Photo: Instagram/Sephora Australia
Sugar, salt, coconut oil, rose petals and peppermint oil – these are affordable ingredients that you can easily find at home or at the grocery store. These are all you need when you want to make an all-natural body scrub. Exfoliate often to enjoy benefits both on the inside and out.
Use sugar or salt to slough off scaly elbows and dry heels. Removing dead skin cells also allows skin to absorb moisturiser better, and look smoother. The action of scrubbing and buffing improves blood circulation which helps draw out toxins, so skin glows and looks healthier.
Besides, taking a little time out for self-care this weekend is always a good thing for you (and those around you too). Spend a little more time in the bath for a home spa – scrub, mask, and throw in a soak if you’ve got the luxury of a tub.
https://www.herworld.com/beauty/how-to-diy-body-scrub/
DIY body scrub
Scrub this way
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Read on for how to mix up your own fresh batch of scrub, and a list of ingredients you can try.
Sugar
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Sugar is a natural source of glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), which promotes new skin cell production and breaks down the protein that keeps dead cells hanging onto your skin. A natural humectant that draws moisture from the air into the skin and locks it in, you’re guaranteed soft and silky smooth skin.
Brown sugar is softer than granulated sugar, so it’s more suitable for sensitive skin, while raw sugar is more naturally coarse and more ideal to use on the body.
Peppermint Oil
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Soothe tired muscles and revive senses with the menthol from peppermint oil. An excellent expectorant with antiseptic properties that gives instant relief from cold, sinusitis and bronchitis, it also helps to stimulate blood circulation and oxygenates all the organs of the body.
Peppermint oil also helps control the secretion of excess oil thus preventing clogging of pores and the outbreak of acne.
Rose Petals
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Rose petals were used by Greeks and Romans to perfume their baths, Ayurvedic medicine use rose petals to detoxify and calm, and modern science shows us that rose petals have a high level of antioxidants like vitamin A and E which help fight cellular damage and nourish the skin.
The natural herbal remedy also has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic properties, all which make it ideal for those with sensitive skin. As a natural astringent, rose helps tighten pores and restore suppleness for a glowy complexion.
Salt
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A natural exfoliant, salt sloughs away dead skin while rebalancing the pH levels in your body. Salt contains a lot of minerals and trace elements—such as calcium, magnesium and nutrients—which are really good for your skin.
As an all-natural ingredient the chances of an allergic reaction are low, and it is more environmentally friendly compared to synthetic microbeads. With the option or fine or coarse salt, you can choose a mix that is rough enough to get the job done, without irritating your skin. A salt scrub can help with ingrown hairs, which helps prep your skin for moisturising or shaving.
Coconut Oil
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Coconut oil is rich in essential proteins that keep skin healthy and rejuvenated, and its medium chain fatty acids help wounds heal faster by stimulating collagen production and skin turnover. New blood vessels form more quickly in skin treated with virgin coconut oil which helps generate new skin that is free of scarring.
One of the lighter oils that absorbs well into the skin without leaving you feeling greasy, coconut oil also acts as a barrier to keep moisture in the skin by slowing down the evaporation.
Photos: Shutterstock
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