EspañolUnlike sugar scrubs made with only oils and sugar, emulsified sugar scrubs become a creamy exfoliating lotion upon contact with water, leaving no oily residue, but only soft, supple skin behind.
One of the most common DIY beauty products that can be found online is sugar and salt scrubs. Perhaps the main reason that these products are so popular is that they are very easy to make. Basically, you take some oil and mix it together with either sugar and salt, and you're essentially done. Sure, you can customize your recipe with different oils, sugar types, essential oils, and/or add in other exfoliants or colorants, but most of these recipes are essentially the same.
I'm not going to criticize these recipes. In fact, one of the first DIY recipes on my blog was a brown sugar lip scrub. As you may have guessed, I mostly used it to exfoliate my lips, but also tried using it in the shower to exfoliate my skin.
The benefit of emulsified sugar scrubs
The problem with regular sugar scrubs is that they tend to be messy to use. The oil doesn't provide a lot of structure for your product, so it's usually hard to scoop into your hands to use in the shower. Sure, you can use coconut oil to give it more body, but as soon as the weather warms up, you're back to a more liquid product.
You could, of course, add some butters and/or waxes to the scrub to thicken it, but we're still left with the main problem with sugar scrubs, the oily residue. Because it's an oil-based product, you usually end up with oil all over your hands, and body, and shower, as well as the container you're using for your sugar scrub. I liked the smooth feeling of my legs and arms after exfoliating with my homemade sugar scrub but didn't like the feel of the oily residue all over my body.
Emulsified sugar scrubs don't leave that sort of oily residue behind. Because they include an emulsifier as one of their ingredients, when the oils and waxes of the product come in contact with water, they basically form an emulsion, or a lotion, on your skin while you are exfoliating away. In the end, emulsified sugar scrubs are like exfoliants and lotions in one product. You're essentially making an exfoliating creamy cleanser right on your skin as you scrub away.
If you're lazy like I am, and don't like having to exfoliate, rinse, and then use lotion once out of the shower, this emulsified sugar scrub is the perfect solution. It leaves your skin clean, smooth, and lotioned up. (Is that a word?)
Watch me make this easy, emulsified sugar scrub:
Should you add a preservative to your sugar scrub?
Because this is still an oil-based product, without any water in it, you technically don't have to add a preservative to it. The problem with not using a preservative, though, is that you use this product in a very wet environment and likely scoop it out of the jar with wet hands. The likelihood of moisture contaminating your product is very, very high.
That's why preservatives are usually added to these types of products, and why you have to be very, very careful using it if you choose not to add a preservative. You could even consider adding less sugar and less wax to the scrub so that you end up with a thinner product that you could more easily dispense from a silicone travel tube dispenser or another type of flip cap dispenser. That would allow you to dispense the product without touching it and would help keep water from contaminating your product.
Customizing the emulsified sugar scrub
There are several ways that you can customize this recipe to better suit your taste.
Changing the exfoliant: Salt, sugar, or brown sugar?
While I made this a sugar scrub, you could just as easily add salt to the recipe instead. Salt tends to be a bit more abrasive because the granules aren't as round and it takes longer for the salt to dissolve, but it really depends on the coarseness of whatever you choose to use. Brown sugar usually has smaller granules and tends to be a lot less abrasive, making it a great option for exfoliating your face.
How much sugar should I use?
When I first made the recipe, I used 120g of sugar and found it to be a nice texture. The next time I made it, I decided I would add more sugar, around 30g more, thinking I'd end up with a thicker scrub (and more of it). In the end, I think it may be a bit on the thick side (as you can see at the end of my video when I'm applying the scrub). It still works well, especially if you are applying it to wet skin, but is a bit harder to apply if it isn't thinned out with a bit of water. I think somewhere between 120g-150g is a good guideline, and you can adjust the amount to achieve the consistency you prefer.
