer particles in a mixer grinder.

3.       Blueberry "Out Of The Blue' Scrub: This is simple & easy. Crush ½ cup blue berries & add 1 tsp granulated sugar & ½ cup oats. Add a tsp milk powder & some rose water to mix all of them into a paste like consistency. This is a superb anti oxidant rich scrub which not only exfoliates but also has anti ageing properties.

4.       Aloe-Green Tea Eternal Youth Scrub: First slit an aloe vera leaf & take the flesh out. Add honey & crush it in mixer grinder. Now turn the heat on & boil this. After a while, when it’s reduced, add two tea bags of green tea leaves (soaked in 1 tsp water) & mix well. To thicken, you can add a tsp of baking soda. This scrub not only exfoliates your skin but also provides you with anti oxidants from green tea, & is itself an antiseptic because of it’s aloe content which also moisturizes well. Honey does the same thing & baking soda gently scrubs the dead cells off.

5.       Strawberry-Brown Sugar ‘Femme Fatale’ Scrub: This scrub looks like a bloody treat. But this is super-luxurious & can be as effective as a weekly spa trip. Crush fresh strawberries (1 cup) & add 1 tsp brown sugar. Add some argan oil if you want & gently rub this on your face & limbs. If your skin is on the dry side, follow with a moisturizer after washing this off. This also suits oily skin types.

6.       Haldi-Chandan "Like An Indian Princess" Scrub (Turmeric-Sandalwood Scrub): Gift of Ancient Wisdom, Ayurveda; sandalwood & turmeric are considered gold standard in my native country, India & this is so for a reason. Sandalwood (Chandan) is the ultimate multitasker so as Turmeric (Haldi) with the properties like tan removal, antiseptic, skin lightening; skin soothing/cooling & also mild scrubs that encourage cell turn over rate; so this is indeed magic in a pot. Mix sandalwood powder & turmeric powder in equal quantity & make a paste by adding rose water. This scrub is super gentle, can also be used on babies.

Rub this gently on your skin & keep it like a mask for 15 minutes afterwards. Wash off & moisturize. This scrub is an excellent option for those with sensitive skin.

7.       Licorice ‘Let there be light’ Scrub: Add two tsp of gram flour to 1 tsp milk, 1 tsp licorice root powder (mulethi/yashtimadhu), 2 tsp milk & mix them together using coconut water/plain water to make a paste. Gram flour is the most popular scrub used in Bengal’s household & licorice, along with milk & coconut water will wonderfully remove tan & soothe sun burnt skin. Just like the above, rub this gently & keep the rest on for 15 minutes & then wash it off.

Just remember one thing; gram flour can make your skin a bit dry, so you can always add the essential oils of your choice. Those with dry skin can add ½ tsp tamanu oil into this to counteract the dryness caused by gram flour.

8.       Lemon-Coconut Minty Scrub: Crush the mint leaves & add 2 tso of it to ½ cup freshly crushed coconut. Now sprinkle some lemon juice in it. Follow with adding a few drops of argan oil (or any oil of your choice). Mix them all & make a thick paste. Rub this gently & wash off after a few minutes followed by proper moisturization.

9.       From Vinegar with Love Scrub: Mix rice flour & gram flour in equal quantity & add 1 tsp vinegar. Now make a thick paste by adding some water.

This is a super effective scrub but this is strictly for those with super oily skin. If you’re not that type but you must use this, then consider adding ½ tsp olive oil in this & you’re good to go.

10.   The Clay Club Scrub: To make this, you can use any clay of your choice. I prefer sodium bentonite or fuller’s earth (multani mitti). Add 1 tsp rice flour & ½ tsp grapeseed oil in this & add water to make a thick paste. Now rub this on your skin slowly & keep it on for 10 minutes afterwards. wash off & moisturize.

11.   Pomegranate Yogurt Health Scrub: Have you ever crushed pomegranate? Those seeds are excellent scrub & also it is a great source of carotenoids. So, the next time you have one, scoop some out & add yogurt. Now make a paste in a grinder. Lactic acid in yogurt will also gently exfoliate & rejuvenate your skin. Rub this & keep it on for 15 minutes before washing it off.

12.   Lemon (Peel) Honey Scrub: Just use the left over lemon peel after extracting the juice for other purposes. Add honey to lemon rind & crush them in a grinder. This is an excellent scrub which also removes tan.

13.   Sunflower 'As Glowing As The Sun'  Scrub: Sunflower seeds are heavily used in Indian side dishes & sweets but many aren’t aware of its inherent scrubbing & cleansing properties.

Take ½ cup sunflower seeds & add milk to make a thick paste. Rub this on your skin & wash off with lukewarm water. This scrub is gentle & is suitable for all skin types.

14.   Manjistha Lotus Bliss Scrub: Manjistha powder has a hard woody texture & besides being an excellent tan removing component, it is equally amazing as a scrub. Manjistha powder is available online.

Mix manjistha powder with lotus petals paste. Add water to make a gritty paste. Rubbing this on your skin will not only remove dead skin cells but also rejuvenate & lighten sun tan.

15.   Spicy Bentonite Scrub: Crush cardamom pods & cinnamon using some water & add sodium bentonite to this. Make a paste & gently rub this on your damaged skin. Bentonite will instantly take out the dirt & toxins & the spices will attack any bacterial invader giving you a naturally glowing complexion.

