I know spring is definitely not here yet, but it is surely on it’s way! That means its time for citrusy smells, lighter clothes, and sunshine to make their way into our minds again. The snow has melted here and the air is just slightly warmer. I’m feeling hopeful!
One of the things I love as the weather warms up is a good, invigorating body scrub. Saying goodbye to your dead winter skin is a happy thing, and so is all the moisture your skin receives from the lush oils you find in scrubs.
I have used both store-bought and homemade sugar scrubs and can tell you that the homemade smell just as good, work just as well, and cost much, much less than the ones that you’ll find at the store.
This scrub uses coconut oil(huge fan of coconut oil over here! I use it on my face all the time and it gives it such a smooth clarity.)to moisturize, sugar to exfoliate, and peppermint and grapefruit oils to wake you up,energize and lift your mood, and leave you smelling lovely. It also has a double hit of grapefruit with oil and zest. I love to use doTERRA’s essential oils, but you could use any brand.
I added a little squidge of beet juice to give this scrub it’s pretty pink color. You could use red food dye, but I wanted something a little(LOT)more natural 😉
I would recommend using this scrub in the morning as opposed to the evening. Unless you are wanting to stay up later, then by all means, scrub away! Peppermint and grapefruit are great ‘wake me up’ scents. Scrub gently as well! Just a light pressure while you scrub will exfoliate your skin efficiently. Scrubbing too hard will result in sad, sore skin. So be gentle!
Keep Scrub refrigerated.
- ½ C. Coconut Oil
- ½ C. White Sugar
- Zest of 1 Grapefruit
- 1 T. Grapefruit Juice
- 10 drops Peppermint Oil
- 25 drops Grapefruit Oil
- ¼ t. Beet Juice(optional-for color)
- Place the firm coconut oil and white sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix together on low speed, until a thick paste is formed. Add the grapefruit zest, grapefruit juice, peppermint and grapefruit oil, and beet juice, if desired, to the mixture. Mix on low until incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium for about 20 seconds, or until mixture is well blended and fluffy. Store in an air-tight glass jar in the refrigerator.
I bet this smells so fresh and spring-like! I also love essential oils and grapefruit is one of my favorites.
It is so fresh smelling! I keep opening it up and sniffing it instead of using it, haha. Actually, I even ate a little bit. It was yummy 😉
How long does this scrub lasts? As in does it have an expiration date? Do you not need to add a preservative since you are using juice?
Hi Ana, the scrub should keep for several months. Keep it in the fridge if you are worried about the juice spoiling, or you could substitute water for the grapefruit juice and keep it out at room temperature. =)
Not trying to be rude in any capacity, but i did notice that perhaps you have been misinformed. If water or juice is included in a recipe, there needs to be a preservative added or else it will spoil rather quickly (1-2 weeks) my solution was always make less, however, if giving as a gift you want to ensure you add a preservative to prevent overgrowth of bacteria.
Hi Genevieve! Thanks for the info =) You’ll notice in the post that it states to keep the scrub refrigerated. It’s not meant to be kept out at room temperature for any length of time.
Hi, I would highly recommend using preservative as the lower temperature is not a guarantee or protection against molds! I saw a cream getting mold in a refrigerator after two weeks. (And be carefull, as that you dont see the mold it doesnt mean that it is not growing already). So the information that it will last for several months is making my eyes wide open. But nice recipe anyway, I think I give it a try, with preservative of course 😉 Thanks!
What preservative would you add? Thanks!
Did you find out what preservative to add? I wanted to keep this out in my guest bathroom… Any suggestions. Thanks!!
Germaben plus , brambleberry carries and assortment of them.
