In celebration of MEvembor (the month for me and all about me) I have pledged to take time out for my well deserving self which includes pampering myself from head to toe. Pampering yourself often means spending money but not today! My tip today involves taking a trip to your kitchen cupboards and getting all the items you will need to make a luxurious homemade sugar scrub that will help turn your very own bathroom into a relaxing spa experience. Sugar scrubs should be an integral part of any woman’s regular beauty regimen but we do not take the time (or have the time) and so often we do not reward ourselves with these pleasures, but Mevembor is all about guilty pleasures. Using sugar scrubs as a body treatment can help to exfoliate, moisturize, and smooth dry and damaged skin, leaving it feeling soft and virtually glowing.

Body scrubs are usually made up of three main ingredients: exfoliators, carrier oils, and essential oils. As your exfoliater you can use a number of ingredients however I prefer using salt, sugar or brown sugar. The carrier oil that is going to act like the glue in our mixture could be coconut, grape-seed, hazelnut, almond oil or olive oil (not really recommended as it’s a bit smelly). These oils will increase elasticity and shine to the skin with the help of fatty acids penetrating the skin. Essential oils are then added for fragrance and their amazing healing properties. Grapefruit essential oil gently stimulates and refreshes. Juniper oil is especially useful for fighting off water retention as well as stress and fatigue. Lavender oil can help heal inflammations and relieve day to day stress; citrus oils are energising and help to lift the spirit.

YOU WILL NEED:
1. An empty jar with a lid (a recycled jam or pickle jar really does the trick)
2. 1 cup brown sugar, salt or white sugar
3. ½ cup of your chosen oil
4. 5 drops of your chosen essential oil

RECIPE:
1. Pour sugar/salt into the jar
2. Pour chosen oil into jar and stir with a spoon or close the lid and give it a good shake
3. Add the essential oil you have chosen and give mixture a final mix
4. I find that applying the mixture onto dry skin works the best so step into the bath grab a loafer (or use your hands) and rub the mixture on to you all over in circular movements to stimulate the skin.
5. Wash off with warm water

It really is this easy and affordable to make you and your skin feel beautiful and alive! Have fun with the ingredients and make your own recipes by mixing and matching the ingredients to suit your moods. Another great idea is to make beautiful rustic labels and give your bodylicious beauty treatment scrub an original name and give your original relaxing creations to your family and friends as gifts this season so they too can take time out for themselves.