Home Made Lemon Sugar Scrub

We may be Practical Pioneers around here, but Little House on the Prairie we are NOT. Last Christmas we had store bought gifts under the tree, many requiring batteries or an electrical outlet. And though I have some very generous kids, I doubt any would follow Laura Ingalls’ lead and trade their most prized possession (Bunny the horse!) for a cook stove for me. But we are the kind of folks who like to make things with our hands. Tonight we got to do just that.

Tonight’s project was: Lemon Sugar Scrub.

It’s soooo easy to make, fairly inexpensive and lovely to use on your face. The coconut oil is a gorgeous moisturizer, the lemon smells fantastic while it clarifies and cleans, and the sugar exfoliates your skin. It also looks  darn cute in tiny little mason jars. Here’s how:

Ingredients:

• Zest and Juice of Two Lemons
• 1 Cup Sugar (NOT powdered or very fine), plus 1/4 Cup
• 1/2 Cup Organic Coconut Oil

Other Tools:

• Mixing Bowl
• Spatula
• Stick Blender
• Four 4 Ounce jars with lids (or adjust recipe to suit your preferred jar size)

Method:

• Measure your Coconut Oil and transfer to a heat proof mug. Microwave for only a few seconds at a time until you can just stir it . . . do NOT heat it so much that it turns to liquid. You just want it creamy. Set aside.
• Wash and dry the lemons and then zest (I use a microplane!). Get every last bitg of that zest! Set Aside.
• Cut lemons in half and juice them. Strain into a cup, removing seeds and pulp.
• Measure 1 cup of sugar into the mixing bowl and add the strained lemon juice. Stir to mix well.
• Then add the coconut oil. Stir well and scrape down the sides with the spatula. When it’s as combined as you can get it by hand, switch to the stick blender. Blend and scrape the sides until the mixture is beautifully creamy and almost fluffy.
• Add the last 1/4 cup of sugar and most of the zest and stir to combine.
• Fill your jars, topping with a sprinkling of zest (makes it look pretty!).
• Replace lids, label, and pop in the fridge for a bit to firm up.

To use, just dig a little out with your fingertips and scrub your face. Rinse with warm water.

That’s all there is, too it! No chemicals, simple ingredients, good for your skin and doesn’t break the bank. Wonder what we can make tomorrow?!!?

UPDATE: I’ve had some requests for the cost breakdown. . .my apologies. I should have included it in the post! Obviously, prices in different locations will vary a bit, but here is what I paid, which should give you a general idea:

Lemons, 40 cents each (80 cents total)
Sugar, about 25 cents
Coconut oil, $4 (I used a great Organic brand, and I didn’t get it on sale OR have a coupon-shocking, I know!)
Jars $3.50 (I used Balls 4 ounce jars and, again, didn’t get them on sale or with a coupon)

So, the total cost was $8.15 for FOUR adorable, useful, practical, beautiful hand made gifts. (that’s only about $2 each! )

UPDATE #2: As this isn’t food, you don’t need to ‘seal’ the jars, so the Balls canning jars is a little overkill. . .you can use any small jars that have an opening large enough to get your fingers in to get the scrub out!