Sarah Blooms.

Condition and exfoliate skin naturally with these Cheap and Easy Basic DIY Sugar Scrubs and customization tips perfect to get you started with DIY skincare!

I love sugar scrubs! 

I use sugar scrub at least once per week and up to 3 times per week when my skin needs extra care, such as in the coldest part of winter when my skin tends to really dry out. 

When you use sugar scrub as much as I do, you don’t want to spend premium prices on store bought natural scrubs, especially when you probably have many, if not all, of the ingredients in your house right now.

When made at home, body scrubs are a cheap, easy way to pamper yourself and make your skin feel fresh and invigorated. 

For more awesome scrub recipes, check out the following:

Conditioning and Deodorizing DIY Lemonade Hand Scrub

7 Fresh and Fruity Salt Scrubs to Invigorate Your Self-Care Routine

10 DIY Herbal Salt Scrubs for Super Rough and Calloused Skin

14 DIY Sugar Scrub Recipes Perfect for Fall

20 DIY Holiday Sugar Scrubs Perfect for Gift Giving

Pin for Later!

Why Use a Body Scrub?

Skin cells replace themselves every 30-40 days. 

Most cells fall off on their own, but some skin cells need our help.  When dead skin cells accumulate on the skin, your skin can appear dull and flaky. 

I like to use body scrubs regularly to exfoliate and rejuvenate my skin to reveal fresh, healthy, glowing skin.  

Body scrubs have many benefits:  they unclog pores, promote healthy and fast turnover of skin cells, even skin tone, purify pores of toxins and dirt, and balance oil production.  

Exfoliation opens pores and allows the oils in the scrub to absorb into the skin to moisturize and condition skin for a more radiant youthful glow. 

Scrubs are also beneficial in combating keratosis pilaris, those little bumps that may accumulate on the backs of your arms and on your thighs caused by plugged hair follicles.  

When I use conditioning body scrubs regularly, my skin is always ready to be on display – no more embarrassing rough spots!

Benefits of Sugar

Sugar contains glycolic acid, which is in the alpha hydroxy acid family, which means that sugar helps to remove dead skin cells, allowing skin to regenerate more quickly for a more youthful appearance. 

Sugar is also a natural humectant, which means it pulls moisture from the air and into your skin. 

Since sugar consists of round granules, sugar scrub is gentler than salt scrub, which has angled granules with sharp edges. 

This makes sugar scrub great for your face (especially brown sugar) and for sensitive skin. 

This also means you can use sugar scrubs more often – up to 2-3 times per week – instead of once per week (at most) recommended for salt scrubs. 

Salt granules are hard and angular, which can actually cause microscopic tears in skin. 

Don’t count salt scrubs out completely!  They have their place and their benefits. 

Read more about salt scrubs in 10 Moisturizing DIY Herbal Salt Scrubs for Super Rough and Calloused Skin.

Sugar Types

Does it matter which sugar you use? 

Not really.  Your skin will reap benefits no matter what type of sugar you use. 

However, there are a few minor differences that you should keep in mind, in order to get the most benefit for your skin type. 

brown sugar

Brown sugar is my favorite sugar to use in body scrubs. 

This sugar type is refined evaporated cane sugar with molasses added back into the sugar for flavoring. 

Brown sugar has the smallest, finest granules of any sugar type, which means it offers the gentlest exfoliation, making it great for your face and for sensitive skin. 

The molasses in brown sugar is high in B Vitamins, which is an antioxidant that helps protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays.

white sugar

White sugar is the most refined sugar, since it is bleached so much, but its granules are still a little larger than brown sugar granules. 

This means white sugar isn’t the best choice for face scrubs.  

White sugar is a good choice for a body scrub, though it won’t have the added benefits of the glycolic acid in brown sugar.

pure cane sugar

Pure cane sugar is slightly less refined than white sugar.  Its light brown color indicates a small amount of molasses is present. 

This is my favorite sugar for consumption because I like the faint molasses taste, but for a body scrub, it is pretty much the same as white sugar.

Between this type and white sugar, I would just go with whatever you have on hand. 

The granules in this sugar may be slightly larger than white sugar, but I think the difference is negligible for body scrubs.

turbinado sugar

Turbinado sugar is raw sugar like Sugar in the Raw. 

This sugar is less refined than the previous two sugars and consists of large, coarse sugar granules, which is great for a more abrasive scrub to remove thicker skin on rough areas like elbows and feet. 

Salt scrubs are also great for these areas.

Tips for Applying Body Scrubs

Apply scrubs in a circular motion, which helps release ingrown hairs, instead of a back and forth motion, which may be too abrasive.  

Your skin should not be red, irritated, bruised, or dry after you use a body scrub, and if you see such changes after use, make sure your skin isn’t sensitive to the ingredients in the scrubs and you’re not using too much pressure while applying the scrub.  

