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Brown Sugar Body Scrub

I have always been obsessed with soft skin, but I used to put all my money and energy into lotions and creams. After trying an amazing body scrub from Lush, I realized that a sugar scrub can be just as effective!! That’s what inspired me to make my own brown sugar body scrub.

image of a brown sugar body scrub made in a mason jar

This body scrub uses two of my favorite baking ingredients, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Both ingredients truly make this body scrub feel like a treat.

It’s like dessert-inspired self-care, and that’s a concept I can get behind.

While this brown sugar body scrub is edible, I don’t suggest eating it. It’s really meant to be just a treat for your skin 😛

What Are The Benefits of Using a Brown Sugar Body Scrub?

Using a sugar body scrub does a lot of great things for your skin. It exfoliates your skin by removing dead skin cells, which leaves your skin feelings super soft.

Sugar body scrubs also remove dirt and excess oil from your skin and help stimulate circulation.

image of a vanilla brown sugar body scrub on a spoon showing its sugar granules

While this brown sugar body scrub does get rid of dirt and dead skin cells, it doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils the way some body wash or soaps can.

The olive oil and vitamin E help hydrate your skin and leave it feeling moisturized and supple.

What Type of Sugar Should You Use In A Body Scrub?

When making a sugar body scrub, most people use brown, pure cane, and/or turbinado sugar. Each sugar has different characteristics and some people prefer specific types of sugar based on their skin needs.

I enjoy using mostly brown sugar with a bit of turbinado. However, you can adjust the ratio and type of sugar you use as you see fit.

I love using brown sugar because of its amazing smell, and because I have quite sensitive skin. Brown sugar is the least abrasive of these three sugars because its sugar granules are smaller.

This allows you to exfoliate with it up to 4 times a week.

image of dark brown sugar in bowl showing how soft it is

Pure cane sugar or unrefined white sugar is slightly more abrasive than brown sugar, but usually works well for all types of skin.

Turbinado or raw sugar has the largest sugar granules and does the best job exfoliating. It also is the least processed of these types of sugar so it contains more essential minerals.

image of turbinado sugar in bowl showing how large its granules of sugar are

However, because it’s more abrasive it should be used slightly less frequently (2 times a week) to avoid skin irritation.

What Type of Oil Should You Use In A Body Scrub?

Similar to sugar, there are a lot of different oils you can use to make a sugar body scrub.

I personally am a big fan of olive oil because I always have some on hand and it does such a wonderful job hydrating my skin.

image of a bottle of olive oil

However, other popular oils used in sugar body scrubs include apricot oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, hazelnut oil, hemp seed oil, sesame oil and sweet almond oil.

Each oil has different benefits for your skin, but all of them will leave your skin feeling softer and smoother.

You can also mix and match the oils you use, so feel free to use whatever type(s) of oil works best for your skin.

How Should I Use This Brown Sugar Body Scrub?

You can use this brown sugar scrub in the shower or during a bath. I recommend using it at the end of your shower or bath, when your skin is easier to exfoliate.

Take about a tablespoon of the body scrub in your fingers and rub it in a circular motion on your skin. Gently wash the sugar scrub off off your body then enjoy your silky smooth skin!

image of a spoonful of a DIY body sugar scrub

How Should I Store This Brown Sugar Body Scrub?

I love storing this sugar scrub in a sealable glass container like a mason jar. Any container with a lid should work well though!

This brown sugar scrub stays good for up to a month, but I find that I usually run out of a batch after about 3 weeks. I like to exfoliate with it 3-4 times a week, and use heaping tablespoon each time that I do.

image of a brown sugar body scrub made in a mason jar

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this brown sugar body scrub, I’d love to hear what think of it! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment.

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Yield: 1 cup

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

image of a brown sugar body scrub made in a mason jar

This brown sugar body scrub smells like heaven is so easy to make! It's an amazing natural exfoliator that makes your skin baby soft.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

Instructions

    1. Place 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup of turbinado sugar in a small glass container and gradually mix in 3 Tbsp olive oil.
    2. Stir in 1 tsp of vanilla extract. The consistency should have a sandy texture.
    3. Seal the container with a lid and use at the end of a shower or bath. Take about a Tbsp of body scrub in your fingers and rub it in a circular motion on your body.
    4. Rinse the scrub off fully then enjoy your silky smooth skin!

Notes

This brown sugar scrub stays good for about 1 month. I recommend using it a few times a week for best results.

You can also add in a fews of vitamin E oil and/or your favorite essential oil.

Nutrition Information

Yield

1

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 1064Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 34gCholesterol 0mgSodium 52mgCarbohydrates 180gFiber 0gSugar 178gProtein 0g

Sadie

Saturday 8th of July 2023

I left out the vanilla and subbed in some other essential oils for a less sweet fragrance, and I love it! Great consistency/texture and it smells so good!! Thank you so much for sharing, Chelsey!!!

Chelsweets

Sunday 9th of July 2023

Hi Sadie,

So happy to hear that!!! It sounds like it turned out amazing ? Thank you for sharing!!

Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub | Little Paula Deen

Tuesday 9th of July 2013

[…] been hooked on sugar scrubs since I made my my first sugar scrub (Vanilla Brown Sugar) last fall. When I stumbled across this Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub, I thought it would be perfect for […]

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