30 DIY Face Scrubs and Body Exfoliants
Skin Poll
Chances are next time you eat a healthy snack, you can save some of the ingredients or even the scraps for making yourself a face scrub or body exfoliant! Among the scrub ingredients are honey, sugar, bananas, strawberries, avocado, mango, used coffee grounds, sea salt, milk, and oatmeal. They are all natural and cheap, especially if you plan to buy these foods anyway.
I designed these 30 scrub recipes for two reasons:
First, I found that most of the scrub recipes online called for adding essential oils or too many ingredients, which can be expensive to someone on a budget, especially a person who is just experimenting with making a suitable beauty product for the first time. Finally, most of the DIY scrub recipes online do not tell readers what skin types the recipes are suitable for. For example, you would not want to use acidy foods on sensitive skin, or coconut oil on acne-prone skin.
In response, my formulas use a few food ingredients only that you can pick up at the grocery store or farmer's market. In addition, my scrub recipes are categorized into three skin types: normal, oily, and combination; dry skin; and sensitive skin. Some of these scrub recipes are quite cheap because they require only common, everyday cupboard foods -- some which you might already have on hand.
Normal, Oily, or Combination Skin
1. Grated Orange Peel and Honey Face Scrub
Orange peels contain high amounts of Vitamin C, and honey has been used for thousands of years as an antibacterial skin agent, which in turn helps unclog pores.
Recipe:
- Grate one organic orange, placing the peel into a bowl. (Save the fruit aside for a snack!). The orange oils you feel on your fingers as you grate the peel will not clog your pores.
- Two tablespoons of unpasturized raw honey, or regular honey if you have none
- Enough water to make it spreadable
Mix all ingredients with a small spoon. Gently rub onto face, avoiding the eye area. You will smell the scent of orange as your fingers release the oils from the peel. Rinse face off with warm water.
2. Banana Brown Sugar
Light brown sugar has the perfect granular texture for skin scrubbing, and banana delivers anti-aging B vitamins.
Recipe:
- 1-inch piece of very ripe banana, thoroughly mashed (no lumps)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar.
Mix all ingredients with a fork. Gently apply to face. Thoroughly rinse off.
3. Strawberry Sugar Face Scrub
The seeds in strawberries provide an excellent exfoliating texture, as does the sugar. This scrub will leave your skin feeling refreshed and clean! Strawberries also work as an astringent on your skin due to the acid in them.
Recipe:
- 1 very ripe strawberry, (green removed), mashed with a mortar and pestle. You will want to crush the seeds to get more exfoliating power out of them.
- 1 tablespoon white sugar.
Mix the two ingredients with a fork. Apply to skin in a light, circular motion. Rinse face with cool water for a zing and to make pores tighter.
4. Coffee Grounds and Pumpkin
Caffeine in coffee grounds gets skin circulation going, and pumpkin provides a soothing medium for exfoliation.
Recipe
- 2 tablespoons canned 100% pure pumpkin (place the rest in the fridge for pie or dessert bread!)
- 2 tablespoons used grounds from your coffee maker.
Mix together with a fork. Apply to face in swirling motions. Rinse.
5. Cucumber Yogurt Face Scrub
This might be the most refreshing, cleansing, and cooling scrub you ever try.
Recipe
- Finely grate the peel of half a cucumber along a hand grater. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the recipe.
- 1 tablespoon yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried dill weed
- Squeeze a few cucumber slices in your hands to get cucumber juice, making just enough juice to make the mixture spreadable.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Apply to face in a circular motion. You can leave the scrub on your face a few minutes to draw more of the cooling properties into your skin. Rinse off. For an extra treat for your skin, lightly rub a few cucumber slices onto your face as a post-scrub toner.
6. Dark Brown Sugar
This is one of the cheapest scrubs you can use, great for when you're on a budget but you don't want to sacrifice your beauty! Dark brown sugar has more moisture than light brown sugar, so it is easy to work with as an exfoliant.
Recipe
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- Enough water to make a paste
Mix the two ingredients. It is that simple! Apply gently to face, massaging it into your skin. Rinse.
Note: Keep the package of dark brown sugar in an air-tight plastic bag in a cabinet. Some people make the mistake of refrigerating it, which will make the sugar hard. New packages of brown sugar often have expiration dates of two years. So if you buy a bag of it, you can have two years worth of face scrub for about $2.50!
7. Crushed Raw Almond and Banana Face Scrub
Bananas have soothing properties on skin, and almonds deliver good doses of Vitamin E.
Recipe
- Crush 5 slivered or sliced almonds finely with a mortar and pestle.
- 1-inch slice very ripe banana
Mix the two ingredients. Add a small amount of water if your paste is a little too thick. Massage into skin. Rinse off thoroughly.