You can use exfoliating gloves or a wash cloth if you like, but keep in mind, these tools may irritate sensitive skin. 

I like to use my hands and just scoop the scrub out of the jar with a spoon or my hands and rub the scrub all over my body. 

Be careful not to let the scrub get into more delicate areas, such as your groin, since even gentle sugar scrubs will tend to irritate this very sensitive skin.

Basic Sugar Scrubs 

In the sugar scrub recipes below, the exfoliating sugar does a great job removing dead skin.  

Because sugar is so gentle on skin, you can use these scrubs up to 2-3 times per week.  

My favorite oil to use for body care right now is raw virgin or extra virgin coconut oil.  

I also included a scrub recipe with a different oil for those of you who prefer oils like sweet almond, grapeseed, and olive oils and because it’s a good idea to change up the body scrubs once in awhile to offer skin additional benefits of varied ingredients. 

Coconut oil hardens in cooler temperatures (around 74-76 degrees F).  This is no problem, since the warmth of your body and the shower will melt the oil almost instantly.

Please Note:  Since these sugar scrubs are all natural and don’t contain any preservatives, I recommend using them within 2 months.  If your scrub does get funky, don’t throw it away – these all natural ingredients can be composted!

Essential Oil Warnings

I love to use essential oils in my homemade skincare recipes.

While essential oils are optional for these recipes, I recommend them for their therapeutic benefit, as long as your skin isn’t too sensitive.

Some essential oils that are great for body scrubs include lavender (calming), peppermint (invigorating), chamomile (anti-inflammatory), and geranium (anti-aging).

A word of caution: Please be extremely careful using essential oils around pets, especially cats!

Essential oils can be toxic to animals. Please consult your veterinarian before using essential oils in your home, and never diffuse essential oils around pets.

Also, be careful using citrus essential oils. Most citrus essential oils are phototoxic, meaning they can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and prone to sun damage.

Phototoxic essential oils include:

• Bergamot essential oil
• Grapefruit essential oil
• Bitter orange essential oil
• Cold-pressed lemon essential oil
• Cold-pressed lime essential oil

Since these oils can cause serious burns in sunlight, either stay out of the sun after you use a phototoxic oil, or use steam distilled versions, which are not photosensitive.

Basic Moisturizing Brown Sugar Scrub

Here is the basic body scrub recipe on which I base my other recipes.  

This scrub is great for people with extra sensitive skin that can’t tolerate added ingredients like essential oils.  

My skin responds very well to coconut oil (unrefined has a nice coconut scent), but you can replace it with another oil, such as almond oil or olive oil, if you prefer.  

If your skin isn’t too sensitive, you can add 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil to this scrub.

Ingredient List:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 15-20 drops essential oil (optional)
• Wide-mouth mason jar

Instructions: Combine ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Store in a wide-mouth mason jar for easy access, and use any time your skin needs a little love.

Simple Cleansing Sugar Scrub

I love Dr. Bronner’s Organic Pure-Castile Soap!  

I use it as my main body wash and in various ways all over my house, including natural cleaning and pest control!  

This cleansing body scrub is super fast and simple to make and holds all the benefits of Dr. Bronner’s with added exfoliation from pure cane sugar. 

The Castile soap in this scrub will make your skin feel fresh and moisturized, and there won’t be as much oil left on your skin as scrubs sans soap. 

Ingredient List:

• Pure Cane Sugar
• Grapeseed Oil
• Liquid Castile Soap
• Essential Oil (Optional) – only if using unscented Castile soap.
• Wide-mouth mason jar

Instructions: Combine ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Store in a wide-mouth mason jar for easy access, and use any time your skin needs a little love.

These Basic Sugar Scrubs are the basis for all my sugar scrub recipes in the links listed below. 

These Basic Sugar Scrubs are great as-is and fun to build on to create your own scents to enhance your shower experience. 

What do you think of these Quick and Easy Basic Sugar Scrubs?  Do you regularly use body scrubs to condition and exfoliate your skin?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

more great scrub recipes:

Conditioning and Deodorizing DIY Lemonade Hand Scrub

7 Fresh and Fruity Salt Scrubs to Invigorate Your Self-Care Routine

10 DIY Herbal Salt Scrubs for Super Rough and Calloused Skin

14 DIY Sugar Scrub Recipes Perfect for Fall

20 DIY Holiday Sugar Scrubs Perfect for Gift Giving

more self-care tips:

12 Natural Ways to Increase Your Energy and Feel Amazing

14 Surprising Ways Sea Salt is Much Healthier Than Table Salt

20 Easy Ways to Drink More Water Every Day

20 Simple Ways to Boost Your Metabolism and Lose Weight

30 Best Clean Eating Soup Recipes for Better Immunity

pin for later:

SaveSave