DIY COCONUT BODY SCRUB

This Christmas season has been pretty tricky. It’s been a whirlwind of a month with a lot going on and very little time to get into the holiday spirit. I normally try to make lots of my Christmas presents myself but I struggled to find the time this year. With only 3 days before Christmas, I’ve come up with a few ideas that don’t take long at all for those of you out there who might have a bit of time on your hands and a limited budget for gifts.

This is one of my favourites!

I love natural body products and have been using coconut oil as a body moisturizer for a while now. I have also tried using olive oil and sugar as a body scrub which is very effective, leaving your skin silky smooth but with a faint smell of focaccia or salad dressing which is slightly less sexy. This mix right here of coconut oil and sugar is absolutely divine and leaves you smelling scrumptious.

I made a batch of these scrubs with a friend and had to make some extra for myself after giving it a test on my hands. If you want to keep it or make some for yourself, that’s a sign of a good gift, isn’t it?

You can use the scrub on your body or your hands: wash your body/hands with soap as you would normally, scoop some of the scrub out and rub gently into your skin. Rinse with water and pat dry with a towel. No need for any other moisturiser!

Ingredients for 4 jars: 500ml coconut oil, 1 – 1.5 kg caster sugar depending on the consistency you like for your scrub, zest of two lemons, 20-30 drops of Bergamot essential oil.

Start by sterilising the jars. Bring a kettle full of water to the boil and fill the jars to the top with boiling water. Carefully put the lids on top and leave for a couple of minutes. Pour the water out carefully and leave to cool upside down on a clean tea towel.

Put the coconut oil into a bowl and if it’s still a little solid, use a masher to mash it up.

Add the sugar and stir in using a spatula.

Add the zest of two lemons and 20-30 drops of bergamot essential oil (or the essential oil of your choice). Bergamot is a great choice as it’s not quite got the same punch as other citrus fruits and pairs really well with the coconut.

Fill the jars to the top and make some cute tags to put on them:

I would also recommend writing on the back of the tags so people would know what’s in the jar and how to use it:

Tie the tags on with some string et voila!

What do you think? Are you convinced by homemade beauty products? I’m not sure this is a gift for everyone but I know lots of my friends are big into natural remedies so it’s just perfect. Let me know if you give it a go! xS