DIY Face Scrubs

I'm all about finding ways to do things naturally instead of using already made products that are full of chemicals. There are some stores that sell organic or products made with natural ingredients but they can get pretty pricey  because they have to pay more to license and be able to sell their product even though there is less ingredients. That's just blows my mind! So I've experimented with a few things that I always have at home. They all work great but I do have a favourite. Here are my top 3:

1) Honey and cinnamon - I am a mason jar queen and for my scrubs I use the really small ones. Fill the jar with honey and add a few table spoons of cinnamon, then mix well until all blended together. Everyone has a different preference so I would rub a little on your hand to feel the grittiness on your skin. Some people might like more cinnamon, some might like less but the cinnamon is a great exfoliant, and the honey is a great moisturizer. 

2) Baking soda scrub - Fill a small jar with baking soda, combine enough distilled water and mix to make a paste and a few drops of grapefruit essential. You use distilled water because there are impurities in tap water and  your scrub will mold if not used right away. This is another great exfoliant. Your face will feel really smooth after this scrub.

3) Epsom salt scrub - Fill a small jar with epsom salt and enough almond oil to coat all the grains of epsom and add a few drops of grapefruit essential oil. This one is a little messier because it's not like a paste and you need to be in the tub or over a sink as piece of epsom salt will fall but this works good as well.

My favourite is the honey and cinnamon because I am hypothyroid and this one seems to moisturize my skin the best after the scrub. But the baking soda scrub is a close second because it is a really good exfoliant.  You can use other essential oils in your scrub as well.  I just find the grapefruit and citrus scents refreshing on my face. Try them out and see which one is your favourite. :)

DIY Facial Scrub

There are many natural facial scrub recipes that you can use with everyday ingredients that you have in your kitchen but my favourite is honey and cinnamon. I always have a ton of canning jars around the house. I take one of my smaller ones that holds about 1/4 cup and fill with honey and then add a few tsp of ground cinnamon. I like my scrub to feel grainy so I typically add more cinnamon but you can reduce the amount of cinnamon to your preference in texture. The cinnamon will act as the exfoliant and honey is a great moisturizer. Rub this scrub on your face when you first get in the shower and let sit for a few minutes while you continue your shower. Then rinse off once your shower is complete and your face will feel amazing I promise! :)

Natural Sweetener - Alternatives to White Sugar

White sugar is something that I replaced in my cupboard with raw sugar. It's less processed and white sugar is essentially bleached of it's colour with chemicals. There are many natural sweeteners that you can find such as:

1) Raw Unpasteurized Honey: If you read the labels of some of the brands of honey that they sell in grocery stores and it's a wonder that they can even call it honey. You want raw unpasteurized honey. I buy mine at our local farmer's market.

2) Raw Sugar: Has a light brown colour to it. Can be found in the same aisle as the white and brown sugar.

3)  Coconut Sugar: You can find this at stores like Bulk Barn but is a bit on the pricey side

4) Agave Syrup: I buy mine in the health section at my grocery store or at Bulk Barn.

5) Stevia extract: Make sure that you read the label and see that the extract is 100% from stevia leaf. There are a few products that you will find in the sweetener section but have more chemicals than the stevia plant itself. Read read read labels! You can find this at your local health store.

6) Maple Syrup: Make sure it's 100% natural, will be more expensive than other syrups sold for your pancakes, but worth it. You can find at the grocery store or your local farmer's market.

My personal favourite is the Agave Syrup. I use this to make my homemade oat bars and I find it works better than honey. Would definitely recommend trying this. 

                                    

I tried the same bar recipe with honey and found that it came out a bit crunchier. For me, the agave syrup gave a chewier feel to the bar and tasted better with the ingredients in it. Give them all a try. :)