homemade lemon & coconut sugar scrub.

one of my goals for 2013 was to take better care of my skin, so when i saw this tutorial on a blog i read often, i decided to give it a try with a little modification. i will probably always be a plain ol' bar of dove girl at heart, but as i get older and notice the wrinkles forming, i can't help but do what i can to make the aging process as painless as possible. with my face somewhat under control, i have focused my attention on the rest of my goods. like a good girl, i do the whole exfoliate and moisturize business regularly, but i wanted to look into using an all natural product, without spending an entire paycheck on it. so i made that shit.

how we do: lemon & coconut sugar scrub

you will need:

2.5 cups of sugar

1 cup of coconut oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

you most likely have all these ingredients in your kitchen as we speak, and actually putting it together is so easy, instructions are almost superfluous, but here they are anyways for shits and gigs. once you gather all your ingredients and supplies, it's a matter of prepping everything. juice a fresh lemon to yield 4 tablespoons, and set aside. scoop 1 cup of coconut oil into a measuring cup, and microwave for 45 seconds or until fully melted. it's really effing hot, so please don't burn yourself like i did. in a large bowl combine 2.5 cups of regular, everyday sugar, adding your coconut oil, and then the lemon juice. mix until the oil and lemon juice is fully incorporated into the sugar. i used a coarse grater to zest an entire lemon into the mixture, and gave it all a really good stir, that's it. i love anything lemon scented, and coconut oil is like crack, but feel free to do whatever scent combinations you like. honey & lavender, coffee & brown sugar, and peppermint variations all sound like they would leave you yummy enough to eat.

i filled a small sealable preserving jar to the brim, and topped it with a bit more lemon zest for funzies. i keep it in the shower for use when i need it (so good if giving yourself a pedicure, makes your feet silky smooth) and i love the way it leaves my skin soft, moisturized and a little more girly. it makes a perfect gift for things like showers, a house warming gift, birthdays, etc. it's 100% natural and animal tested as i definitely dropped a blob on the floor while transferring to the jar, and india ate it. not to worry, she is alive and positively radiant.