Sugar Scrub

Today's post is not a typical "recipe" in that it's food you prepare and eat ... but it does involve combining ingredients so I'm including it here. Several months ago I started researching ways to change up my beauty routine. I'm a low-maintenance kind of gal so my beauty routine consists of shampoo for my hair and soap for my face. A while back I started looking for cheaper and/or more natural alternatives to those basics. I started with shampoo. I have oily hair and after some research decided to try an often recommended method of using baking soda. Essentially you make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to your hair. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then rinse thoroughly. You can follow up with a conditioner of slightly diluted apple cider vinegar. Let me just tell you ... I loved it! My scalp tingled when I washed my hair - it felt like a massage! My hair was soft, it felt natural and smooth and it styled really well. Unfortunately, I had to abandon my experiment when Handsome protested the fresh-out-of-the-shower vinegar smell. (You can't even smell it once your hair dries, but I tend to go to bed with wet hair, so ...)

Anyway, the main purpose of this post is to tell you about something I'm doing that has also worked fabulously and I've stuck with it. Like my hair, my skin is oily and after doing the research I decided to try a sugar scrub. I combine the ingredients right in the little jar I use to store it. Making a small batch is essential because you keep this in the warm, moist environment of your bathroom and that's a haven for bacteria!

Sugar Scrub

In a small jar, combine the following ingredients:

1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
Olive oil

The olive oil you add until you have a loose paste - I never measure it, just add a little at a time until it looks good. I wash with my soap then gently apply the sugar scrub.You only need a dime-sized amount for your face. Rinse with warm water, massaging the oil into your face and neck. I also use this anywhere I have dry skin, and I use it before shaving my legs. I love it!

For a coarser variation, which I don't recommend so much for the delicate skin on your face, you can use brown sugar and add in a dash of vanilla extract.