Customizing the fragrance
I used a combination of lavender, rosemary, and lemon essential oils because I tend to favor citrus herbal scents. You can change the essential oils, though, to suit your tastes. I like lavender because it is calming and soothing for relaxing after a busy day. Lemon can be both soothing or invigorating depending on what you mix it with and when you use it. I don't normally measure out my essential oils, but use my nose to help decide how much to add.
Which emulsifying wax should you use?
You can use any emulsifying wax that you may happen to have on hand. If you make your own homemade lotions, you should already have one or two of them at home.
If you are very concerned about making a very natural emulsified sugar scrub, consider using an emulsifying wax like olivem. Olivem is a vegetable based emulsifier that is derived from olives. It is allowed in natural, organic products that use the ECO-CERT certification. Olivem is a great option for an emulsifying scrub, too, because some people say that it has a bit of a soap feel to it. In the case of a cleanser, that is more of an advantage than a disadvantage.
Basic, Easy Emulsified Sugar Scrub
Emulsified Sugar Scrub
Ingredients
- 50 g oil I used sweet almond oil
- 10 g cocoa butter
- 10 g shea butter
- 10 g beeswax or candelilla wax
- 15 g emulsifying wax Olivem is a great choice for this!
- 1 g essential oil (I used lavender, rosemary, and lemon)
- 1 g cosgard or other natural preservative used at the recommended dose
- 150 g sugar (Use less for a slightly thinner product)
Instructions
- Weigh out ad mix together the first 5 ingredients: the oil (but not essential oils), butters, and waxes.
- Melt the oils, butters, and waxes over a double boiler (or in the microwave, if you prefer).
- Once melted, remove from the heat, and stir occasionally as the mixture cools. You can use a mixer to help blend everything together and make a creamy mixture, but it's not essential.
- Once your mixture has cooled down quite a bit (ideally below 45ºC/115ºF), you can begin to add the essential oils and preservative.
- Make sure the essential oils and preservative are well incorporated into your oils and then begin to add the sugar. Add slowly, and stir constantly, so you can gauge the consistency of the product. Add as much sugar as you like to achieve the desired consistency. (I like it somewhere between 120-150g.)
- To use your sugar scrub, scoop out a small amount in your hands and begin to rub over your wet arms and legs (or any areas you want to exfoliate and hydrate) in a circular motion. As the mixture comes into contact with the water, a lotion will be formed, and the sugar will begin to dissolve, making the product smoother and less abrasive. Rinse any remaining sugar crystals off, and pat your skin dry. Your skin should now feel smooth and hydrated.
I finally got a chance to try this out! I have been wanting to make this for months. I have to say though… I found it left a very buttery thick residue on my skin. And I really had to wash well to get it off. And while I didn’t feel like I was going to break my neck, It did make my tub slick. I did a test batch as is and then another with melt and pour to make cubes. The soap mixed in took care of the buttery oily residue and the tub wasn’t as slick, but it didn’t leave my skin as moisturized as the original recipe. I used everything exactly as is in the ingredients list except no preservative and I subbed the EO with a Fragrance oil. Any ideas why it would leave a residue and really need washing to get it off? Maybe if it was made without the beeswax? When I ran my finger nail along my skin it would come up as a soft butter consistency on my nail. Thanks for any tips. I really wanted this to work for me! I’m sure I did something odd.
Hi Chris,
Yes, you could definitely try without the beeswax. I’m sure that making one with only the emulsifier, oils, and sugar would be fine.
I’m not ever sure I remember why I used the beeswax. I think most emulsified scrubs use some, perhaps to thicken the mixture. I don’t think it really needs to be that thick, though, and a thinner product might be easier to apply.
Maybe I’ll make a simpler version next time without the wax- and post the recipe if I like the way it turns out. 😉
If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes for you too!
I want to make this but want help clarifying which Olivem to use. I’m about to make an order at Lotioncrafter.com but they have several types. Which one would be best for this recipe?
