DIY Body Scrub with Brown Sugar and Lemon

A DIY body scrub can keep skin looking fresh and smooth. And all you need is a couple simple ingredients from the kitchen to make an easy lemon sugar scrub.

One of the best things you can do for your skin is to remove dead skin cells. By scrubbing off the outer layer, it speeds up the skin renewal process bringing newer cells to the surface.

Although a rough washcloth or brush are great tools for exfoliation, using a mixture of lemon and brown sugar provides added benefits. That’s why blending these common kitchen ingredients together to make a simple DIY exfoliating body scrub is better.

Why Lemon and Brown Sugar?

The vitamin C in lemon can brighten skin and help close pores. And the citric acid is a natural alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which helps loosen those dead skin cells.

Brown sugar also contains the AHA glycolic acid and the molasses in it makes it a gentler exfoliator than regular white sugar. It’s also a natural moisturizer so it will hydrate the skin too.

Alpha hydroxy acids are often added to skincare products. That’s because they encourage exfoliation which improves the look and feel of skin.

How to Make a DIY Body Scrub

There are so many recipes for making a sugar or salt scrub. And there are endless possibilities when using essential oils. But for a super simple two ingredient one, you’ll want to try this DIY brown sugar body scrub.

Just take the juice of one lemon and mix it into a half cup or a little more of brown sugar. It should take less than a minute!

Can You Add Other Ingredients?

Absolutely! This basic DIY lemon body scrub can be changed up by adding in any of the following:

• Coconut Oil greatly improves skin hydration and contains lauric acid which is a well known antimicrobial. It may also help reduce inflammation.
• Olive Oil is a natural moisturizer that softens and hydrates skin. It also works as a barrier to seal in moisture. 
• Almond oil is another great way to seal in moisture plus it contains vitamin E to help nourish skin.
• Lemon Essential Oil is best known as a cleanser. But it may also reduce redness around blemishes.
• Honey has natural antibacterial properties and helps moisturize the skin.
• Green Tea is prized for its antioxidants which may fight free radicals and fight premature aging. And it can reduce redness and puffiness along with clearing pores.
• Sea Salt granules are tougher to tackle rough skin spots and they contain magnesium which can help reduce inflammation. 

These are just some suggestions for things that work well in a homemade scrubs. Feel free to try adding in other natural ingredients.

How to Use the Lemon DIY Sugar Body Scrub

Once combined, the lemon juice and brown sugar will form a paste that you rub on the body from head to toe. It’s a little messy so you may want to use it in the shower or bath. 

After scrubbing all the skin, simply wash the paste away. Because of the brown sugar you likely won’t need to use any moisturizer after. But if your skin tends to be very dry, you may want to use an additional moisturizer for longer lasting hydration.

If you want to work the scrub into a regular routine, you can use it as often as once or twice a week. Or rotate it in with another DIY body scrub.

Tips for Using 

For a quick scrub, try sprinkling brown sugar on the cut side of half a lemon and rub it over the skin. Add additional sugar and squeeze the lemon to release the juice as needed.

You never want to rub a scrub too aggressively on the skin. Doing so can do more harm than good. And be sure to move the scrub around and not focus on any specific area too long.

Although the scrub can be used twice a week, those with sensitive skin or acne shouldn’t use an exfoliating scrub more than one a week. And if you’ve never used the scrub before, it’s always best to test it on a smaller area before doing the whole body.

How Long Does a DIY Body Scrub Last

The shelf life of a homemade body scrub is much shorter than commercially prepared products. Therefore you may be wondering how to preserve a DIY body scrub.

Because there’s no preservatives, you should make the scrub fresh each time it’s needed or use it up within a few weeks. And you can easily adjust the amounts of sugar and lemon to make just the right amount each time.

If you do make a larger batch, be sure to store it in an airtight container. Although there’s no refrigeration needed, keeping it chilled will increase the shelf life.

Here’s a couple other DIY scrubs you can make single use portions of quickly when needed:

• Baking Soda Face Mask Scrub
• Sugar Scrub for Hands and Face

You may also want to make a DIY acne face wash if you are prone to pimple breakouts.