How to Make a Body Scrub at Home, According to Skincare Experts (2024)

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Julyne Derrick

Julyne Derrick is a contributing writer for Byrdie specializing in haircare. She has over a decade's worth of experience as a writer and editor.

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Lindsey Metrus

Lindsey Metrus is the associate general manager at Byrdie and has been with the brand since 2015. Her work also appears in BuzzFeed, StyleCaster, and Yahoo.

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Updated on August 14, 2024 03:52PM

Reviewed by

Onyeka Obioha, MD

Reviewed byOnyeka Obioha, MD

What Is the Best Homemade Body Scrub?

Spoiler alert: There's a body scrub for every type of skincare issue imaginable—and there's a good chance you can DIY it. If you're looking for a body scrub to slough away dead skin cells and lightly exfoliate, a blend of sea salt, sugar, honey, and some essential oils can create a masterpiece. From anti-aging to hydrating to relaxing, keep scrolling for seven different body scrub formulas you can concoct at home.

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Anti-Aging Strawberry Scrub

According to Tara Pelletier, co-founder of Meow Meow Tweet, this scrub is great for combatting skin degradation from premature aging. "A beautiful and yummy at-home scrub for aging skin is puréed strawberries; it’s rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which help fight free radicals and boost collagen production," she explains. "Strawberries also contain AHA exfoliating acid, so this makes for an effective but gentle armpit exfoliator to give your natural deodorant an extra boost. Adding a combination of ground oats is soothing, and coconut milk is a good place to start for hydration."

Key Ingredients

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of the body, including the skin, but we cannot produce it on our own. For the skin, it helps to boost collagen, lighten discoloration, and fight free radicals.

Clarifying Chickpea Scrub

This soft scrub is particularly great at getting after body breakouts—just be sure to apply very light pressure. "Chickpea flour is a great scrub/mask for blemish prone skin, and apple cider vinegar acts as a spot treatment for flare ups," says Pelletier. "Peppermint has antibacterial properties, and helps reduce bacteria on the skin."

Key Ingredients

Apple cider vinegar is fermented apple juice formed when yeast mixes with the sugar of the juice. It contains acetic acid, which may have antibacterial and keratolytic properties, and it also contains malic acid, a gentle chemical exfoliant.

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp dried peppermint (you can also empty the leaves of a peppermint tea bag)
10 drops tea tree oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon.

Yield: 8 ounces

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Energizing Citrus Scrub

In these cold, bleak months, a zesty citrus body scrub may not only boost your mood. "If you’re feeling the effects of the cold and less sunlight, take a trip to an imaginary tropical island with this citrus and tropical fruit mood-boosting scrub, which helps boost circulation and improve skin tone," says Pelletier.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sea salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sunflower oil
Zest of a lemon
2 tbsp pureed papaya
10 drops orange essential oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon.

Yield: 8 ounces

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Firming Body Scrub

Too much salt or alcohol? This scrub will help rid the body of the excess water you find pooling the morning after. (Bonus points if you add in a body-sized gua sha tool to boost lymphatic drainage.) "Juniper and grapefruit work together in this scrub that is ideal for... areas that could benefit from a lifting boost," says Shannon Davenport, founder of Esker. "Anchored by the hydrating properties of juniper berry which tones and reduces water retention, grapefruit which reduces the appearance of puffiness, and lavender which has anti-inflammatory properties that can help deflate any swelling or irritation."

Ingredients:

1 cup brown or cane sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp of juniper berries blitzed in a clean coffee grinder
1 tbsp of dried lavender from the farmer's market
10-15 drops grapefruit essential oil (or the zest of a fresh grapefruit)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together with a spoon and put in an 8-ounce glass jar.

Yield: 8 ounces

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Hydrating Honey, Sage, and Oat Scrub

Davenport loves using this scrub in the fall for its cozy notes of sage, but any time is a good time to reap its hydrating benefits. "This scrub harnesses the power of oats which help treat dry skin and remove dead skin cells, softening honey, and sage which helps with skin regeneration." Honey is also a natural antiseptic, meaning it could help with breakouts.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp of dried sage leaves
1 tbsp of honey

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together with spoon and put in an 8-ounce glass jar.

Yield: 8 ounces

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Mermaid Scrub

"This dreamy green-hued scrub will make you feel like you are back at the ocean any time of year," says Jana Blankenship, founder of Captain Blankenship. "This exfoliating and detoxing body scrub mixes mineral-rich sea salt with epsom salt, which helps eliminate toxins and relieve tired muscles. Nourishing sea kelp stimulates blood flow and antioxidant-rich spirulina fights free radicals, helps skin retain moisture, and creates a beautiful jade green hue."

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fine sea salt
1/2 cup epsom salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp French green clay
1 tbsp spirulina powder
2 tsp kelp powder
10 drops lemongrass essential oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon. Put in an 8-ounce glass jar with a lid. Will keep for up to 6 months if kept dry.

Yield: 8 ounces

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Relaxing CBD Scrub

Infused with CBD, this mask is the perfect wind-down at the end of a long day. Ivy Oakes, director of customer experience at Populum adds it's a great anti-inflammatory, which could curb redness and razor burn if applied pre-shave.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown pure cane sugar
3 tbsp organic jojoba oil (increase for the right consistency)
2 droppers full of Populum's 250mg Full-Spectrum Hemp CBD Oilor 1 dropper of Populum's 500 mg Full-Spectrum Hemp CBD Oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Add jojoba oil to the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing as you continue to add to create the right consistency. Next add the CBD oil and lemon—the consistency should be like thick sand. Apply liberally in the shower or bath for invigorating and exfoliating treatment.

Key Ingredients

Jojoba oil is a natural oil produced from the seed of the chinensis plant, a drought-resistant shrub native to southern Arizona, California, and Mexico. It mimics natural sebum and conditions and seals moisture in the skin without clogging pores or exacerbating acne.

How to Exfoliate

According to Lyudmyla Nagirnyak, the spa manager atK West Spain London, proper exfoliation goes like this: Dampen your skin in the shower and apply the homemade scrub for two to three minutes in circular motions. Once you're out of the shower, Nagirnyak stresses the importance of moisturizing the skin. Also of note: If your skin is particularly sensitive or has an underlying condition like psoriasis, you should speak with your dermatologist first to make sure it's safe to use a scrub.

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The Best Homemade Honey Sugar Scrub

FAQ

How do you make a three ingredient body scrub?

For a simple, no frills body scrub, mix one cup raw sugar with one-fourth cup coconut oil and one-fourth cup ground or even whole oats.
How do you make a homemade skin scrub?

With ingredients like sea salt, sugar, honey, coconut oil and your favorite essential oil, all you have to do is mix them in a bowl to create a scrub-like consistency—and you have an easy homemade skin scrub.

Article Sources

Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

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Chen T, Liu N, Liu J, et al. Gua sha, a press-stroke treatment of the skin, boosts the immune response to intradermal vaccination.PeerJ. 2016;4:e2451. doi:10.7717/peerj.2451
McLoone P, Oluwadun A, Warnock M, Fyfe L. Honey: a therapeutic agent for disorders of the skin.Cent Asian J Glob Health. 2016;5(1):241. doi:10.5195/cajgh.2016.241
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