Hey y’all, late to the party here, but just wanted to mention that sugar itself IS a preservative. 😉
http://www.sciencefocus.com/qa/how-does-sugar-act-preservative
This recipe sounds divine! I have been searching for a refreshing scrub recipe and I am dying to try this out. I didn’t want to be rude or anything either (and I know others have stated this as well) but during the research I’ve done over the years about DIY bath and body products a preservative is needed even if products are kept in the fridge. I hate to even use one because I prefer natural recipes with organic ingredients. I believe one person mentioned sugar being a preservative but from what I’ve found it may act as one for food recipes but definitely not for bath and body products and recipes. All that being said, I love your website, recipes and all of the work you’ve put into it. Thank you!
wow that look awesome omg i really wanna make this, although it makes me sad cuz it reminds you of summer mornings lol….. anyway can u eat that it looks like flavoured sugar ahahha 😛
Haha thanks! Summer will be here at some point, right? 😉 You could eat it if you really wanted too..I snuck a taste or two, I’ll admit!
This is a new type of body scrub! Love the color !
Thank you! I used just a touch of beet juice to get it =)
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it. One question… Where can I find grapefruit and peppermint oil? Can they be found at the grocery store?
Thanks Courtney! You can find peppermint and grapefruit oil anywhere that sells essential oils. I use doTERRA oils, which you can get online, but health food stores and stores like whole foods should carry essential oils as well =)
Do you think spearmint oil or tea tree oil would work well instead of the peppermint?
Spearmint would be great in place of peppermint! Tea tree would be great for it’s invigorating properties, but the smell wouldn’t be quite the same. It would work though! =)
thank you Your lovely pictures make me happy Spring is nearly here! beautiful shade of pink–absolutely lovely.
Thank you and you’re welcome! I can’t wait for spring to get here either =)
Do you what kind of shelf life to expect from this scrub?
Hi Vanessa! This scrub should last for several months if kept in the fridge =)
Hi there! How much does this recipe make? I am making this for a friends baby shower and will be putting the mixture into mason jars. Thanks!!
Hi Danielle! This recipe makes about 1 C. of scrub. What a cute gift idea for a baby shower!
Hello and thank you for posting this recipe. I am looking forward to trying it. I just wanted to bring to your attention a little typo in the instructions…..
pasted from above: peppermint and grapefruit juice but I think you meant OIL in place of juice.
Thanks again!
You’re welcome, Margarette! Thanks for catching that typo! Fixed! =)
where would you go to buy the oils needed for this?
Hi Amber!
I purchase mine through doTERRA(which you can get online), but you should be able to get essential oils at some health food stores, like whole foods.
This sounds great . I am going to try it as soon as I can get the ingredients!!
Thanks Sue! I hope you get to try it really soon! =)
hi, this sounds amazing….wouldn’t mind making it myself, just two questions….
what do you mean by “firm” coconut oil and what is beet? is it beet root juice?
xkel
Hi Kelly! By firm coconut oil, I just mean that it needs to be solid at room temperature. Beet juice is beet root juice. You only need a very small amount. I cut one slice off of a beet and used the juice that was on the knife to dye the scrub pink.
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try your recipe. I went to the doTERRA website…those are some pricey oils. Any reason these oils are better than others? Starwest botanical sells the oils for $4 to $8 a small bottle as opposed to a whopping $30 plus! My frugal is kicking in unless the other oils perform a lot better?
Hi Gabrielle! doTERRA’s oils are definitely on the higher end…this is mostly because of how they are sourced. They are totally pure whereas many essential oil are mixed with other things. But for this recipe I really don’t think it matters a huge amount. It’s really more about the scent than anything else. I would want to go with the more frugal option, personally =)
Try Wellington Fragrance on line
I cannot put into words how much I love this scrub:) It smells amazing, was super easy to make and leaves your skin feeling nourished. I got my oils from a local company here in the Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada and they weren’t too pricey, around $10/bottle. I made it in the stand mixer, so naturally my son thought it was food and ate a bit :S I was happy to see in the comments that you also tried some lol! I will definitely be making this for gifts in the future!
I’m happy you liked it Elise! My kids ate it too(while I was shooting it)!
Am I missing something? I can’t see the recipe for this? Help.
So sorry Louisa! We’ve been having problems with out recipe plug-in! Hopefully you can see it now!