16.   'Kill The Traitor (Acne)' Cinnamon Scrub: Cinnamon, besides having anti inflammatory properties, can be poisonous to acne causing bacteria A. Vulgaris. So get cinnamon powder (2 tsp) & add 2 tsp flour to this & make a thick paste using water as you please. Rub this gently on your skin & wash off after a few minutes. Follow with moisturization.

17.   Orange Honey Love Scrub: Orange peel has long been used as a scrub & I’ve added honey to up it’s moisturization game. Mix 2 tsp of crushed orange peel with ½ tsp honey & gently rub this paste on your skin. But since this conrains citrus ingredient, I’d suggest you to apply this after the evening sets in. This not only scrubs the skin gently but also removes tan & rejuvenates it; plus the aroma is heavenly.

This mask is not for those with sensitive skin. Oily skinned people will mostly benefit from it. Follow with a moisturizer.

18.   Rice & Shine Scrub: Rice Flour is an amazing exfoliator, widely used in DIY face masks as well. Any starch like rice flour is also a potent skin lightening agent (removes tan, fades scars). So mix 2 tsp rice flour with 1 tsp milk & 1 tsp flour/gram flour. Add water to make a paste. Rub this on your skin & wash off after 5-6 minutes. Moisturize well.

19.   Charcoal 'The Barbarian' Scrub: Activated charcoal is a wonderful scrubbing element. But since charcoal particles are smooth, most don’t realize it. Activated charcoal draws out toxins & dirt from deep within & enhances the effect of any scrub/mask.

So, take ½ cup activated charcoal & add ½ cup baking soda in it. Follow with adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil & water to make a thick paste. Rub this gently on your skin & wash off. You’ll see the difference right from the first application. While baking soda sloughs off dead skin, charcoal annihilates toxins like a true ‘barbarian’.

20.   Tulsi 'The Sage' Scrub: Holy Basil, besides having importance in religious practice in India is an excellent antiseptic, anti inflammatory agent. Now crush some basil leaves and add crushed lemon rind to this. Add a few drops of lemon essential oil & you’re good to go. This scrub is especially suitable for those with acne prone skin or sun damaged skin.

21.   Neem 'The Tough Guy' Scrub: Neem leaves are considered the go-to acne killer. So, crush some coconut & add to semi-crushed neem leaves. Add 1 tsp sugar to ½ cup of the mixture. Now rub this on your skin & wash off after a few minutes. This scrub is ideal for winter nights.

22.   The Cappuccino Club Scrub: I am a coffee freak & I hate to throw the left over coffee powder after making a hot cuppa of filter coffee. So, get filter coffee powder ½ cup & add 1 tsp honey along with 1 tsp milk powder in it. Make a thick paste & rub this on your skin. Your skin will not only be scrubbed but also rejuvenated in a jiffy & regular usage will also help you with fading scars, tan because hey! coffee is rich in anti oxidants.

23.   The Doctor’s Favourite Scrub: Mix ½ cup rice flour in ¼ cup flour & prick a vitamin E capsule to mix the tocopherol to it. Now crush a vitamin C tablet & add this to the mixture. Now add ½ tsp carrier oil of your choice (Vitamin E is oil soluble). Add 2 tsp apple cider vinegar & water to this to make a paste. This scrub is an all time multi tasker. It not only sloughs off dead skin cells but the vitamin component serves as a reservoir of anti oxidants. Apple cider vinegar removes tan, fades scars & reverses sun damage.

After rubbing this on your skin, wait for 20 minutes before finally washing it off. Follow with a moisturizer.

24.   Almond ‘Scrub-Eat-Repeat’: Crush almonds & add ¼ cup rice flour in this. Add ½ tsp grapeseed/sea buckthorn oil & add water to make a paste. Rub this before a shower & see your skin glow like the morning sun. This is amazing for dry skin & also for other skin types during the winter.

25.   Chocolate Mousse Scrub: Mix ½ cup chocolate/cocoa powder with ½ cup gram flour & add 2-3 drops of sweet almond oil. Now add some water to make a thick paste. Your Christmas themed scrub is ready. Rub this on your skin & keep it on for 15 minutes. Wash off & moisturize. Use this during the winter but this is not suitable for those with acne.

26.   'Walnut of My Dreams' Scrub: Get whole walnuts & dry roast them on a hot pan. Now crack them open & get the peel. Eat your walnuts & crush the peel into a powder using a blender. Add some yogurt & ½ tsp sea buckthorn oil into this & make a paste. Rub this on your skin & keep it on for 15 minutes before finally washing this off & get the skin of your dreams.

27.   ‘Lett  Uce  C’ scrub: Lettuce is a great source of vitamin C & anti oxidants. So crush lettuce leaves & add a little rice flour into this. Also add a few drops of orange/lemon oil & 1 tsp honey & mix well (using water). This antioxidant & vitamin C rich scrub will get you rid off dead skin cells in a jiffy & regular usage will fade the toughest of scars. Lemon essential oil reverses sun damage & synergistically effects the vitamin C in lettuce.

So, here I’ve mentioned 27 of my all time favourite DIY homemade scrubs that work as good as any store bought option. If you know a similar recipe of a scrub you think worth mentioning, write it in the comment box below. It’d be amazing to hear from you.

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Thank you for reading.

Cheers!!!

Koyel M.