DIY Sugar Scrub Recipe (Easy Homemade Body Scrub)

This easy DIY Sugar Scrub leaves skin soft and smooth using just sugar, oil, and optional essential oils. It’s inexpensive, customizable, and made without questionable additives found in many store-bought scrubs.

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite DIY personal care products of all time–a Homemade Sugar Scrub. Unlike most store-bought scrubs, it has no chemical additives and costs far less than store-bought scrubs.

In order to keep as many toxins out of our homes and off of our bodies, I try to make as many homemade personal care items as possible.

My First Sugar Scrub

I'd never tried a scrub until I was at an antique car show where a woman was selling beauty products and offering free scrub demonstrations.

Hesitatingly, I tried the scrub, feeling skeptical (I'm pretty skeptical about a lot of things….see my post on Are Essential Oils a Scam? ~ A Skeptic Looks at Thieves Oil for an example).

I wondered what the big deal was.

Well, I tried it and really loved how my hands felt and looked after rubbing that scrub all over my hands and rinsing it off.  Smooth and revitalized and younger-looking.

However, I didn't like the price or the ingredients.

I looked online to verify what the “incriminating ingredients” were, and though the exact product I tried isn't there any longer, get a look at the list on one of their comparable products:

Ingredients in Store Bought Sugar Scrub

• butylene glycol
• sodium methyl cocoyl taurate
• polyacrylamide
• C13-14 Isoparaffin
• Laureth-7
• Fragrance (who knows what's really in that, but it almost always means artificial fragrance)
• DMDM Hydantoin
• Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

And the price was $16.00 (marked down from $18.00) for only 6 oz.

There had to be a cheaper and less toxic way to get smooth skin.

Fast forward several years.

One day, a sweet friend from church gave me a handmade sugar scrub and I loved it so much that I decided to learn how to make my own.

Why You’ll Love This Sugar Scrub

This sugar scrub is great for so many reasons. It's

• inexpensive
• customizable
• a super easy gift
• moisturizing
• made with simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry
• no questionable ingredients
• no wasteful packaging

How Much Can You Save Making DIY Sugar Scrubs?

Here's an outline of the money savings, based on prices at the time this post was originally published:

• Granulated sugar is $2.68 for 5 lb at Aldi (that's $.54/lb)
• Grapeseed oil is $6.75/ltr at the buying club I run out of my home.

My Cost:

• Sugar: $.27
• Grapeseed Oil: $1.59
• Essential Oils: approximately $.14, depending on the oil chosen

I didn't include the container because you can reuse that unless it's for a gift.

The retail price of the above mentioned version I tested was $18 for 6 oz., but you can make a homemade sugar scrub for only $2.00!

What Oil Is Best to Use in a Sugar Scrub?

Really you can use any oil you like, but I personally like using cold pressed, organic oils for their nourishing properties. Olive oil is especially moisturizing and can possibly help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and stretch marks. Friends of mine have touted their family's use of olive oil for ages for this reason.

This Cold Pressed Organic Olive Oil is a good option for this purpose.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Essential Oils Are Best for a Sugar Scrub?

You can really use any essential oil or blend that you like. You can even do fun combinations like those in this list of Christmas Essential Oil Blends for creative gifting options.

Do Sugar Scrubs Cause Plumbing Issues?

Although sugar dissolves easily in water, oils and butters can contribute to buildup over time in some plumbing systems, particularly in older homes. This scrub uses oils that are liquid at room temperature, which are generally less likely to solidify in pipes than heavier ingredients like coconut oil or shea butter.

Still, it’s best to use moderate amounts, wipe excess oil from skin before rinsing if desired, and run warm water down the drain after use.

More Frugal DIY Body Care Recipes

If you're interested in more DIY personal care options, these might be of interest.

• Homemade Facial Oil Cleanser
• Rose Water Facial Spray
• Easiest Ever Homemade Deodorant
• Easy and Moisturizing Foaming Soap
• Homemade Eye Makeup Remover
• Alcohol-Free Hairspray
• Nourishing Lip Scrub
• Nourishing Hair Rinse
• Hand and Body Cream, and
• Tooth Powder

This homemade sugar scrub makes a fabulous gift!

I've even included it in my Easy Mother's Day Gifts roundup along with other great ideas for Mom.

Don't Feel Like DIYing?

Here's one good option for buying a reasonably priced scrub if you don't feel like making your own.

• The Rowe Casa Body Scrub comes in several lovely scents including Coffee and Vanilla!
• Bubble and Bee has some great salt scrubs to choose from.
• Poofy Organics has a number of nice scents too.

Have you ever used sugar scrubs?