Sugar scrubs are one of the best ways to cleanse your skin, exfoliate, and leave your face feeling brand new. Though there are many different types of sugar scrubs available in stores these days, these scrubs are so easy to make, you might as well DIY one at home and perfectly customize the ingredients to suit the needs of your facial skin.
In this article, we’ll give you all the information you need to know in order to get started creating facial sugar scrubs. You’ll also learn about the best ingredients to include in your sugar scrub and what works for some skin types better than others.
Why Use a Sugar Scrub on Your Face?
Regular exfoliation is a fantastic thing to incorporate into your routine, and a facial sugar scrub is an easy way to do this. Exfoliation can help unclog pores, get rid of dead skin, and leave your skin looking brighter, fresher, and younger – it may even help to reduce wrinkles and uneven skin texture.
Using a sugar scrub on your face is an easy way to gain all of these benefits, leaving your skin soft, supple, and flawless. Keep in mind that any sugar scrub you put on your face should be designed with the sensitive skin of your visage in mind; using a sugar scrub designed for the body (whether store-bought or DIY) may be too harsh for the face and leave behind damage or irritation.
The Basics of a Facial Sugar Scrub
Every facial sugar scrub is composed of two main, basic ingredients – an exfoliant and a carrier oil. The exfoliant will be an ingredient such as white or brown sugar and will do the heavy lifting of cleaning and brightening up your skin, while the carrier oil will make it easy for you to massage the exfoliant into your skin.
It is very easy to add additional skin-friendly ingredients into these two base ingredients, which gives DIY enthusiasts a large playing field. There are almost limitless options to the types of facial sugar scrubs you can create, and it is simple to completely customize a sugar scrub to match your skin type and specific skin needs.
In a later section, we explore a broad range of popular ingredients for adding to your DIY sugar scrub for the face. For now though, let’s jump right into some of our favorite DIY recipes.
DIY Facial Sugar Scrub Recipes
These DIY sugar scrub recipes for your face are organized by skin type, with a couple of the recipes being suited for all skin types. Choose your favorite and make it as is, or customize your own recipe using the bases from ours as a starting point.
1. For Dry Skin
This recipe uses coconut oil and brown sugar to softly exfoliate and moisturize skin.
- Slightly heat up 2 to 3 tablespoons of coconut oil.
- Add the coconut oil into 2 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, in addition to 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional – you can also use 5 to 15 drops of your favorite essential oil).
- Mix thoroughly and store in a glass container.
2. For Oily Skin
With the help of jojoba oil, this scrub can help clear blemishes and control oil production.
- Place half a cup of white sugar into a bowl.
- Add in 1/4 cup of jojoba oil and 5 to 15 drops of your favorite essential oil.
- Mix thoroughly and store in a glass container.
3. For Mature Skin
Featuring ginger and almond oil, this scrub is great for decreasing skin inflammation and wrinkles.
- Place half a cup of either white or brown sugar into a bowl.
- Add in 1/4 cup of almond oil, half a tablespoon of honey, half a teaspoon of ground ginger, and half a teaspoon of vitamin C oil into the sugar.
- Mix thoroughly and store in a glass container.
4. Great for Mornings
This face scrub is perfect for early mornings where you need a little bit of a wake-up, thanks to the zesty peppermint oil included.
- Heat up 3 tablespoons of coconut oil until liquefied.
- Add the coconut oil to 2 tablespoons of white sugar, and then add in 1 to 2 drops of peppermint essential oil and a half teaspoon of vitamin E oil (optional).
- Mix the ingredients together thoroughly and store in a glass container.
5. For Sensitive Skin
Utilizing brown sugar for soft exfoliation, this scrub is great for sensitive skin.
- Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of your favorite carrier oil into a small bowl. We suggest olive or almond oil for very sensitive skin.
- Add in 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of raw honey.
- Mix the ingredients thoroughly and store in a glass container.
6. Best for Brightening
With the help of lemon, this scrub can brighten your skin and leave it glowing.
- Take half a cup of white sugar and place it into a bowl.
- Add 1/4 of a cup of olive oil and half a teaspoon of vitamin C oil into the sugar, along with the juice of a half lemon or 5 to 10 drops of lemon essential oil.
- Mix thoroughly and store in a glass container.
7. Perfect for Relaxing
Featuring lavender essential oil, this scrub is great for a relaxing at-home spa day.
- Place half a cup of white sugar into a bowl.
- Add 1/4 of a cup of almond oil and 1/2 a teaspoon of vitamin E oil into the bowl, in addition to 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional) and 7 to 10 drops of lavender essential oil.
- Mix thoroughly and store in a glass container.
Skin Healthy Ingredients
The ingredients below are some of the most popular choices for adding to your DIY face sugar scrub. If you are interested in adding an ingredient that is not on this list, make sure you look up how to properly use it and the potential for any skin reactions before applying it onto your face.
When purchasing ingredients like essential oils and carrier oils, make sure that you are selecting oils that can be used on the face. A local beauty store or wellness store is a great place to find these times.
Exfoliants
An essential ingredient in a sugar scrub, it is important to choose an exfoliant that works well with your skin. Sugar is pretty much universal in its quality, but you should make sure to do a patch test with whichever DIY recipe you choose, to ensure your skin reacts well to it.
Brown Sugar
Any type of brown sugar, organic or nonorganic, can be used in your facial scrub. Brown sugar is the least abrasive of the sugar types and is a good choice if you have especially sensitive skin. Because of how gentle it is, you may be able to use your brown sugar-based scrub up to 4 times a week.