8. Coarse Sea Salt and Water Body Exfoliant
This is another bargain basement beauty solution. This recipe is for your body, since the granules in coarse sea salt are larger, which the face can be too sensitive for. Most people prefer to use body exfoliants on areas that are more likely to have acne issues, such as the back and upper shoulders.
Recipe
- 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
- Water
Combine just enough to make the mixture spreadable. Massage into skin to slough off dead cells. Rinse.
9. Mango Skin and Honey
This scrub is ideal to make next time you plan to eat a mango. In this recipe we will utilize the skin that is normally discarded. Mango delivers Vitamins A and C to your skin and nourishing honey rejuvenates it.
Recipe
- Slice off the skin of an organic mango. It's okay to have some of the fruit still attached to it. Place the peel in a food processor and pulse it until the peel has a grated texture.
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
Mix all ingredients into a paste. Apply to face in a swirling motion with fingers. Rinse off with warm water.
10. Turbinado Sugar Body Exfoliant
This is the mother of all body scrubs. Turbinado sugar -- also called raw sugar -- consists of very large granules, which is ideal for exfoliating the back and thick-skinned areas like feet.
Recipe
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
Mix the two ingredients. Massage into skin. Rinse off.
11. Apple Peel and Apple Sauce
If you like to eat apples, then you might like them on your skin too!
Recipe
- Grate the skin off of any kind of apple and set aside. It's okay if it turns brown.
- Slice the apple into quarters and discard the seeds and harder core area.
- Lightly boil or steam the apple until it is soft.
- Mash the apple and let it cool. You can place it in the freezer for 10 minutes to speed up the process.
- Add a dash of cinnamon and add the peel back in.
Lightly rub the scrub on your face, taking care to use the grated apple peel for scrubbing action. Rinse clean. This scrub is a little less coarse than some of the granular scrubs. So if your skin has a tendency to be a little sensitive sometimes, this scrub will still feel soothing.
12. Oatmeal and Honey Face Scrub
Antibacterial honey and gentle oatmeal slough off dead skin and won't clog pores.
Recipe
- 2 tablespoons uncooked whole oats
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Water to make paste
Combine all ingredients, carefully adding drops of water to make a paste of spreadable consistency. Apply this scrub as soon as you mix it so the oats don't get soft. Rinse clean with warm water.
13. Celery Seed, Dill, and Yogurt
This might sound like a dip, but celery seed is antibiotic and antiseptic, and dill and yogurt are cooling to the skin. Celery seed is one of those foods that tends to get forgotten in the back of the spice cupboard. Try this recipe to help use it up!
Recipe
- 1 teaspoon celery seed, crushed finely with mortar and pestle
- 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
Mix all ingredients. Apply in a circular motion to face. Thoroughly rinse off.
14. Sweet Potato and Brown Sugar
Sweet potato is loaded with Vitamin A, and brown sugar transfers AHAs to your skin, giving you a radiant glow.
Recipe
- Cut a sweet potato in half and store half of it away for future use.
- Take the other half of the sweet potato and boil it until soft.
- When no longer hot, peel the skin off and eat or discard.
- Mash the sweet potato and bring to room temperature, freezing for ten minutes to speed up the process.
- Combine the cooled, mashed sweet potato with 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
Massage face with mixture. Rinse off immediately so that the color in the sweet potato does not leave an orange stain on your skin.
15. Oat Bran and Milk
Oat Bran is not only good for your health but is gentle on the skin too. Milk, in addition, has skin-tone evening properties. Milk can also be used to help whiten skin, which has been done for thousands of years.
Recipe
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons uncooked oat bran
Mix the oat bran into the milk and immediately apply to the face. Rinse with lukewarm water.
16. Apricot and Sunflower Seed
The antioxidants in apricots help reduce inflammation. Sunflower seeds are chock-full of Vitamin E.
Recipe
- Remove the skin, seed, and inner fibrous core from an apricot. Slice the apricot into chunks.
- Boil the apricot with 2 teaspoons of sugar in a small saucepan.
- When the apricot is soft, drain the water and mash the apricot. Let cool to room temperature.
- Grind two tablespoons raw sunflower kernels with a mortar and pestle.
Combine apricot mixture and sunflower kernels with a fork. Massage into face in a circular motion. Rinse immediately with cool water.
17. Carrot Sugar Applesauce
The carotene, soothing apple, and sloughing properties of sugar combine to make a skin softening scrub a beautician would be jealous of.
Recipe
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- Small grated carrot
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
Mix all ingredients. Light rub on face. Rinse off quickly with cool water.
18. Baking Soda and Water
This is another really cheap solution. Almost everyone has baking soda around because it is so versatile.
Recipe
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- Enough water to make a paste
Mix the two ingredients. Massage onto face, especially T-zone areas. Rinse with cool water. While face is still wet, apply moisturizer to seal moisture in.
Dry Skin
If you have dry skin that isn't prone to pimples, you're actually in luck, because nature provides a host of fatty foods that are beneficial to your skin!
