We are about a month into summer, which means by now we have all been in and out of pools and sprinklers…spending hours upon hours in the hot sun. There is nothing I love more! My skin, however, it’s starting to show some of that summer wear and tear. Whenever my skin needs some extra TLC, I turn to sugar scrubs! They are SO easy and affordable…and I usually have all the ingredients I need in my pantry. The Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub is one of my all time favorites! Coconut oil is an incredible moisturizer and sugar is an wonderful, gentle exfoliant. Lime essential oil has an amazing aroma that is refreshing, rejuvenating and revitalizing. I dare you to smell a lime and not feel instantly uplifted! Lime also has antiseptic, disinfectant and astringent properties.
Making a sugar scrub is amazingly easy. All you have to do is place some coconut oil in a glass bowl and microwave it for about 45 seconds. The amount of time in the microwave may vary, depending on where you live and the temperature in your house. Next add some granulated sugar. Plain white sugar works great! Add in a few drops of your essential oil and stir until you reach the consistency you like. It’s really a matter of preference. I usually start with a 2:1 (sugar:oil) ratio and then modify it from there. Adding some lime zest gives the sugar scrub a nice pop color…which is especially nice if you decide to make extra to give as a gift! I love putting my homemade sugar scrub in a jar. Any old jar will work, but here is a jar similar to the one pictured below.
Coconut Lime Sugar
Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 drops Lime essential oil
Optional: Lime zest
Directions:
Place coconut oil in a glass bowl and microwave it for about 45 seconds.
Add in sugar and lime essential oil. Stir to combine, adding more oil until you reach your desired consistency. Makes about 3/4 cup sugar scrub (6 oz).
You can store this at room temperature for several weeks…I keep mine in the shower and use it 2-3 times per week!
TIP:
Why is it important to use essential oil and not Lime juice?
Normal adult skin is somewhat acidic, having an approximate pH range of 4 to 6. Acids with pH levels of 3 or below can be very irritating to the skin. Lime juice has a pH of roughly 2.3…exposing your skin to an acidic substances can make it more vulnerable to irritation and infection, including acne…plus it’s STICKY!
1/4 Cup of Coconut Oil: $1.50
1/2 Cup of Granulated Sugar: $0.12
5 Drops of Lime Essential Oil: $0.54Total Cost: $2.16
A 9 oz. jar of Body Scrub from The Body Shop runs $20. Eminence sells one for $38. Either way, the cost and amount of time put into making this Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub make it 100% worth it in my book!
If you love this post, be sure to check out this homemade lemon exfoliator and this homemade facial cleaner with lemon and honey! Your skin will LOVE you forever if you do!
We love lime and coconut at our house so can’t wait to try this scrub!!!
I am so glad! Lime and coconut is one of my very favorite flavor combinations too!
Tried this scrub this weekend…..Easy and fun. I used epsom salts instead of sugar, seemed to work just fine. HOLY SOFT! The coconut oil is amazing and I am beyond wowed at how good this made my skin feel.
Thank you for this idea.
Love it! =)
Glad you liked it! I will try using epsom salts with it next time.
LOVE this recipe! I thought I’d mention that you’re not suppose to microwave coconut oil. It destroys some of it’s beneficial properties that way. Just in case you didn’t know.
Can you smell the coconut in this scrub or is the scent mainly lime?
Love the ph and cost breakdown info. Awesome research! Especilly for the esthetician in me.