Also…can you suggest a good formulation for a facial scrub? I purchased some Rapadura, whole cane suger. It was suggested by an article from the Formula Botanica site, I think. It has very very fine granules and is suppose to dissolve quick, so it should be gentler for facial scrubs than other sugers.
Thanks. Just getting started. I am almost done with the Diploma Skin Formulation course from the School of Natural Skincare. I am sick to say, it was NOT worth the cost. I need a lot more education and am thinking of taking some preservation and stability testing courses from Formula Botanica. It would be helpful to know which courses you got the most out of. I also want to learn how to incorporate lots of various comesuticals and especially high end serum (including working with different forms of Vitamin C, Retin A, Hyluaronic Acid, and all the AHAs.
Great information. Thanks for the wonderful article, it may be very helpful for everyone who is conscious
about.
Hi Tracy,
I would like to make this as a giveaway for a friend’s baby shower. Can you add food colouring to add colour?
Thanks
Hi Angela,
I don’t see why not.
Because it has the emulsifier, the liquid food colors should incorporate well into the mixture. If you do add a liquid food coloring, though, it is more important that you add the preservative (Otherwise it isn’t really 100% necessary). Incorporating a liquid will encourage microbial growth.
Can I use brown sugar
Hi Hope,
Yes, you can use brown sugar. It is less abrasive and will make for a milder scrub. 🙂
Can I use “leucidal” as a preservative for this? Leucidal is a radish root ferment I found online.
Hi Jessica,
I’ve used Leucidal before, but not in this sort of product. I’m not sure how well it will incorporate into this. The problem I see with using Leucidal is that you need more of it than what you’d need with some of the other natural preservatives. Also, it’s known to sometimes give issues with mold. I’ve never personally had problems with a product preserved with Leucidal getting moldy, but I’ve read many accounts of it.
I guess you’d just have to try it and see. As the preservative isn’t really 100% necessary in a product like this one- it’s more of a precaution for humidity that can get into your product, it’s probably not going to be a problem.
Hi I made a sugar scrub today with brown sugar,white sugar,olive oil and coconut oil I over did it with the oil and added more sugar to try and sort it out but then found I needed more coconut oil thinking it would thicken and smell lovey but now it’s very oily and I’ve put more sugar in but it’s still oily 😩 any idea what I can do to make it right or is only good for the bin now ? Seems to be bubbling now . Thank you
Hi Sonia,
If you’re only using oils and sugar, the scrub will be oily. Some people have no problem with that. I used to use one occasionally but didn’t like the oily feel either. I’m not sure if there is any way to remedy that.
That’s why I made the emulsified one. It still may feel a bit oily going on, but as you massage it into your wet skin, it will basically give you a lotion feel. Perhaps if you made an emulsion with the oil and the emulsifier, you could add in your sugar scrub instead of the sugar alone- so that it doesn’t go to waste. I’m not sure how the extra oil would interact with this recipe, though- My guess is that it would feel a bit oilier going on, but that it would eventually emulsify into the rest.
I have no issues doing experimentation, but sometimes you just have to decide if you think it’s worth it or not. That’s really up to you.
Hi Sonia,
You can whip up some Shea butter and add to it 🙂 works well!
Ok so what if i wanted my emulsified sugar scrub to foam too . What should i add. I have stephensons base lying around and it does have a preservative in . How do you think i should incorporate that into it.
Hello,
I haven’t tried incorporating any sort of cleansing surfactant into the scrub.
You’d probably have to add water if it’s some sort of cleansing base. (I looked up Stephensons, and they have a wide variety of mostly detergent based solid products.) You’d then need to heat and emulsify it with the oils.
Keep in mind that just because a product has a preservative in it doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t have to preserve your new product that has been made with it. As you add water and other ingredients, you end up with a greater quantity of product, so you’d need more preservative to preserve the new quantity made.
