DIY 10 Best Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipes For Face & Body

Homemade sugar scrubs have amazing skin benefits and they can be used to exfoliate face, body, lips, legs, hands and feet. I have tried many sugar scrub recipes over the years as they are so easy to make. You can easily make sugar scrubs at home with ingredients found in your kitchen. I love sugar scrubs because they leave the skin fair and glowing. I use sugar scrub weekly once both on my face and body and it helps exfoliate my skin well.

What Is a Sugar Scrub For?

Sugar scrubs exfoliates our skin gently. Exfoliating our skin helps remove trapped oil, grime and dirt which usually leads to blackheads and whiteheads.

Though exfoliating our skin is good, we should do it gently so our skin does not get damaged or dry. Homemade sugar scrubs are excellent for that. Sugar scrubs also removes dead skin very effectively making our skin look brighter and smoother.

What Kind of Sugar Is Best To Use For Sugar Scrub?

To get best results from sugar scrubs, we should know what kind of sugar to use. We get three types of sugar commonly in India.

The first is common white sugar that we regularly use to sweeten coffee and tea. White sugar crystals are large and are not suitable for sugar scrubs as they cause small micro tears in the skin if you rub the skin with them.

The second type is brown sugar got by powdering jaggery. This type of sugar is mainly found in India, what is referred to as brown sugar in other countries is regular white sugar to which molasses is added. Though you can use this type of sugar in sugar scrubs, since it almost too fine and soft, I don’t prefer it much.

Finally there is caster sugar which we use for cakes and biscuits, the granules are very very fine perfect for using in sugar scrubs.  Though you can powder regular white sugar to get caster sugar, the crystals are not uniform and the scrubs get too soft to act as an exfoliator.

You can buy caster sugar in almost all the departmental stores in India. I always stock caster sugar in my pantry as I bake a lot and I only use it for my sugar scrubs.

How Do You Make a Sugar Scrub?

You can make sugar scrub by mixing sugar with just any liquid you prefer. It also depends on your skin type. If you have dry skin, you can unrefined oils like coconut oil or extra virgin oil. If you have oily skin, you can use rose water or rice water. Other Ingredients like essential oils also can be added.

How Do You Use a Sugar Body Scrub?

To use, scoop enough sugar scrub and gently massage it in your face and body for 2 to 3 minutes and then wash it off. Don’t massage for a long time or too harshly. When you are exfoliating always be gentle else it will cause skin irritation.

After exfoliating, if your skin feels irritated or red then your exfoliator is too harsh on your skin. After exfoliating your skin should feel soft and smooth.

3 Top Sugar Scrubs Skin Benefits:

1. Removes Dead Skin Effectively:

Sugar scrubs exfoliates the skin very effectively. I would greatly suggest exfoliating your skin weekly once. This will help remove dead skin effectively leaving your skin soft and glowing.

2. Prevents Blackheads:

Regularly exfoliating the skin, removes grime and dirt very effectively. Blackheads form when our pores gets clogged with excessive sebum. Since sugar scrubs removes it, it greatly prevents blackheads from forming.

3. Makes Skin Smooth and Soft:

I have dry skin and whenever I use any one of the sugar scrubs mentioned below, my skin feels soft and smooth. Using conditioning ingredients like honey, coconut oil, pure vanilla, olive oil along with sugar helps greatly smoothen and soften the skin.

Common Questions Regarding Brown Sugar Scrubs:

a. Is Sugar Scrub Good For Acne?

If you have acne prone skin, you can use a gentle sugar scrubs weekly once, it will help reduce the oiliness thus grealty helping in reducing acne flare ups.

But if you have a worse acne break out, I would suggest not using any exfoliating scrubs. It will cause intense irritation and may increase the inflammation. Also definitely don’t use abrasive brown sugar scrubs.

b. Can Sugar Lighten Skin?

As far as I know, sugar by itself does not have skin lightening properties and will not lighten scars and blemishes. But if you add skin lightening ingredients like lemon juice, it will greatly help lighten scars and blemishes well.

c. Can you use a sugar scrub on your face?

Sugar scrubs made with very fine sugar is safe to use on the face, I would highly suggest using only fine sugar when make sugar scrubs for face. Also make sure to include conditioning ingredients like coconut oil or honey when making a sugar scrub for face.

d. Can You Use Sugar Scrub On Your Lips?

You can use sugar scrubs for lips but I would suggest crushing the fine sugar even more when you are making sugar scrub for the lips. Also use conditioning ingredients like honey or coconut oil along with sugar to make the lips soft and smooth.

e. How Long Do You Keep a Sugar Scrub On Your Face?

