When the holidays come, many of us get gifts for people we care about. I always see huge sales on skincare products that are LOADED with garbage! I want to give people nice things that make them feel great but all the affordable stuff is chock full of endocrine disruptors (you know, the stuff that makes you sick) and all the good stuff is SUPER costly. I’d rather not be frustrated by this, so I have taken matters into my own hands and into my kitchen!

How about a skincare gift that’s easy to make, affordable, and totally clean so you feel good about sharing it? Well, I have a super easy recipe for you!!

This sugar scrub includes apricot kernel and sweet almond oil, and a bit of grapefruit essential oil. Apricot and almond oils are closer to the molecular structure of skin oil, so they help keep the face hydrated and reduce fine lines over time. The brown sugar is a gentle exfoliant and helps reveal younger skin by sloughing away dead skin cells. The grapefruit oil is included in a tiny amount so it has a very gentle, fresh aroma to liven up the senses.

Enjoy mixing up this batch and testing some on your hands to see how your skin feels! I love giving these little jars as gifts and people always seem to love receiving them as well! This whole setup will run you around $35-40 for 12 jars of scrub. If you want to cut costs even further, substitute olive or avocado oil and white sugar, and omit the essential oil completely.

P.S. I’ve also included a sheet of labels to print out on adhesive paper to make it even easier to get ready for gifting…

Easy Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs of brown sugar (about 9 1/2 cups)
• one 16 oz bottle of apricot kernel oil
• one 16 oz bottle of sweet almond oil
• 12 drops grapefruit essential oil (optional)

Materials

• HUGE mixing bowl
• 12 half-pint, wide mouth mason jars
• Adhesive-backed paper for printing labels
• Ribbon or jute cord

Method

1. Pour apricot and almond oils into your bowl.
2. Add grapefruit essential oil and mix well. If you want to add more essential oil, this is the time to do it so it mixes thoroughly. Since it’s for the face, you may want to stick to 12 drops because essential oils can overwhelm some folks. You can omit this step entirely if you know your recipients won’t handle any essential oil.
3. Add brown sugar and mix thoroughly until completely blended.
4. Fill mason jars. You may have to stir periodically as oil can pool in the bottom of your bowl and you want even distribution.
5. Close jars tightly and wipe down the outside if any oil spilled.
6. Affix your labels to the lid and add a pretty ribbon or jute cord and you’re done!
7. Enjoy watching your friends and family rejoice over your amazing cosmetic-making skills!

Download: Sugar scrub labels