7 Homemade Body Scrubs To Nourish Your Dry Skin, According to Skincare Experts

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There's nothing quite like a homemade body scrub to treat dry skin. Sure, you can splurge on fancy exfoliants (and there's nothing wrong with that), but there's something satisfying about crafting your own bespoke homemade blend, whether the goal is to help boost circulation, exfoliate away dead skin before you apply self-tanner, or just improve the overall look and feel of your skin. And doing all of this on a budget is just the icing on the cake. Below, we sourced delicious recipes to serve various skin needs from some of our favorite skincare experts.

Meet the Expert

  • Tara Pelletier is the co-founder of vegan skincare brand Meow Meow Tweet.
  • Shannon Davenport is the founder of plant-based beauty and body care brand Esker.
  • Ivy Oakes is the Director of Customer Experience at Populum.
  • Lyudmyla Nagirnyak is Spa Manager at K West Spa in London.
  • Jana Blakenship is an herbalist and founder of skincare brand, Captain Blakenship.


01 of 07

Anti-Aging Strawberry Scrub

According to Tara Pelletier, co-founder of Meow Meow Tweet, this scrub is great for combatting skin degradation from premature aging. "A beautiful and yummy at-home scrub for aging skin is puréed strawberries; it’s rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which help fight free radicals and boost collagen production," she explains. "Strawberries also contain AHA exfoliating acid, so this makes for an effective but gentle armpit exfoliator to give your natural deodorant an extra boost. Adding a combination of ground oats is soothing, and coconut milk is a good place to start for hydration."

Key Ingredients

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of the body, including the skin, but we cannot produce it on our own. For the skin, it helps to boost collagen, lighten discoloration, and fight free radicals.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup ground or even whole oats
  • 1/4 cup pureed strawberries (you can also smoosh using the back of a fork)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon.

Yield: 8 ounces

02 of 07

Clarifying Chickpea Scrub

This soft scrub is particularly great at getting after body breakouts—just be sure to apply very light pressure. "Chickpea flour is a great scrub/mask for blemish prone skin, and apple cider vinegar acts as a spot treatment for flare ups," says Pelletier. "Peppermint has antibacterial properties, and helps reduce bacteria on the skin."

Key Ingredients

Apple cider vinegar is fermented apple juice formed when yeast mixes with the sugar of the juice. It contains acetic acid, which may have antibacterial and keratolytic properties, and it also contains malic acid, a gentle chemical exfoliant.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chickpea flour
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp dried peppermint (you can also empty the leaves of a peppermint tea bag)
  • 10 drops tea tree oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon.

Yield: 8 ounces

03 of 07

Energizing Citrus Scrub

In these cold, bleak months, a zesty citrus body scrub may not only boost your mood. Says Pelletier, "If you’re feeling the effects of the cold and less sunlight, take a trip to an imaginary tropical island with this citrus and tropical fruit mood-boosting scrub, which helps boost circulation and improve skin tone."

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup sunflower oil
  • Zest of a lemon
  • 2 Tbsp pureed papaya
  • 10 drops orange essential oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon.

Yield: 8 ounces

04 of 07

Firming Body Scrub

Too much salt or alcohol? This scrub will help rid the body of the excess water you find pooling the morning after. (Bonus points if you add in a body-sized gua sha tool to boost lymphatic drainage.) "Juniper and grapefruit work together in this scrub that is ideal for... areas that could benefit from a lifting boost," says Shannon Davenport, founder of Esker. "Anchored by the hydrating properties of juniper berry which tones and reduces water retention, grapefruit which reduces the appearance of puffiness, and lavender which has anti-inflammatory properties which can help deflate any swelling or irritation."

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown or cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp of juniper berries blitzed in a clean coffee grinder
  • 1 Tbsp of dried lavender from the farmer's market
  • 10-15 drops grapefruit essential oil (or the zest of a fresh grapefruit)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together with a spoon and put in an 8-ounce glass jar.

Yield: 8 ounces

05 of 07

Hydrating Honey, Sage, and Oat Scrub

Davenport loves using this scrub in the fall for its cozy notes of sage, but any time is a good time to reap its hydrating benefits. "This scrub harnesses the power of oats which help treat dry skin and remove dead skin cells, softening honey, and sage which helps with skin regeneration." Honey is also a natural antiseptic, meaning it could help with breakouts.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 Tbsp of dried sage leaves
  • 1 Tbsp of honey

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together with spoon and put in an 8-ounce glass jar.

Yield: 8 ounces

06 of 07

Mermaid Scrub

 "This dreamy green-hued scrub will make you feel like you are back at the ocean any time of year," says Jana Blankenship, founder of Captain Blankenship. "This exfoliating and detoxing body scrub mixes mineral-rich sea salt with epsom salt, which helps eliminate toxins and relieve tired muscles. Nourishing sea kelp stimulates blood flow and antioxidant-rich spirulina fights free radicals, helps skin retain moisture, and creates a beautiful jade green hue."

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup epsom salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp french green clay
  • 1 Tbsp spirulina powder
  • 2 tsp kelp powder
  • 10 drops lemongrass essential oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon. Put in an 8-ounce glass jar with a lid. Will keep for up to 6 months if kept dry.

Yield: 8 ounces

07 of 07

Relaxing CBD Scrub

Infused with CBD, this mask is the perfect wind-down at the end of a long day. Ivy Oakes, director of customer experience at Populum says it's a great anti-inflammatory, which could curb redness and razor burn if applied pre-shave.

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup brown pure cane sugar
  • 3 Tbsp organic jojoba oil (increase for the right consistency)
  • 2 droppers full of Populum's 250mg Full-Spectrum Hemp CBD Oil or 1 dropper of Populum's 500 mg Full-Spectrum Hemp CBD Oil
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Add jojoba oil to the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing as you continue to add to create the right consistency. Next add the CBD oil and lemon—the consistency should be like thick sand. Apply liberally in the shower or bath for invigorating and exfoliating treatment.

Key Ingredients

Jojoba oil is a natural oil produced from the seed of the chinensis plant, a drought-resistant shrub native to southern Arizona, California, and Mexico. It mimics natural sebum and conditions and seals moisture in the skin without clogging pores or exacerbating acne.

How to Exfoliate

According to Lyudmyla Nagirnyak, the spa manager at K West Spa in London, proper exfoliation goes like this: Dampen your skin in the shower and apply the homemade scrub for two to three minutes in circular motions. Once you're out of the shower, Nagirnyak stresses the importance of moisturizing the skin. Also of note: If your skin is particularly sensitive or has an underlying condition like psoriasis, you should speak with your dermatologist first to make sure it's safe to use a scrub.

Article Sources
Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
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  2. Tang SC, Yang JH. Dual effects of alpha-hydroxy acids on the skinMolecules. 2018;23(4):863. doi:10.3390/molecules23040863

  3. Chen T, Liu N, Liu J, et al. Gua sha, a press-stroke treatment of the skin, boosts the immune response to intradermal vaccinationPeerJ. 2016;4:e2451. doi:10.7717/peerj.2451

  4. McLoone P, Oluwadun A, Warnock M, Fyfe L. Honey: a therapeutic agent for disorders of the skinCent Asian J Glob Health. 2016;5(1):241. doi:10.5195/cajgh.2016.241

  5. Baswan SM, Klosner AE, Glynn K, et al. Therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) for skin health and disordersClin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2020;13:927-942. doi:10.2147/CCID.S286411

  6. Lin TK, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-inflammatory and skin barrier repair effects of topical application of some plant oils. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;19(1):70. doi:10.3390/ijms19010070

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