Feeling like your face needs a refresh but can't go to the store to buy all kinds of new skincare products? Don't worry, DIY scrubs are here to save the day. They're super easy to make and you likely have all the ingredients you need already in your kitchen.
A major bonus? DIY scrubs are good for your skin, too. They help get rid of dead skin cells, leave your face feeling baby-level smooth, and minimize the looks of pores, says Renee Rouleau, celebrity esthetician and founder of Renee Rouleau Skincare. They're also waaay less expensive than a store-bought version, so consider yourself saving some extra cash, too.
That said, Rouleau notes there are a few things you should keep in mind before diving into the scrub game. Some ingredients like walnuts, salt, and kernels don't have round edges, and can actually create tiny micro-tears in the skin that can lead to increased irritation.
You should also make sure that you're not rubbing too hard says Kerry Benjamin, esthetician and founder of StackedSkincare. Doing so will just put your skin at a greater risk of feeling red and burned. No, thank you.
Now that you've got all the details down, it's time to start creating some scrubs of your own. Keep reading for the eight best DIY face scrubs to make at home. Trust me, it'll feel just like you're at the spa.
Soothing Aloe Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Directions: Mix all the ingredients together, and massage into skin for gentle exfoliation.
The Benefits: This scrub recipe, provided by eforea spa at Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino, was created on the beach–so you know it is especially great for calming skin down after a full day in the sun.
Sugary Coconut Exfoliator Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil
Directions: Combine the sugar and coconut oil, mix, and get scrubbing.
The Benefits: Try using a super fine sugar so that the formula is as gentle as possible on your face says Lisa Levin, CEO of Pharmacopia Natural Bodycare. Save ones like brown sugar for your bod, which can take a little bit more grit than your face. Noted!
Almond And Green Tea Scrub
Ingredients:
- 5 almonds
- 1 Tablespoon of yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of green tea
Directions: You'll need to dig out your coffee grinder for this recipe. Put the almonds into the machine so that they're very finely ground (but not, like, nut butter). Mix your almonds with the yogurt and green tea to form a paste, then slowly smooth it onto your skin.
The Benefits: Levin says that almonds leave you face feeling smooth and moisturized while the green tea adds antioxidants to your skin's barrier. Basically, if you want to hydrated, bouncy skin, this scrub is for you.
Oats and Honey Scrub
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup oats
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of yogurt
Directions: For this recipe, deconstruct your oats in a coffee grinder or blender, or you can just use oat flour if you have it on hand. Then add the honey and yogurt to the oats and mix with a spoon until the ingredients are adequately combined. Then, yep, you know the drill. Start slathering that scrub onto your face.
The Benefits: Some bonuses to this mask? Levin notes that oats are super soothing to the skin and that honey naturally has anti-bacterial, acne-fighting agents. Win!
Papaya and Pineapple Peel
Ingredients:
- 1 papaya
- 1 tablespoon of pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of super fine sugar
Directions: Mash together some papaya, the pineapple juice, lemon juice, and sugar. Let this mask stay on for about 20 minutes and rinse. Feel a light stinging? Rinse it off sooner. Your skin should never burn.
The Benefits: So this recipe isn't a scrub, per se, but the fruit enzymes are a gentle alternative to chemical exfoliators. "People with sensitive skin conditions such as eczema can’t use scrubs," says Benjamin. "They're too abrasive and only worsen the inflammation." That's why she recommended this papaya and pineapple-based mixture for those of you who want to DIY but can't necessarily take the scrubbing motion on your face.
Jojoba And Essential Oil Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of jojoba oil
- 1 tablespoon of fine sugar
- 1 drop essential oil of choice
Directions: Mix the jojoba oil, sugar, and just a drop of your essential oil of choice (my favorite is lavender) in a small bowl. Add to your skin and you'll feel some serious moisturizing benefits once you're through.
The Benefits: Benjamin says that using jojoba oil on the skin is great for people prone to breakouts since it's noncomedogenic. She also notes that it's cheap and you can find it pretty much anywhere (including online and in most grocery stores), so that's a huge plus.
Kiwi And Yogurt Exfoliator
Ingredients:
- 1 kiwi
- 2 tablespoons of yogurt
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
Directions: Remove the skin of your kiwi and mash up the fruit on the inside. Mix your mashed kiwi with the yogurt and olive oil in a bowl. Then, rub the formula in gentle circles around your face and rinse.
The Benefits: According to Levin, yogurt has lactic acid which helps exfoliate in a non-abrasive way. (This is especially helpful if you've got sensitive skin.)
Coffee Exfoliating Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of finely ground coffee
- 1 spoonful of glycerin (or try shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter or avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon of bentonite or white clay
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- a splash of lemon juice
Directions: Mix all of your ingredients in a bowl and then gently lather onto your face.
The Benefit: The natural caffeine will give your skin a boost says Benjamin, reducing fluid buildup under your eye area and letting inflammation dissipate. Not a fan of coffee? No worries. You can use tea instead.
Flax Seed Facial Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup of flax
- a spoonful of glycerin (or try shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter or avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon of white clay
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- a splash of lemon juice
Directions: Put about 1/3 cup of flax and a spoonful of glycerin in a bowl and then grind until smooth. Then add the white clay, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix all your ingredients and follow by gently swiping onto your face.
The Benefits: Flax seeds have a lot of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits says Benjamin, which will help reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. If you're feeling it, you can also swap out the flax with oats for some extra moisturizing action.
Now that you've got all of these at-home face scrub recipes at your disposal, it's time to take your newfound knowledge to the kitchen. Go and become the DIY queen that you know you can be! I believe in you.