Still can’t see it. 🙁
Oh Man! We are having some really bad luck! Because of this plug-in issue I have to disable the recipes to enter a new post, which I have been doing for the last hour. You must have checked while I was doing that! It is working again, but just in case, here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1/2 C. Coconut Oil
1/2 C. White Sugar
Zest of 1 Grapefruit
1 T. Grapefruit Juice
10 drops Peppermint Oil
25 drops Grapefruit Oil
1/4 t. Beet Juice(optional-for color)
Instructions
Place the firm coconut oil and white sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix together on low speed, until a thick paste is formed. Add the grapefruit zest, grapefruit juice, peppermint and grapefruit oil, and beet juice, if desired, to the mixture. Mix on low until incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium for about 20 seconds, or until mixture is well blended and fluffy. Store in an air-tight glass jar.
AMMMMMMMMAAAAZIIINGGG…!!
Was luking for a nice wake me up kinda scrub recipe and here it is..!
(Cz here in india therez alot of it)
Looks yummyy..lol..!!
It has juice and fresh ingredients in it..
So how long wil it last..??
Cz m planning to gift it to friend..
N i’v heard that homemade scrubs with fresh ingredients or juices or water doesnt have a gud shelf life..!
Thanks Aditi! It will keep for a month or two as long as it’s stored in the fridge =)
Alot of heat*
I love that this is whipped together. Is it safe to use on the face or should it be used only as a body scrub?
Thanks Nikki! It probably depends on how sensitive your facial skin is. It has essential oils in it, so I just use it as a body scrub.
This looks amazing! I am making it for my mom for Mother’s Day and I know she is going to love it!
I am going to be travelling to get to my mom for Mother’s Day, will the scrub stay ok at room temperature for a day? Or should I just use the water instead of grapefruit juice to be on the safe side?
Thanks Kimberly! What a great idea to make this for a Mothers Day gift! I would probably just use water and maybe add a little extra grapefruit oil. The juice is just to give is a little extra grapefruit scent =)
I made this last night. I didn’t look as pretty as the picture though. 🙁 I think it was too hot in my apartment and the oil got too soft and runny. Another problem I had was that it ended up smelling too heavily of peppermint. I tried making it again with just three drops of peppermint, but still too pepperminty. 🙁 I think it may be the oil I used. The grapefruit oil wasn’t very strong smelling. I got the oils from Sprouts. It’s a health food store. I mean, it still smells good, and it works quite well. I used it last night and this morning my hands are still super soft. Ooh, another thing I tried was using Kosher salt because of its big crystals. It was okay. Definitely, can’t eat it. lol I think I like the smaller crystals of the sugar better. It’s a little gentler on the skin.
Hey! This looks and sounds so fab! 🙂 I just wanted to know how much it makes? Is your ingredients for one pots worth? I’m making it for Christmas presents and I want to make 10 containers worth which are 250ml. I’d really appreciate your help on the ingredient math side if possible please? Kate – London x
Hi Kate! I’d guess that it makes about 8 oz. worth of scrub, or two little pots. Not sure what that equates to in ml’s but I know there are a lot of online calculators that could tell you 😉 Hope you like the scrub!
There are 30 mL per ounce. So this recipe should make approximately 240 mL if it makes 8 oz 🙂 Hope that helps!
Hi I made a similar scrub using 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. If I let the scrub just sit in the jar after mixing the ingredients I notice it gets runny liquidy and if if mix the ingredients again it becomes less liquidy should I add more sugar or is this how it is suppose to be?
I love this, but i was wondering… Could one add vitamin E oil as well?
I would imagine so =)
Hi! I am LOVING the idea of this scrub and I am super excited to make it. I just have one question. Obviously it’s winter now so this won’t be important for a couple more months, but should you avoid sunlight after use due to the grapfruit?? It sounds like such a great pick me up for spring/summer mornings but that means no tanning! Lol. Thank in advance.