Again, I haven’t attempted what you’re asking for, but I think you’d have to experiment with adding the “soap”-base (in quotes because most of their soaps aren’t true soaps) to water and then emulsify everything as you would when you make lotion. I’m not sure what you’d end up with as a final product.
If you give it a shot, I’d love to hear how it goes. 🙂
I just made this! Added some activated charcoal and bentonite clay to the sugar before adding in. It ended up being a bit waxy, noticeable because the charcoal really stuck around, haha. If I had to guess, I would bet I had too much candelilla wax. I’ve read that I should use half the amount of wax called for if using candelilla was instead of beeswax, but of course, I didn’t do that. 😛 I didn’t want to toss the batch, so I ended up adding 1/4 c liquid coconut oil soap (made per your recipe!), and that totally cut the waxy feel and still left plenty of moisture. Next time, I’ll try with beeswax (or tinker with the amount of emulsifying wax, since I didn’t use the e wax you called for). Or just keep making a soap scrub! 😉
Hello, I love this recipe, however, my emulsifying wax isn’t 100 melting, any thought? Thank you!
Hi Bonnie,
I’ve never had that happen or heard of that happening.
What emulsifying wax are you using?
What about just using an amount of salt as a purifier in your sugar scrub to combat the microbes or growth of bacteria?!
Im trying to make a large batch for 10-15 people, but it will be separated into 4 or 6oz containers, & I don’t want a gift to go bad or become gross if they take a bit to use it?!?!
Hi Sandy,
This, in and of itself shouldn’t go bad. It doesn’t have water in it, so it’s just like any other sugar or salt scrub made with just oils and sugar or salt. Yes, the sugar and salt can help combat the problem of microbial growth, and the preservative is optional.
That said, it was recommended in a cosmetic formulation class I took that you add a preservative to this sort of thing anyway just because people tend to get water in them. You probably would never actually see the microbes forming because the bacteria can grow without you being able to see them. It’s likely you’d be completely fine making this without a preservative, it’s just a suggestion to be extra safe. 😉
Salt does tend to be more abrasive than sugar, so keep that in mind. They both should help against microbial formation to an extent too. 😉
I noticed you didn’t use stearic acid, any reason for that?
Hi Valerie,
I try to keep my recipes as simple and as “natural” as they can be because that is what most of my readers are looking for. Stearic acid is usually derived from palm and many of my readers take issue with that. It can be derived from animal fats, but that is harder to find, and other people still oppose that.
If it were necessary for the recipe, I’d use it anyway, but I don’t really see why you’d need it in a recipe like this one. I had a harder time formulating my shave soap recipe without stearic acid, and will likely provide an alternative, more advanced recipe for those who want a soap with a more stable and abundant lather. 😉
Hi Tracy
Thank you for sharing this
I made it yesterday
It worked fine with the 120 sugar and 30 coffee
I made the same recipe today with dried herbs and sugar
But I used the hand mixer to make it look fluffy
Unfortunately the scrub didn’t turn to be lotioney after I used it on a wet skin it turned to be so fatty when I washed my hands
I had to use a towel to take off the grease out of me
What did I do wrong
Thank you
Hi Maaza,
Sounds like you had good ideas for personalizing the recipe!
If it’s not emulsifying well on your skin, it’s probably your emulsifier.
Which one did you use?
You may need to adjust the amount used, depending upon the emulsifier.
what type of preservative do you recommend?
i also wondered if there’s a reason you recommend weighting the ingredients instead of measuring by volume. i don’t have a scale at home, and was wondering if the measurements could be reasonably converted to volume instead of mass…
thank you!
Hi Mary,
All cosmetic formulations should be done by mass. This helps to ensure you are using the right amount each time. Beeswax can come in a number of formats, and the volume will differ by the size beads (or other shape/format) used. Even with a butter, it’s very hard to measure accurately. For this sort of recipe, it’s not that big of a deal because if the amount is off, it will only change the texture of your product. With recipes with water, though, it makes a big difference. You need to be accurate when adding preservatives and such. In mine, I used a preservative known as Sharomix 705, but there are lots of different natural preservatives that you can use. (Preservative ECO, Cosgard/Geogard…) I’m planning on writing up a post about some of the available ones soon.
