Ingredients and Recipes for Your Homemade Exfoliant

Do you want to make a homemade exfoliant? This article discusses ingredients and recipes for a homemade exfoliant, including; creating exfoliants from homemade ingredients and samples.

A person can incorporate numerous natural recipes into their weekly skincare routine. These recipes are derived from natural ingredients that range from coffee and sugar to oil. Regardless of the recipe, a person should test the exfoliant on a small area of their skin before extending the application to the rest of the body. The test is necessary to avoid undesirable skin effects such as damage or irritation. This post is for you. Suppose DIY skincare projects are your thing. You don't have to worry about spending on salon expenses every week when you can find alternative solutions in the comfort of your home. Below is a guide that explores some of the main ingredients and homemade recipes for your body exfoliant.

Creating Exfoliants from Household Ingredients

Fancy making your skin exfoliation products at home using natural ingredients. Consider utilizing household ingredients to pamper your face if you are looking for an inexpensive yet healthy skincare routine that includes exfoliation. You will be surprised how easy it can get. Most ingredients are stashed in your kitchen cabinet; hence, the key lies in understanding what combination works for your skin type to enjoy smoother, healthier-looking skin.

Exfoliation involves two main mechanisms folks use to remove dead, flaking, but unseen skin cells, namely;

• Physical scrubs utilize gentle forms of abrasion that peels off dead skin.
• According to Small et al.(2012), chemical scrubs utilize alpha and beta hydroxy or salicylic acids to dissolve and peel off the outermost dead layer of skin cells.

You are lucky to be a DIY enthusiast because plenty of household ingredients and recipes will provide you with numerous options to create your homemade body and facial scrubs. Homemade exfoliating products utilize a combination of ingredients to create an abrasive paste that gently sloughs or rubs off dead skin cells. Some of the most common and well-known ingredients and recipes used to make homemade exfoliants include but are not limited to the following;

• Baking soda.
• Sugar.
• Salt.
• Oatmeal.
• Lemon, turmeric, vitamin C oil, tea tree.
• Olive, coconut oil, almond.

Besides the oils smoothening the skin after exfoliation, all these combinations share one common characteristic. They all contain grains and are in one or another granulated. As a precaution, ensure all ingredients are void of sharp, jagged pieces. Consider regrinding to obtain finer granules for the case of large sugar or salt particles. It makes them ideal for the removal of dead skin cells, and in doing so, they create a smooth, soft, and glowing skin by:

• Removing the dead outermost skin layer to expose new skin cells underneath.
• Unclogging and decongesting the skin pores by removing oil, bacteria, and dirt.
• Preventing breakout of teenage acne.

Sample DIY Homemade Skin Exfoliating Recipes

Virgin Coconut Oil Exfoliating Scrub

According to Jahan et al.(2019), coconut oil is used in facial care due to its moisturizing and hydrating properties that create smooth and glowing skin. It is organic, antimicrobial, and is known to restore the skin's natural balance by clearing the outer layer of dead cells. Dissanayake et al.(2022) stated that virgin coconut oil is one of the best ingredients in an exfoliation scrub. Here is how it is prepared;

Ingredients

• Cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil.
• Finely granulated sugar or natural walnut.
• Shell powder.
• Essential oil fragrance (optional).

Steps

• Mix these ingredients in a bowl using a pestle.
• Add a few drops of essential oil (whichever you prefer).
• Apply the exfoliating scrub and rub gently in a circular movement.
• Leave it for a few minutes, rinse the scrub off using warm water, dry your face, and moisturize.

Baking Soda Exfoliating Scrub

Ingredients

• Baking soda.
• A bottle of Cetaphil mild facial cleanser.

Steps

• Add baking powder to Cetaphil and stir into a paste.
• Apply the paste to an exfoliating tool and gently rub your face or body.
• Rinse the scrub off after a few minutes and dry your skin.

Salt Body Exfoliating Scrub

Fitzgerald & Vleggaar (2011) advised that people should avoid salt body exfoliating scrub on the face but use it on the body only because it can dehydrate the face and make it lose volume.

Ingredients

• Six teaspoonfuls of table salt or sea salt.
• 100 ml of olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil, or whichever you prefer.
• Few drops of essential oil for fragrance (optional).

Steps

• Mix the salt and your preferred oil into a smoothly blended paste.
• Add a few drops of essential oil and stir.
• Apply the paste to your body and rub smoothly in circular movements.
• Rinse it off and pat your skin with a towel to dry.

Oatmeal Facial Scrub

Ingredients

• Two teaspoonfuls of finely ground oatmeal.
• Two teaspoonfuls of brown sugar.
• Six teaspoonfuls of vegetable or almond oil.
• 1 teaspoonful of nutmeg.
• Two teaspoonfuls of granulated sugar.

Steps

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and stir into a homogenous paste.
• Apply the paste to a wet facial or body skin and rub gently in a circular motion.
• Rinse the scrub off after a few minutes and pat your skin to dry.

Shea Butter Face and Body Scrub

Ingredients

• Six teaspoonfuls of cold-pressed shea butter.
• Three teaspoonfuls of olive oil.
• Five drops of vitamin C oil.
• Ten drops of essential oils for fragrance.
• Six teaspoonfuls of sugar (optional).

Steps

• Melt the shea butter in a bowl and whip it into a consistent cream using a fork.
• Add olive and vitamin C oils and stir into a smooth blend.
• Mix and stir sugar and essential oils separately s before transferring them into a Mason jar.
• Apply and gently massage this paste on your intended body part.
• Rinse it off using warm water, and pat your skin to dry.

The Bottom Line

The benefits of exfoliation are well-documented. While some prefer weekly visits to the salon, other alternative and inexpensive solutions to healthier and smoother-looking skin are available, including homemade ingredients and exfoliation recipes. As discussed herein, homemade recipes provide a wide range of exfoliants you could make from handy household ingredients such as sugar, oatmeal, coffee, salt, and olive oil, among others. The main objective of creating a homemade exfoliant is to make a recipe that gently rubs your skin and not scratches it. Avoid using salt body exfoliant on the face since it is harsh and can make the skin lose its volume and dehydrate. This explains why some people have wrinkles.

References

Dissanayake, N. S., Pupulewatte, P. H., & Jayawardana, D. T. (2022). Formulation And Evaluation Of A Laterite Soil Based Scrubbing Effect Herbal Cleansing Bar. Journal Of Drug Delivery And Therapeutics, 12(1-S), 91-96.

Fitzgerald, R., & Vleggaar, D. (2011). Facial Volume Restoration Of The Aging Face With Poly‐L‐Lactic Acid. Dermatologic Therapy, 24(1), 2-27.

Jahan, F., Happy, A. A., Chowdhury, M. M. H., & Hossain, M. A. (2019). Natural Herbs And Spices: A Great Resource For Skin Care Cosmetics. Journal Of Plant Sciences, 7(4), 86-99.

Small, R., Hoang, D., & Linder, J. (Eds.). (2012). A Practical Guide To Chemical Peels, Microdermabrasion & Topical Products. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.