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Homemade Essential Oil Body Scrub

You can make an essential oil body scrub to exfoliate your skin and leave it feeling smooth and refreshed. This article offers a variety of sugar and salt scrub recipes (and one coffee scrub).

Jar containing essential oil body scrub.

First, a few basics. All body scrubs, including ones you buy, contain three main ingredients:

  • An exfoliant to mechanically remove dead skin cells. Four common exfoliants are salt, sugar, ground coffee, and oatmeal. Other possible exfoliants include almond meal, buckwheat, cornmeal, flax meal (linseeds), ground nut shells, rice bran, and wheat bran.
  • A carrier oil, such as almond, coconut, grapeseed, jojoba, olive, sunflower, or walnut.
  • Fragrance. A store-bought product might contain artificial fragrance, but what you want is genuine essential oils.

Basic Instructions for Using Body Scrubs

 To use these scrubs, follow these basic instructions and enjoy:

  • Don't use scrubs on broken or sensitive skin or on your legs right after you shave them.
  • Use the scrub in the shower or standing in the tub.
  • Use the scrub on clean, damp skin.
  • Apply scrub gently in circular motions, moving from the extremities towards the center of your body.
  • Rinse off the scrub with warm water. Caution: Shower floor will become slippery.
  • Gently pat your skin dry.
  • Moisturize your skin, if needed. Some of these body scrub recipes are already moisturizing.

Click here for foot scrub recipes.

Essential Oils for Body Scrubs

You can choose essential oils for body scrubs to suit your personal preference, as long as you dilute the essential oils appropriately and avoid skin-irritating oils. Common choices include lavender, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, peppermint, rosemary, roman chamomile, and tea tree.

A one to three percent dilution is generally safe, depending on the essential oils you use, your sensitivity to them, and how strong you want the scent. Guidelines:

  • 1% = 6 drops essential oil in 6 teaspoons (2 tablespoons) oil
  • 2% = 12 drops essential oil in 2 tablespoons oil
  • 3% = 18 drops essential oil in 2 tablespoons oil

Example: If a recipe contains 1/3 cup (about 16 teaspoons) oil, and you want a 2% dilution, you can add up to 32 drops essential oil.

Essential Oil Body Scrub Recipes With Salt

These scrubs are for body use only. Do not use them on your face.

Sea Salt Body Scrub

  • 2/3 cup fine sea salt
  • 1/3 cup unscented shampoo or bath or castile soap
  • 1/3 cup jojoba oil
  • 16 to 32 drops essential oil(s) of your choice 
  • Clean, dark glass jar with lid
  1. Gently stir together the salt, shampoo, and jojoba oil in a small bowl.
  2. Stir in the essential oil. 
  3. Pour the scrub into the jar. Store in a cool, dry place.
  4. Use as desired.

Invigorating Ginger Salt Scrub

  • 1/4 cup sea salt 
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal 
  • 1/3 cup carrier oil
  • 2 drops ginger essential oil
  • 3 drops rosemary essential oil
  • 4 drops peppermint essential oil
  1. Mix salt and cornmeal.
  2. Warm the carrier oil.
  3. Combine the warmed oil with the essential oils. Mix oils into dry ingredients. 
  4. Use immediately.

Coffee Body Scrub

  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 cup ground coffee
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 drops peppermint essential oil
  • 8 drops orange essential oil
  • 8 drops grapefruit essential oil
  • 1/3 cup carrier oil
  1. Mix the salt, coffee, cinnamon, and essential oils in a glass bowl. 
  2. Add carrier oil slowly, stirring continuously, until the consistency of the mixture is like moist sand (you may not use all the carrier oil or may need slightly more).
  3. Use.

Source: Homemade Gifts Made Easy

Healthy Lymph Scrub

Use this blend to support your lymphatic system.

  • 12 drops bay laurel essential oil
  • 7 drops grapefruit essential oil
  • 1 cup fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup jojoba oil

Source: Floracopeia

Aromatherapy Body Scrubs With Sugar

Chocolate-Peppermint Sugar Scrub

  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
  • 1 tablespoon carrier oil
  • 1/4 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 2 to 10 drops peppermint essential oil, depending on how strong you want the scrub

Blend all ingredients and use immediately.

Lavender Honey Aromatherapy Body Scrub

  • 1⁄2 cup cane sugar
  • 1 tablespoon carrier oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 to 4 drops lavender essential oil

Put the ingredients in a glass jar and stir well. If needed, adjust the amount of carrier oil or sugar to get the consistency you want.

To use, gently rub a small amount on your skin. Use warm water to rinse well.

Source: Nerdy Farm Wife

Orange and Peppermint Essential Oil Sugar Scrub Recipe

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 12 drops orange essential oil
  • 6 drops peppermint essential oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  1. Place sugar in a bowl. Add essential oils and stir until oils are well combined with sugar.
  2. Melt the coconut oil.
  3. Stir olive oil into the coconut oil.
  4. Slowly add the oil to the sugar mixture, stirring constantly until well blended.
  5. Carefully put the scrub in a glass container of your choice.

Adapted from Amy Loves It

Frankincense and Orange Sugar Scrub

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup carrier oil
  • 8 drops orange essential oil
  • 6 drops frankincense essential oil

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. You can adjust the amount of oil to create a consistency you like.

Brown Sugar Essential Oil Body Scrub

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons carrier oil
  • 10 to 15 drops essential oil(s) of your choice

Blend all ingredients and use immediately.


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