DIY Brown Sugar & Spice Body Scrub
49 comments » 
Homemade gifts have become very popular over the last few years for quite a few reasons – they are much more economical than store-bought equivalents, a lot of people are moving toward more organic and “from scratch” products (for food as well as cosmetics), and of course there’s just something warm and cozy about putting some good old-fashioned love into a homemade gift. I remember seeing Bridget post this body scrub a couple of years ago and it’s always remained in the back of my mind. This year I decided to finally give it a go, and it was such a great decision. Not only does it take mere minutes to make, but it smells amazing and leaves your skin incredibly soft. I tested it out as a hand scrub and couldn’t believe how they felt afterward. Like they had just been pampered with an hour-long manicure.
This scrub takes literally five minutes to mix together, and then all you have to do is spoon it into a jar and make it festive and gifty. I love the warm, fall and winter-inspired spice mixture of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. It’s not overpowering but just the right amount of oomph for a lovely, fresh and bright aroma.
Do you have any favorite homemade gifts that you make? Feel free to include the link to any posts you might have below!
If you’re interested in additional DIY ideas, see this post I did two Christmases ago: Homemade Food Gift Ideas
One year ago: Peanut Butter Fudge
Four years ago: Peppermint Bark
DIY Brown Sugar & Spice Body Scrub
Yield: One (16-ounce) jar
Total Time: 15 minutes
A recipe for homemade body scrub - smells amazing, and a great gift idea!
Ingredients:
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup pure cane sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
¾ cup almond oilDirections:
1. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, can sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg until thoroughly blended. Make sure you break up any clumps from the brown sugar.
2. Stir in the almond oil, making sure that all of the dry ingredients have been moistened.
3. Spoon the mixture into a 16-ounce jar with lid. Tie with a ribbon and, if desired, add a gift tag with instructions:
"Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub on your hands and gently massage in circular motions onto your skin. Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before thoroughly rinsing. The scrub will tighten on your skin."
(Recipe adapted from Bake at 350)
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There are two things I will be baking this holiday season; A Hummingbird cake and molasses cookies. Yum!!!
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I’ve made this sugar scrub before and given as gifts, but I love it so much I make it for myself on a regular basis! Great stuff.
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Pretty sure I would start out lathering and end up eating.
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I love home-made body scrubs. I can imagine how *delicious* this one would feel. Thanks for sharing….I missed it when Bridget posted a few years ago.
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hi is the cane sugar white sugar or know please let me know i would love to make this for my friends for christams
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Michelle on December 16th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Hi Karen, Yes white sugar.
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Any alternatives to almond oil that I could use for this?
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Michelle on December 16th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Hi Sarah, I think you could use walnut oil or even olive oil.
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Ambel on December 16th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
what about cocunut oil??
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Michelle on December 16th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
I think that would be good too!
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Nancy on December 17th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Hi Sarah,
I’ve used olive oil and added a dash of almond extract for the scent and it worked well.
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Love this!
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I used to make and sell bath and body products and this was one of my favorites! It’s amazing on how smooth your skin feels afterwards! Thanks for reminding me, I think I’ll make some and use it today!
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Isn’t it amazing how inexpensive it is to make your own body scrubs?? Much better than spending a fortune at the beauty store!
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I am making homemade roasted nuts this year for family! Yummy!!! I might have to whip up some batches of this scrub too
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Where do you buy the almond oil for this? Is it in a specialty grocer/health food store or is it the kind you can buy in a Kroger by the olive oil?
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Michelle on December 16th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Hi Angela, You can find it in the organic baking section or in some stores, in the organic beauty section.
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I like this idea as a gift. I will try this for a friend of mines.
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How long does this last before it goes bad or does it?
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Michelle on December 16th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Hi Laura, I think as long as you keep it sealed it shouldn’t go bad.
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This would be a cool gift idea for something different – love it!
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I saw another version of this recently that uses olive oil and 1 tsp vanilla in place of the spices and almond oil.
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Could I use coconut Oil and raw sugar for the body scrub?
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Michelle on December 16th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Hi Patti, I do think coconut oil would work and raw sugar in place of the cane.
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Ooooh, I love homemade sugar scrubs. It’s frugal, I can control what’s in it to avoid skin allergies, and it’s safe to be around little ones – depending on ingredients used. I like using a combination of almond, coconut and olive oils, and some vanilla. The spices sound wonderful.
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OOOOh! I love this! Sugar is such a wonderful exfoliant and you would smell delicious after using this one! Great idea
!
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I am a new follower, and have been enjoying your posts. Thanks so much for having this blog!
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Michelle on December 17th, 2011 at 8:12 pm
Hi Carmen, Welcome to the site!
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Can I share this on my blog at http://www.praycookblog.com? Awesome idea. Thanking you in advance! Merry Christmas!
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Michelle on December 17th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Hi Catherine, Sure! I just ask that you provide a link back to this post. Thanks!
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I definitely need a couple of jars of this. Surely will make this weekend
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What a great gift idea for all three of my teenage girls! Stocking stuffers!
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Love love love this idea!!!!!! The perfect pampering gift!
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Nice indeed! It’s changing from the traditional salty or rice scrub
Gives a touch of “dessert” to a good bath and pampering session. It’s a must have for christmas!
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Hello, I am going to make this for some gifts this weekend. I couldn’t find almond oil but I did find almond extract. Would that work or does it need to be the oil? Thanks!
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Michelle on December 18th, 2011 at 11:29 pm
Hi Dava, Almond extract won’t work for this, but you could substitute other types of oil such as walnut oil, olive oil or coconut oil (I’ve found all of these in the baking aisle).
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Is it weird that I just want to eat this? I made the cookies in a jar from Bakerella that you had in your other DIY post. They turned out great!
http://www.theliveinkitchen.com/2011/12/18/holiday-cookies-in-a-jar/
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I love homemade body scrubs. This one sounds delectable!
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I can just imagine how lovely this would feel & smell!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com
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Isn’t it great stuff?!? I so need to make it again!
Thank you for the sweet shout-out! I hope you have a very, merry Christmas!!!
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I’m making this for all 3 of my sisters for Christmas! They’re going to love it
I found almond oil at Whole Foods. Also a good homemade gift is putting lace in a frame to hang earrings on!! Great way to keep track of all of that loose jewelry
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I made this for my secret santa, and she loved it! And luckily I had a bit leftover for myself. My hands are still super soft!
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If I use coconut oil, is there something I need to do to make sure it doesn’t solidify?
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Michelle on December 22nd, 2011 at 12:40 am
Hi Kelly, I don’t think so, but I haven’t done it with that yet, so I can’t say for sure.
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Kelly on December 23rd, 2011 at 4:18 pm
Thank you!
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Can this be used on the face as well as the hands?
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Michelle on August 9th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Hi Barbara, I don’t see why not. As the skin on the face is naturally more sensitive than your hands, I would try a small spot first to make sure it isn’t too harsh.
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It says bake at 350 for how long? Sounds cool.
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Michelle on September 26th, 2012 at 10:37 am
Bake at 350 is the name of the blog where I saw this recipe. The scrub is not baked.
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