You might wonder, “If I have dry skin, why on earth would I use a scrub? Wouldn’t it dry it further?” And you will be right, well, partially that is. Because there’s a difference between scrubs and the effectiveness varies depending on whether you buy or make your own and what you’re using to make it with.
Yes, there are homemade scrubs that use coconut oil, but even those can cause damage and further irritation if the other ingredients you’re using don’t comply with your type of skin. Fortunately, you don’t have to research beyond this article, because here you have 5 coconut oil body scrub recipes for dry skin that’ll do wonders for you.
Before we go onto the recipes, I’d like to go over the benefits of homemade coconut oil scrubs and why it’s important to practice scrubbing regularly. You see, when you gently scrub your skin 3 times per week, you exfoliate the outer layer of your skin which is mostly consisted of dead skin cells and debris. This layer just sits on top, making your skin look and feel rough and chapped where in reality, a new, softer layer is waiting to be revealed underneath.
*Note that you won’t see it after the first few scrubs, thus the recommendations for regularity.
Furthermore, when you make your own cosmetic products like this, you know exactly what is in them, plus their versatility is endless. I use mine as my face wash, exfoliator, eye make-up remover, and moisturizer. Pretty cool, right?
Let’s not even mention the crazy amount of money you’ll save by avoiding the over-priced products in the stores, plus, you’re helping the environment with the plastic contamination that is going around these days, by storing your coconut oil products in containers that can be used over and over again, instead of buying new ones all the time.
Coconut Oil Body Scrubs For Dry Skin
Zesty Morning Scrub
When it comes to making my own scrubs, I see them as part of my aromatherapy to start the day right. Something so natural, smelling as uplifting as citrus will put you in a great mood for the entire day to come.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (You can use up to ½ cup if you want your scrub to have a coarser, sand-like texture.)
- ½ cup coconut oil (Make sure it’s a cold-pressed, organic one for optimal skin nourishment)
- 1 tablespoon citrus fruit zest (The zest from one piece of fruit. You can try with grapefruit, lemon, and orange, and see what you like best.) OR
- About ½ teaspoon of citrus essential oil (About 50 drops of some certified organic grapefruit, lemon, or orange essential oil, that you like best.
NOTE: The last two ingredients, the zest, and the citrus essential oil are not to be used together. You can mix between them and see how you like your scrub best. More explanation below:
When you add any kind of citrus (zest or essential oil) to your scrub, you’ll get an amazing natural aroma that can boost your mood and make you feel energized and refreshed, but by adding zest you get a pretty color to your scrub as well, while essential oils are colorless.
However, by adding essential oils you get a scrub with a longer shelf life than a sugar scrub made with zest.
On the other hand, a citrus essential oil can burn your eyes, so the scrub can’t be used on your face. (Perfect for your hands, legs, and feet though).
Additionally, it can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun, so you’ll want to stay away from strong and direct sunlight for few hours after using citrus scrubs. This is why I use this in fall/winter or before going to bed.
Preparation
- Combine all ingredients and store it in a tightly-closed container.
NOTE: Do not heat the coconut oil prior to mixing because hot oil will dissolve the sugar, plus you lose the coconut oil benefits due to the high temperature.
Salty Honey Scrub
This basic salt and honey scrub exfoliates, moisturizes, and nurtures skin like no other. It’s no surprise when you put together honey and coconut oil, after all. It has a calming essential oil added to it in order to soothe dry skin.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of sea salt
- ½ cup of honey
- ¼ cup of coconut oil
- About ½ teaspoon of lavender or chamomile essential oil
Preparation
- Blend all the ingredients together and store it in a tightly-closed container.
Asian Coco Scrub
When it comes to aromas and healing oils, some of the best come from Asia. This is why, with this one, I wanted to provide you with some aromatherapy that will soften dry skin, and bring forth creativity. Hint: the secret is in a form of fragrant white blossoms that grow all over Asia.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of sea salt
- ½ cup of brown sugar (like muscovado or demerara)
- ¼ cup of coconut oil
- 5-8 drops of Jasmine essential oil
Preparation
- Blend all the ingredients together and store it in a tightly-closed container.
Irresistibly Sweet Vanilla Scrub
For those of you who want to satisfy their sweet tooth, I have a treat coming your way.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of coconut oil
- ½ cup white sugar (or more if you like it coarser)
- 10 drops of vanilla essential oil (you can use less, or by preference, because the vanilla is pretty strong)
- 10 drops of Palmarosa or German Chamomile essential oil (both extremely nourishing for dry skin)
Preparation
- Blend all the ingredients together and store it in a tightly-closed container.
Rose Scrub
Roses are red, violets are blue… I’ll let you finish that one, and by the time you’re done, you’ll have a pretty amazing dry skin scrub that has the prettiest color too. You can choose between Frankincense and Carrot Seed essential oil based on your aroma preferences. Both of these are very soothing to dry skin.
Ingredients
- ½ Cup of coconut oil
- 1 Cup Finely ground pink Himalayan salt or sea salt
- 8-10 drops rose essential oil
- 10 drops of Frankincense or Carrot Seed essential oil
Preparation
- Blend all the ingredients together and store it in a tightly-closed container.
How To Properly Scrub Your Skin
You see how easy to make all these are. I suggest you make a smaller amount of each the first time, so you can try them all out and then decide which one to stick with. When you master the basics you can use any essential oil for dry skin and swap it in my recipe as well as other combinations such as almond or olive oil instead of coconut oil.
Now let’s get onto the practicalities because even the best scrub won’t give you the wanted results without its proper use.
Your face – Omit the citrus and use some of the other scrubs. Massage in circular motions for 30 seconds. Rinse and pat dry. The oil will absorb immediately, acting as a moisturizer, leaving your skin soft and glowing.
Your hands – Massage into your hands and fingernails for 30 seconds. Rinse and pat dry.
Your legs and feet – Massage into your legs and feet while in the bath or sitting on the side of the bathtub. Rinse and pat dry. (Never use on your feet in the shower because the coconut oil is slippery and you risk falling.)
Did I manage to talk you into making your own dry skin coconut oil scrub? Share your experiences below, let me know how it turned out, and feel free to suggest some other ingredients we can all enrich our scrubs with.
To Your Smooth Skin,
Monika
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