I've been reading about Amy's adventures in Alaska and just seeing her images on the screen makes me cold. I'm not sure I could handle temps that dip well below zero. I'm thankful we haven't really dipped below forty. As much as I love the winter, I don't love what the cold, dry air does to my skin. I feel like an alligator most of the season. Despite the warmer weather, it is still dry enough to feel baked.
A couple of weeks ago I compounded a natural body scrub to help my skin feel less like a reptile and more like a human. I've used it almost daily and I wanted to share the results with you.
The ingredients are basic and easy to mix together. I used a mason jar that I placed on a shelf in the shower.
Winter Body Scrub
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup raw or granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
While I was concerned about the olive oil being too greasy and the sugar being too sticky, I couldn't have been more wrong. I used granulated sugar because that is what I had on hand. It exfoliates very well and then it quickly dissolves in the hot water. The scrub is fairly solid so I apply it directly on to my skin and rub in circles. The olive oil does make me feel a little greasy while in the shower. The water beads up on my skin and the floor feels slick, but when I get out and towel off my skin just feels creamy, and stays that way all day. In fact, it feels better than body moisturizer, which I haven't been applying since I started using the scrub.
My only complaint would be the oil is a little too much for my chest, back and shoulders. I noticed that I started to breakout out in those areas, so I cut back to only using the scrub on my arms and legs and that has helped alot. Just a note, I have not used it on my feet, because it does become very oily and I don't want to slip in the shower.
My favorite element of this scrub is the fresh lemon scent. On a morning when I don't want to crawl out of bed, the citrus is refreshing and energizing. I'm sure you could experiment with essential oils, but I had lemons on hand I needed to use up.
This has already become a winter staple for my skin. Try it and let me know how it works for you in the comments below.
