Recipes for the epidermis

I am a big fan of sugar scrubs. My favorites so far are Sandalwood Rose and Green Tea. Here are their recipes and what they were inspired by. Best thing about sugar scrubs I think is how they can be modified based on what one has on hand.

Sandalwood Rose

3 years ago, Bath & Body Works stopped carrying one of my favorite products ever- their sandalwood & rose scrub. I was NOT gonna pay $65 for it on ebay so I just made it on my own. I find sandalwood oil to be too heavy for the face so I use this as a body scrub. Once a week or two weeks and your skin will thank you. Especially in winters.

Ingredients:

Brown Sugar- 1/2 cup

Sandalwood Oil- 2-3 Tablespoons (enough to give the scrub a pasty feel)

Rose water- 2 Tablespoon

Method: 

Mix the sugar, oil and rosewater and store in an airtight container.

You can replace the sandalwood oil and rose with anything else that appeals to you more. Lavender oil and lemon zest, Coconut oil and orange zest, whatever combination works for you.

Natural Home Facial

This is a great routine, especially for winter. I got spoiled during my time in India when I would go to the spa and get a cleansing or facial every month. I don't have the luxury to afford that here in the US. This home facial makes me feel a little less guilty about not taking enough care of my skin. The "method" of the facial is the usual steps- cleansing, scrubbing, toning and moisturizing. I don't steam my face after cleansing cos that doesn't work for my skin and causes breakouts.

Ingredients:

Cleansing- 

Any gentle face cleaner of your choice

Toner-

2 teaspoons cold rose water

Moisturizer-

2-3 drops almond oil

Green Tea Scrub- I saw this post, modified it and made a scrub that has replaced my favorite store bought face scrub (Lush's Herbalism).

1 sachet green tea with lemon

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons of white cane sugar

2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar ( I mixed white and brown sugar because I think the mix of the finer white sugar and the coarser brown sugar adds to the effectiveness of the scrub)

4 tablespoons of glycerin (I used glycerin instead of the honey because it is way more effective in my experience in rejuvenating skin, especially in winter)

Method to make the scrub:

1. Warm water in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds. The water should be warm enough to steep the green tea.

2. Open the sachet of green tea and pour the leaves into the water and let it steep for 4-5 minutes.

3. Add the sugars and glycerin and mix everything together. The scrub is ready to use. Mix well each time before using as the sugar tends to settle down.

4. The roughness of sugar can damage your facial skin if rubbed too hard. Using the pinky finger to massage the face works really well to avoid this.

Here are a few pictures of the finished product-