19. Olive oil and Almond
The healthy fats in both olive oil and almonds will leave you radiant!
Recipe
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 5 sliced almonds, finely ground with mortar and pestle
Mix ingredients. Gently rub onto face, making circular motions with your fingers. Rinse off with lukewarm water.
20. Avocado and Sea Salt
Avocado is stuffed with Vitamin E and healthy fatty acids. Sea salt reveals fresh skin underneath.
Recipe
- 1/2 avocado mashed (eat the other half!)
- 1/4 cup coarse sea salt.
Combine these ingredients into a paste. Very gently and slowly massage your face. Rinse off skin with lukewarm water.
21. Sesame Oil and Sesame Seed
This is a great recipe that utilizes the gentle power of natural fatty acids to nourish and slough your skin.
Recipe
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, crushed with mortar and pestle
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil.
Mix the two ingredients. Apply to skin in a massaging motion. Rinse with lukewarm water.
22. Sunflower Oil and Turbinado Sugar Body Exfoliant
Scrub your body to deliciousness with this recipe.
Recipe
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
Combine ingredients and massage onto body, especially areas of very dry skin. Allow the oil to linger on your skin after you've scrubbed. Rinse with lukewarm water.
23. Creamy Mayo Sea Salt
Coarse sea salt works for this recipe because fine sea salt will disintegrate into the mayo.
Recipe
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
Mix the two ingredients. Very gently massage into the skin on your face. Rinse with cool water.
24. Peppermint Sugar Face Scrub
This smells cool and delicious -- you will be tempted to eat it!
Recipe
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon leaves from unused peppermint tea bag.
Mix all ingredients. You will want to use this scrub while the coconut oil is in a solid state. So refrigerate this before use. Softly rub mixture onto skin and rinse with cool water.
25. Pomegranate Coconut
If you like the zing of pomegranate seeds, you will love how they feel on your face mixed with coconut oil and sugar!
Recipe
- 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds, crushed with mortar and pestle
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate until solid. Massage into face. Quickly rinse with lukewarm water.
26. Olive Oil and Walnut
Making a dry skin scrub is quite simple, as this two-ingredient, rich recipe illustrates. The olive you should use is one of high enough quality that you will want to eat with as well.
Recipe
- 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
- 4 raw walnuts, crushed with mortar and pestle.
Combine ingredients. Apply with circular motion onto face. Rinse with cool water.
Sensitive Skin
27. Banana Oatmeal
If B-vitamin rich banana and skin softening oats are already in your cupboard, whipping this recipe up is easy as pie!
Recipe
- 1-inch slice very ripe banana, mashed (no lumps)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons white sugar
Mix. Massage onto skin. Rinse with cool water.
28. Mild Milk and Sugar
Almost everyone has milk and sugar! If you're looking for cheap and soft on skin ingredients, you've found your scrub!
Recipe
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- Enough milk to make a grainy paste
Mix. Use quickly to skin to prevent it from dissolving. Softly massage skin on face and rinse with cool water.
29. Honey and Dark Brown Sugar Body Exfoliant
Honey is well-known as being gentle to human skin. Spread your beauty dollar with this healthy skin recipe.
Recipe
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons honey
Mix. Gently rub onto skin. Rinse off with lukewarm water. If you find you want a more coarse granule for this scrub, you can substitute turbinado sugar.
30. Yogurt Oatmeal Face Scrub
The healing properties of oatmeal and the cooling properties of yogurt combine to make the ultimate gentle exfoliant.
Recipe
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 3 tablespoons uncooked plain oats
Lightly mix ingredients. Quickly use. Apply to face in a gentle scrubbing motion. Rinse with cool water.
FYI for this Hub's DIY
Beauty should be fun, be let's heed some advice before starting:
- It is best to test a small area of skin with the finished product to make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients.
- On recipes in which you utilize the peel of any produce, it is advised to use go organic. This way you will not have any harmful pesticide residue in your mixture.
- Be aware that foods such as pumpkin, sweet potato, apricot, and carrot can temporarily stain skin because of the carotene content in them. If you have darker African-American or Indian skin, the stain will be much less pronounced or not visible at all.
- Consult a doctor for skin issues or before initiating a regimen with any of these recipes.
Comments
Nell Rose from Buckinghamshire UK on September 30, 2017:
Great advice, and photos!
Life and Luxury (author) from South Beach, FL on September 22, 2015:
Thanks kanwal625. Enjoy!
kanwal625 on September 21, 2015:
I think I am going to try the grated orange peel and honey mask. Honey is really good for the skin, but I haven't tried it with orange. thanks for the recipe.
Life and Luxury (author) from South Beach, FL on September 20, 2015:
Glad you like my recipes. Let me know how they worked for you.
Marianne on September 20, 2015:
I am going to try the pumpkin scrub and also the pomegranate one. This article makes me hungry too BTW. Thanks for the advice.