White Sugar
Pure white cane sugar is a great choice for pretty much every skin type. It is a little rougher than brown sugar, so you should only use it 1 to 3 times a week in a scrub, but it does contain some essential nutrients that help to clear skin and remove blemishes.
Turbinado Sugar
Turbinado sugar is raw sugar and is the harshest of sugar types. It typically has larger granules and may be too harsh for the face, especially if you have very sensitive skin. However, turbinado sugar does contain more skin-friendly nutrients, thanks to its less-processed nature.
You may want to stick with using turbinado sugar as part of a body scrub, as its coarse nature is perfect for exfoliating larger areas of skin.
Carrier Oils
These carrier oils are the most common in DIY sugar scrub recipes and carry a host of benefits for your skin.
Coconut Oil
One of the most popular oils in the beauty world, coconut oil can be used in any sugar scrub recipe to help moisturize skin. It doesn’t clog pores and carries antibacterial properties, making it perfect for dry and blemish-prone skin types.
Almond Oil
This wonderful smelling oil absorbs into the skin easily, leaving it extremely soft. It can also help fight against signs of aging. It is best for dry and mature skin types or skin that may be more sensitive.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is great for all skin types, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It can help control oil production and soothes itchy skin, making it a great choice for either oily or dry skin.
Olive Oil
Deeply moisturizing, olive oil draws moisture into the skin, soothing itchy spots, fighting bacteria, and nourishing skin with its many antioxidant properties. It is a good choice of oil for those with very dry, sensitive skin or those with mature skin types.
Fragrances
These fragrances can give your DIY sugar scrub a tantalizing scent, in addition to leaving behind skin-friendly benefits.
Citrus Extracts
Citrus extracts like lemon, lime, and orange are a great choice for adding a unique scent to your scrub. Use the dried zest and a little bit of juice from these ingredients to get the most benefit. Lemon is perfect for skin brightening, while orange is a good choice for easing the appearance of wrinkles.
Essential Oils
Any of your favorite essential oils can be added to your sugar scrub for both scent and skin benefits. Oils such as lavender are great for a relaxing scrub, while peppermint might be more invigorating. You can check out a list of essential oils and their benefits here.
Spices and Flavorings
Spices like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg are very popular for fall-themed sugar scrubs. These ingredients are all very anti-inflammatory and can help soothe skin.
Additionally, vanilla extract can make your sugar scrub smell much like a cookie and protect against free-radical damage; just make sure you buy a high-quality extract to get the most benefits.
Skin Boosting Additives
These extra additives are great for packing your DIY sugar scrub with all the skin-boosting benefits possible.
Vitamin Oils
Vitamin oils such as E, A, C, and D can be added to sugar scrubs in small amounts in order to tailor the scrub to your specific skin needs. For instance, vitamin E is great for moisturizing and nourishing skin, while vitamin C is perfect for reducing aging signs. Just make sure you patch test these ingredients on your skin and use them in small amounts, as too much pure oil may cause irritation.
Honey
Known for its power in clearing acne, reducing scars, and healing skin, honey is the perfect antibacterial and anti-inflammatory additive for your sugar scrub. It works well with pretty much every skin type, and if you want to up the benefits, you may want to invest in a quality Manuka honey product.
Troubleshooting Your Sugar Scrub Recipe
Sometimes, things can go wrong with even the most thought-out plan. Check out our tips for troubleshooting your sugar scrub below.
The Scrub Is Too Crumbly
Once your facial sugar scrub is mixed, it should be a smooth, spreadable consistency that you can easily massage into your skin. If the mixture is too crumbly, you likely need to add more oil to it. Continue adding carrier oil until the mixture is a little more uniform.
Alternatively, you can leave your scrub on the crumblier side and add a little bit of water to the amount you scoop out before applying it to your face. The easiest way to do this is to hold the desired amount of scrub in your palm and add a few drops of water until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Remember not to get any water into your jar of scrub, as water will cause it to spoil.
Similarly, if you find your scrub is too watery, add a little bit more sugar into it to thicken up the mixture.
The Sugar Irritates Your Skin
If you love the idea of a sugar scrub but find that even brown sugar is too rough on your skin, you may want to try using oatmeal in your scrub instead. This article gives you some ideas for substituting oatmeal in a face scrub.
FAQ
Are Preservatives Needed in a DIY Sugar Scrub?
You do not need to put any kind of preservative in your sugar scrub. Thanks to the nature of the ingredients, your scrub should stay good for up to 6 months. Make sure to store it in an airtight, glass container, and don’t let any water into the container, as this will spoil it.
Are Sugar Scrubs Safe to Use on the Face?
With all this talk of exfoliation, you may be wondering if sugar scrubs are truly safe to use on your face. However, as long as you use your sugar scrub as part of a regular routine, don’t overuse it, and don’t use harsh ingredients that react poorly with your skin, then it is perfectly safe to use a sugar scrub on your delicate facial skin.
Always rinse your face with water before using your scrub, massage the scrub into your skin gently, and rinse it off with warm water. Follow up with a moisturizer to lock in the skin benefits, and don’t use your scrub more than 1 to 4 times a week, depending on the ingredients and your particular skin type.
Obtaining Your Best Skin Ever
Using a facial sugar scrub on a regular basis can help you achieve brighter, softer, and younger-looking skin. With the ability to perfectly customize your scrub to your skin type and needs, the DIY scrub you create is sure to leave you with your best skin ever.