Hi Danielle! I think you would be wise to not use it in the hot summer months, grapefruit oil or any citrus oil can intensify sunburns. I would just use it in the winter and spring months =)
Hi there, do you have to use grapefruit oil because I have looked everywhere for it but just can’t seem to find it. So would it still work if I just used more grapefruit juice? Thanks!
Hi Lydia! The grapefruit oil is largely what scents it, so I would maybe opt for another citrus oil, like lemon, lime or orange? The grapefruit juice alone really won’t add much of a scent =)
This looks amazing and I love grapefruit! Is there any way to make this without the use of essential oils by chance? Nothing against them, just in a bit of a time crunch and buying those would mean driving pretty far to get them. Thanks!
Thanks Cara! You can make the scrub without the essential oils…they just give the scrub a stronger scent. It will still work just fine without them =)
Has anyone made a printable tag for this? I’m not the most tech-savvy but would love a little tag to tie on or stick to the lid of a mason jar.
Thanks!
I am allergic to coconut is there another solution for this recipe?
Does anyone know what preservative to add to the above scrub to make it’s shelf life longer?
Hey, I just googled natural organic preservatives and found this website: http://www.naturalcosmeticnews.com/new-ingredients/the-most-popular-natural-preservatives-2/
The sugar in the scrub is a natural preservative and/or you could add lemon juice. It’s a pretty interesting read!
How does this scrub benifits your skin?
I use Turbinado sugar in my scrubs. Huge granules for scrubbing. Just an idea. Found at any grocery store.
Hello! Can I use lavender oil instead of peppermint and grapefruit oil? I know it will alter the smell but I’d like to make it now and that’s all I have on hand lol
Definitely!
Can the juice be left out so it doesn’t spoil at room temp?
Thanks!
If using the juice, I would keep it refrigerated to be safe 🙂
What could you substitute grapefruit oil with? ?
Orange or lemon oil would be great!
Can’t wait to try this!! Do you have a companion recipe for a heel balm to use after
Do you have a recipe for a companion heel balm to use after this
I heard that you could add 1tsb of vinegar to it. It is supposed to help with mold and ect.
Hi. It looks so yummy! Mind asking you. The coconut oil will make this scrub whipped? Or u used any kind of whipped base soap?
Thanks Putri! The coconut oil will give the scrub a whipped texture since it is solid at room temperature.
Sounds great!! I’m just worried about the coconut oil plugging up my pipes. Any problems? It goes back to solid at room temp. My house is super old and so are my pipes.
Hi lady’s, I make several scrubs and the coconut oil and essential oils are great natural preservatives but you can use salt instead of sugar if you’re going to leave it out of the fridge with juice in it. I just use oils and essential oils in mine that o leave out with sugar in them. I hope this helps you lady’s that are unsure. You can also add a small amount of Shea butter or coco butter for that whipped silky feel without adding juice or water.
I was just going to ask what purpose the juice served?? What amount of the shea would you use? I am very much a recipe follower – don’t wing it much ! would love to give as a gift but would hate it to go bad and who wants to used cold sugar scrub…
This looks and sounds amazing!! I can’t wait to try it!!
xoxo
Hi there. I was trying to skim thru the comments to find my answer. I may have over looked it though… can this be used on the face? I have been making my own face scrub with just sugar and coconut oil but would love to add the peppermint and grapefruit but not sure I can use it on my face if I do. noob question i know lol
How much grapefruit zest?
Zest of 1 =)
“Preservatives aren’t generally necessary in liquid soaps, but can be added if desired. Technically, no. Most sugar and salt scrubs do not contain water. When there’s no water in the product then you do not need to add a preservative.”
However, this recipe does call for “juice”, yes? Or no?
What “parts” of the grapefruit juice is considered water?
The answer is 88%.
Point is.. it’s possible it could spoil. I’m going to try it both ways and see which lasts. I prefer to not have to chill it, but if necessary, will.
Hi I’m just wondering if you can use a different oil besides coconut? Something non comedogenic, for sensitive skin?
you can, it just won’t have the whipped consistency =)