I usually take the scrub and gently massage it in my face for 2 to 3 minutes and then wash it off. I would suggest not using any scrub including brown sugar scrubs for a long time on your face as it might cause irritation. You can use for a slightly longer duration on your body.

f. What Is The Best Oil to Use in a Sugar Scrub?

I would suggest using any unrefined organic cold pressed oils for best results. Personally, I love to use virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil but you can use other oils like unrefined sesame oil, avocado oil, etc.

g. Which Is Better – Sugar or Salt Scrub?

Salt scrubs are more abrasive than sugar scrubs and they are not suitable for all skin types. Especially people with dry and sensitive skin will find it hard to use salt scrubs. I personally prefer sugar scrubs over salt scrubs and use it a lot more.

h. How Often Should You Use a Sugar Scrub on Your Body?

I have dry skin and exfoliate once a week and it is perfect for me. If you have very oily skin or if you are prone to blackheads a lot, I would suggest exfoliating twice a week. But please don’t exfoliate too often.

i. How Long Can You Keep Homemade Sugar Scrub?

The shelf life depends on the ingredients we add to the sugar scrub. If we add ingredients like fresh fruit pulp that spoil easily the scrub will spoil faster too. But if you add ingredients like honey that have a long shelf life, the scrub will have long shelf life too.

10 Best Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipes

1. Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub For Body:

Take a tbsp of caster sugar in a cup. Now take some fresh mint leaves and cut them very finely using a sharp scissor and add to the caster sugar and mix well. Now add enough virgin coconut oil to form a thick paste and use it as a body scrub. This scrub smells amazingly nice, exfoliates the body well and conditions the skin well too.

2. Lemon Sugar Scrub For Hands:

This is one of my favorite scrubs to use on my hands as it smells amazing and makes my hands amazingly soft and smooth. To make the scrub, take enough caster sugar in a bowl. Now take a fresh lemon and grate the outer skin using a grater and add to the sugar. Mix well, now add enough almond oil to form a thick paste and use it as a hand scrub.

3. Vanilla Sugar Scrub For Face:

This scrub made with pure vanilla is amazing but make sure to use only pure vanilla not synthetic essence. Both vanilla and honey in the scrub, lightens and brighten the skin and sugar exfoliated the skin effectively. For the scrub, take enough caster sugar in a cup. Add in 3 to 4 drops of pure vanilla, finally add in enough honey to form a paste and use it as a face scrub.

4.Peppermint Sugar Scrub For Feet:

This scrub made with peppermint, sugar and extra virgin olive oil is amazing to use on feet. It exfoliates the feet and make it soft and regular use greatly prevents cracked feet. For the scrub, collect fresh peppermint leaves, I always grow peppermint at home. Now cut the leaves as finely as you can and mix with caster sugar. Finally add enough extra virgin olive oil and mix to form a thick scrub.

5. Honey Sugar Scrub For Lips:

This is an amazing lip scrub. For the scrub, take a tbsp of soft brown sugar. Now add in equal quantities of honey and virgin coconut oil and mix to form a smooth paste and use it as a lip scrub. This scrub will exfoliate the lips gently and will leave it smooth and soft.

6. Coffee Sugar Scrub For Legs:

For the coffee sugar scrub, take 2 tbsp of caster sugar in a bowl. Add in a tsp of coffee powder to it. Finally add enough honey to form a paste and use it as a leg scrub. Both coffee and sugar exfoliates and polishes the skin very well and is perfect for using on legs.

7. Sugar Scrub With Essential Oils:

You can make a simple sugar scrub by just mixing your favorite essential oil with caster sugar and any unrefined oil that you have at home. I prefer soothing essentials like lavender, rose, etc.

8. Brown Sugar Scrub For Sensitive Skin:

If you have sensitive skin, try this brown sugar scrub. For the scrub, take 2 tbsp of soft brown sugar in a cup, add in the contents of 2 vitamin E capsules. Finally add enough coconut oil to form a paste and use as a scrub. This is a very very gentle exfoliating scrub, perfect for people with sensitive skin.

9. Olive Oil Sugar Scrub For Dry Skin:

Olive oil sugar scrubs are excellent for dry skin as it softens the skin well. To make olive oil sugar scrub, take the required amount of caster sugar in a bowl. Add in your favorite berries, I have used mulberries and pound for a few seconds to blend the berries and sugar. Finally add in extra virgin olive oil and mix well.

10. Lavender Sugar Scrub For Acne Prone Skin:

Lavender sugar scrubs are not only soothing on the skin, the fragrance is so calming. It is perfect to use on acne prone skin. To make lavender sugar scrub, take required amount of caster sugar in a bowl. Add dried lavender buds and few drops of lavender essential oil and mix well. Now add enough virgin coconut oil to make a thick scrub.