- Beautiful Botanical's Sugar Scrub
There are a billion sugar scrub DIY pins on Pinterest, but not one so far tells you some of the more important things that you need to know about Sugar Scrubs or Body Polishes.
Regardless if you purchase a scrub in the store, on-line, at a farmers market or whip one up in your own kitchen following these guidelines will insure that you are not doing more harm than good to your skin and your health.
Preserving your Scrub.
If you have purchased a commercial scrub hopefully it is properly preserved! But beware, some are not. I found that Fresh Sugar Scrub in Brown Sugar does not use a preservative, but they boast a top-notch list of ingredients and a jar will set you back 65.00. Bath and Body is highly preserved but their ingredients are cheap and they use Mineral oil, their price at 16.00 reflects the poor quality of ingredients.
But You Want "All Natural"
1. Do not fall for the "all natural" we don't use preservatives line unless you are certain that the product doesn't contain an ingredient that requires preserving such as a real fruit, strawberry for example. Even ingredients like green tea and Aloe Vera need a preservative, period!
2. Ask the maker of your scrub if they use a broad spectrum preservative. A little preservative is better than none. There are plenty of good preservatives that are safe!
3. Vitamin E or Grapefruit Seed Extract is NOT a preservative.
4. Essential Oils are not a preservative.
5. A scrub that does not contain any water technically does not need a preservative. This is where your diligence comes into play if you decide to purchase a Sugar Scrub without a preservative.
6. Never dip your wet hand into the scrub. Water is the food for microorganisms. Your scrub may still look good and smell fine, but bacteria can and will build up rapidly.
7. Do not leave it where it could possibly come into contact with water. Such as the kitchen sink or in the shower.
8. Keep the lid on when not in use. Store it in a dry place. Use a scoop to remove what you will need and take that to the shower with you. Make sure your scoop is clean and dry for the next use.
9. If your scrub contains fruit or other "food" ingredients often found in a scrubs including honey, oats or citrus zest, keep it refrigerated in between uses, and use it very quickly [2 weeks] unless you are absolutely 100% certain that it is preserved with a broad spectrum preservative.
10. If you suspect your scrub is bad either due to water getting into the product, by smell, expired use by date or obvious mold, toss it out.
11. If you make and share a scrub with your friends, make sure to also share with them the safe use of sugar scrub to ensure they enjoy the product.
12. If you decide to make your own scrub, do use an oil with a long shelf life. Coconut Oil, Jojoba and Avocado are great choices.
13. Make sure to dilute your essential oils properly 1-2%.
14. Do not use the following to make a scrub. Dawn Dish Washing Liquid, Mineral Oil or other petroleum products, baby oil, vegetable oil or crisco.
Happy Scrubbing!
Stay Beautiful & Healthy~
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