Small digital scales are very affordable, and if you plan on making things yourself, they are definitely something you should invest in. (All good soap and lotion recipes, for example, will be done by weight.)
Hi there! I came across this post while looking for a sugar scrub that wont make me slip and slide all over the tub! Forgive me if it is written in the questions above, but does this indeed cut down or eliminate all the slipping and sliding? I’m going to purchase the ingredients needed and just wanted to make sure before I bought the butters and emulsifier. I would like to put this in silicone tubes to eliminate the need of a preservative!
Thanks for the post.
Hi Chris,
Yes, it should cut down on that, at least. It still may lead to a bit of slippage because it does turn into a lotion like consistency and may leave some residue when you rinse it. We have a marble tiled floor in our bathroom and I haven’t noticed it leaving a slippery floor, but I do feel like my arms and leg (or face 😉 ) have lotion left on them. I have found that I don’t like “normal” sugar scrubs much, though, and those do leave an oily residue everywhere!
If you’re going to use a silicone tube, I’d suggest making the mixture a bit more liquidy so that you can more easily dispense it from the tube. You can do that by either adding a bit more oil, or reducing the amount of solid ingredients (waxes, butters, or even the amount of sugar you add) slightly. You may have to experiment a bit. (You could start out testing with just using a bit less sugar.)
Hello ma’am, my question is if it’s possible for me to skip the use of bees wax?
Probably- it should just make a bit thinner product, but so many people are content making sugar scrubs just using oil and sugar, so it should be fine. 😉
It will just change the texture somewhat. If you are opposed to beeswax but want to keep the texture of mine, candelilla wax is a good substitute.
Thanks so much! can’t wait to make this : )
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I’m going to make this for my husband who has very dry winter skin. Can you please share the formula for making the scrub consistency to be used in a squeeze bottle/tube dispenser? Thank you so much!
Hi Laura,
I haven’t tried this yet, but if you want to dispense it from a tube, you’d want to lower the amount added of the more solid ingredients. Even by lowering the amount of sugar you add should help! You could either lower the amount of wax or increase the oil amount slightly.
I can try to make a more liquidy version next time to update with an alternative for those who want to use the tube dispensers, but for now, I haven’t personally done it so I can’t tell you a precise ratio.
I was wondering: if I made your recipe as directed, and was going to give it as a gift, do you know how long of a shelf life the scrub would have? It sounds like it would be a great product and fun gift to give.
Hi Julie,
It would be a wonderful gift!
The shelf life should be around the same as the ingredients you are using (the oils and butters).
Of course if the person using it were to get lots of water into the container, the shelf life would be reduced. (But, that’s why I suggest adding the preservative. While it’s not strictly necessary, it is a good idea because this can be contaminated with water.)
Tracy, thanks for getting back to me so quickly, I appreciate your hlep! I’m excited to try and make a batch!
Can i replace the beeswax with soy?? And is it ok if I use only cocoa butter if tats what I have on hand :):) can I add crushed rose petals to this ? Sorry for asking so many questions ! First time making this ?
Hi Devi,
Yes, you can make these sorts of substitutions, but they may change the texture somewhat. So, I’m not sure about how soy and beeswax compare in hardness, but if you’re adding in a harder substance you may want to either add less of it or add more liquid oil to make up for that change. The same goes for the cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is quite hard- much harder than something like shea butter, so you’d need to account for that difference if you don’t want to make a mixture that ends up being too solid. You can add a bit more liquid oil to compensate for that.
As for the crushed rose petals, yes, you could add something like that. You’d probably want to add dried petals because fresh ones will add moisture to the product. If you were to add fresh petals, you’d need to add a preservative for sure! Keep in mind that either way, the rose petals can be a source of bacteria or mold formation. I’d make sure you used a preservative either way when using them, and trying to keep water out of your scrub.
