Homemade Lip Scrub ~ I don’t know how they do it but my lips always know winter is coming before I do. They’re like those canaries they send into coal mines to check for deadly fumes. And let’s just agree that nobody looks good with gross bits of flaky skin hanging off their lips.
I make a few batches of this homemade scrub every year at the first sign of dryness. I keep one in the shower and one by the sink. The last time I looked they were selling little pots of scrub like this for $25 at our local beauty store, but luckily this is one of those products that you can replicate exactly at home. It doesn’t rely on fancy chemicals or high tech ingredients because the job of a lip scrub is to physically exfoliate the delicate skin on your lips. Sugar does the job, and the oil moisturizes the lips at the same time. Magically the sugar crystals don’t dissolve in the oil and you get a sweet little paste.
You might be skeptical about homemade beauty products if, like me, you grew up trying all those gloppy avocado and oatmeal face masks, or the dreadful mayonnaise hair conditioner. This one actually works, it’s pleasant to use, and you and your bathroom won’t smell like beer or vinegar afterwards. All you need is some sugar, some oil and a few little plastic travel containers. You can find those at beauty stores. You can play with flavors and food coloring if you want to.
This is a fun project to do with your kids. I would have waited until my daughters were home for the holidays but my lips wouldn’t cooperate. I need this stuff now.
Ingredients
- A couple of small plastic containers (don't use glass if you intend to leave them the shower)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- almond oil (or any mildly flavored or flavorless oil you have)
- a drop of almond extract (don't use too much of any extract or you'll get a bitter flavor)
- a small touch of food coloring
Instructions
- Mix up your scrub using just enough oil to make a loose paste consistency. Adjust the amount of oil or sugar if you need to. If you're using paste food coloring you will only need a pin prick amount, and you can add it to the oil first so it will disperse.
- Pack it firmly into your jars and you're ready to scrub.
- Just scoop out a little with your finger and scrub on and around your lips with little circular motions. Don't wet your lips first, since the water will dissolve the sugar before the job is done.
- Rinse off. Do this every day! Your lips will be smooth and the lines around your lips will be softened.
Notes:
- I used almond extract, but there are so many flavorings in the baking aisle of the supermarket these days,..try orange, lemon, mint, vanilla, maple, or rum. Buy extract, not artificial flavoring, and you can use it all season long in your holiday baking.
- Yes, you could make this in larger amounts and use it as a body scrub.
don’t forget to pin it!
22 Comments
Foodiewife
September 7, 2013 at 10:32 amI have an estheticians’ license, and owned a skincare clinic for 15 years. Yes, this is a tried-and-true recipe. I used to do body scrubs with a similar concoction. I’m an almond addict, and would probably eat this stuff as well!
Sue
September 7, 2013 at 2:19 pmI need to make the body version…
Ruth Cobb
September 5, 2013 at 8:15 amLove this idea. I always get a rough red ring around my lips and then they crack. The only thing I have found to help was a salve from Bath and Body Works with hemp. I would like to try this. Seems easy and would be helpful. What about using hemp for the oil?
The View from Great Island | Minimal Monday: Sugar
August 19, 2013 at 8:45 am[…] sweetened beverages, you should have superfine sugar around. I even used superfine sugar for my Homemade Lip Scrub because the crystals are smaller and gentler on the […]
Susanne Freeborn
January 23, 2012 at 7:25 amI found your blog because I was looking for a chocolate walnut cake recipe because I need to bake a birthday cake and I have way too many walnuts left over from my Christmas baking.
Your blog is so wonderfully packed with great recipes and the photography really is so informative and beautiful.
Now I’ve gotta make this lip scrub. I never had this problem until I moved to the Pacific Northwest, but I am sure this will work. I have an olive oil & salt scrub I use on my feet. I have some Hazelnut oil that I should use up…
Heather
December 22, 2011 at 9:18 pmThis is great! My lips are terrible, so I’m definitely making a batch this very weekend! Thanks!!
Stephanie
November 8, 2011 at 6:14 pmWow what a fabulous idea! I love stuff like this and it’s a perfect time of year to make it. These would make great gifts. Definitely going to try this out over the holidays. Thanks Sue!
Pinecone
November 7, 2011 at 2:50 amI love this idea…thanks for the tip!! I can’t wait to try this.
Ashlyn
Sue/the view from great island
November 6, 2011 at 3:45 pmSorry for the late reply—the only reason I said not to use glass is that plastic is safer in the bathroom/shower environment.
Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes
November 6, 2011 at 2:13 pmWhat a great homemade beauty recipe! I think I’ll give it a try. I often think some of these recipes are much better than paying an arm & leg for some of the over the counter stuff! Do you know why you can’t use a glass jar? Just curious.
Mary
Barbara
November 6, 2011 at 11:29 amI love this idea, Sue. What a super gift for the holidays too.
betty
November 6, 2011 at 2:51 amthis is great!!!! thanks for sharing it!
yummychunklet
November 6, 2011 at 3:45 amGreat idea!
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
November 6, 2011 at 2:35 amI really like this scrub recipe. I can’t wait to tr it. I am wondering why you can’t use glass jars though.
Lizzy
November 5, 2011 at 7:27 pmWhat a fabulous idea! This would be perfect for holiday gifts :) I make a body scrub with oil and salt…sugar sounds much better around the mouth!
hostess of the humble bungalow
November 5, 2011 at 4:33 pmI received a Brown Sugar body Scrub as a gift that came from Sephora and was gobsmacked at the price of it. I think I’ll use this recipe when I have finished my jar and save some serious money…
thanks for the tip.
Gerlinde in Dallas
November 5, 2011 at 3:19 pmI’m curious to know why glass containers won’t work for this; does it have anything to do with heat or cold?
Anonymous
January 8, 2013 at 3:21 amslippery in the shower.
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
November 5, 2011 at 2:37 pmI love this – so clever – also love anything smelling of almond – so this is perfect!
Mary x
Heather @ girlichef.com
November 5, 2011 at 2:32 pmOh, I absolutely love this! I am totally making some, thank you. It’ll make great holiday gifts, as well!
the gardener's cottage
November 5, 2011 at 1:58 pmwe made these scrubs in beauty school. it was so much fun. thanks for reminding me. and they do make lovely little gifts.
Mary
November 5, 2011 at 1:31 pmI have a sugar/coconut oil scrub to use on my hands. It never occurred to me that I could use it on my lips too! I can’t wait to try it!!