I accidentally purchased shea butter glycerin soap….can I still use this in place of the shea butter?
Hi Melanie,
No, I’m sorry. Shea butter and shea butter soap have completely different consistencies and properties. You could exchange it for another butter, though, like mango butter or illipe butter. (Cocoa butter could also work, but as it’s a much harder butter, you’d want to use less and use more liquid oil so that the scrub isn’t too hard.)
Do you have any recipes for a non greasy body butter?
Hi Charlene,
I do have a couple I’ve been experimenting with. I haven’t posted any yet, though.
I’ve found that adding a bit of arrowroot powder or some other starch will greatly help with the greasy texture. Of course, the least greasy option is to make a lotion instead, but, of course, that means needing an emulsifier and preservative again.
If you stick with me, I will be posting one soon. 😉
Hi ,I want to start to sell body scrubs and body Butters. How to keep them natural without adding chemical preservatives
Hi Imago,
Products that don’t have water in them don’t necessarily need a preservative. I don’t use a preservative in body butters.
In this case, you don’t “need” to use one, but you have to keep in mind that most people will be using them in the shower and they will likely contaminate the product with water by dipping their wet hands into it. This allows for microbes to grow.
That’s why it is recommended that you add preservatives to sugar scrubs.
If you can find a way to dispense the product without contaminating it with water (Like a silicone tube or something like that), then you could get away without using the preservative. If it’s in a jar, though, I think it’s best to add the preservative.
There are many natural preservatives available on the market these days. Just because you are using a preservative doesn’t mean your product is no longer “natural.” I’d say, though, that safe should trump “natural” always!
Hi! How much scrub does this recipe produce? Thanks!
Hi Shannon,
It depends on how much sugar you add, but I was able to fit most of mine into a 200ml glass jar (the one in the pictures). I think I did use a little of it first- for trying it out and making the video, and the jar was pretty full so if you add a lot of sugar, you may not be able to fit it into a 200ml recipient.
What does the bees wax do? Is it a must?
Hi Amy,
The beeswax gives the oils a bit more consistency, but no, it’s definitely not a must, especially if you are using a lot of sugar.
In any case, the basic sugar scrubs that don’t use emulsifying wax, only use oils, so they aren’t as thick either. It’s all a matter of preference. 🙂
Some of the ingredients in the emulsifying wax you recommended are known to cause cancer. I wouldn’t suggest making this recipe at least with that wax
Hi Marina,
You can make this recipe with any emulsifying wax that you choose.
I had studied the linked to emulsifying wax at the time of linking to it long ago. (While the recipe is new, all of the same ingredients of my various recipes link to the same place. So, if I had linked to “emulsifying wax” in another recipe a long time ago, and I now use emulsifying wax again, they will link to the same wax I chose long ago.)
When I chose that wax, I had chosen it because it was vegetable based, didn’t have GMO’s and none of the ingredients had a rating higher than 3 on the EWG Skin Deep database. That said, I have become a bit more strict about what I use myself, too, and try to avoid products with polysorbates and PEG’s whenever possible. That is much easier said than done, though, and you’ll find that a lot of the emulsifying waxes will have them, but they will be hidden, even from their ingredient list.
I have switched the link out to Olivem because I think that Olivem would work wonderfully in this recipe. It’s an emulsifier that some say gives a bit of a soapy feel, which makes it a great emulsifying wax for cleansers of all types.
I should add to that that none of the ingredients in that emulsifying wax have been shown to cause cancer and the EWG doesn’t have them listed as a cancer risk. I am very careful about the products that I link to. I am aware, though, that some people are going to be pickier than others. That’s why I usually explain why I’ve used the ingredients that I have used, so you will understand better how to switch the ingredients and personalize the recipe. The whole beauty of making something yourself is that you control the ingredients.