Do you love Christmas scents as much as I do? The warm, sweet aromas of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon have a magical way of ushering in the holiday spirit. This delicious Gingerbread body scrub not only captures the essence of the season but also leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth. So that you look radiant and your best for the upcoming festive parties! PS it also makes for a quick and awesome gift!
I’ve added two versions of this body scrub: a foaming body scrub, which includes a foaming bath butter, but also a simpler sugar scrub, using ingredients we readily have at home, for a truly last-minute gift!
The foaming body scrub is more cleansing, whereas the natural sugar scrub is more moisturising. Both will exfoliate.
Ingredients
Sugar – this makes up the base of the scrub. Sugar is one of my favourite ingredients in scrubs, because it exfoliates through both mechanical and chemical means. Mechanical exfoliation occurs when the granules of sugar work as a mild physical abrasive, helping to slough off dead skin cells. As you massage the sugar scrub onto your skin, it mechanically removes the outer layer of dead cells, promoting a smoother complexion. Chemical exfoliation, on the other hand, involves the natural acids present in sugar. The alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) in sugar, such as glycolic acid, break down the bonds between skin cells, aiding in the removal of dead skin. This chemical process enhances cell turnover, contributing to a brighter and more radiant skin appearance. Together, these mechanical and chemical actions make sugar an effective and gentle exfoliating agent for skincare.
Shea butter – I love shea butter for its remarkable benefits on the skin. Packed with essential fatty acids and vitamins A and E, it deeply nourishes and moisturises, leaving the skin smooth and supple.
Foaming bath butter (used only in the foaming body scrub) – If you have foaming bath butter at home, or can get hold of it, I really recommend using this body scrubs for several reasons. Firstly, obviously for its cleansing properties and the foaming aspect adds a wonderful sensory experience. Secondly, the creamy texture enhances the overall feel of the scrub. The addition of the foaming bath butter not only leaves your skin exfoliate, but also refreshed and clean.
Fragrance – I love using one of my Christmas fragrances in this scrub. Just make sure it is approved for use in cosmetic skin care (not all candle fragrances are safe!) and use the recommended usage rate given for rinse-off products (sometimes also labelled as soap). The alternative version uses a combination of vanilla extract and spicy essential oils.
Mica – you can keep your scrub uncoloured, or I like adding gold or beige mica to give it a more gingerbread-like colour to it. If you have colourful jojoba beads, green and/or red, they make it look even more festive and gingerbread like!
Gingerbread Foaming Body Scrub
The unique combination of exfoliation, moisturisation, and cleansing is what makes this into a lavish pampering body scrub.
Ingredients
- 200 grams sugar
- 50 grams shea butter
- 150 grams foaming bath butter
- 2 grams(0.5%) Christmas or Gingerbread fragrance
- jojoba beads
- gold or beige mica
Instructions
- Add the foaming bath butter and shea butter and fragrance to a mixing bowl or food processor. Mix using the food processor or a mixer, until it becomes a smooth mixture.
- Add the sugar, and using a spatula or spoon, mix it through.
- Add a small amount of mica and mix it. If it’s too light for your liking, add some more. Keep adding and mixing until you get the shade you like. Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take any out!
- Lastly add the jojoba beads, and again, start with a small amount and keep adding until you’re happy with the effect.
- Fill the jars or containers and label.
To use: simply scoop some out and rub on wet skin in circular motions. Rinse.
The scrub contains no additional preservative. The high amount of sugar combined with the preserved foaming bath butter is a sufficient preservative. However, if you want to play it safe, you can add extra preservative (0.5-1% depending on the preservative used)
Gingerbread Body Scrub – simple & natural version
This is a simpler version of the above scrub, using completely natural ingredients found in your pantry, expect for the cinnamon essential oil (obviously not found in the pantry!). If you don’t have cinnamon essential oil, you can leave it out and have a delicious vanilla scented scrub, which is just as appealing!
Ingredients
- 300 grams sugar
- 100 grams shea butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20 drops cinnamon essential oil
- cocoa powder
Instructions
- Add the shea butter to a mixing bowl or food processor. Mix using the food processor or a mixer, until it becomes a smooth mixture.
- Add the sugar and, using a spatula or spoon, mix it through thoroughly until the mixture has become an even consistency.
- Add the vanilla extract and if using, the cinnamon essential oil and mix again.
- Add a small amount of cocoa powder, about 1/2 teaspoon and mix well. If it’s too light for your liking, add some more. Keep adding and mixing until you get the shade you like. Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take any out!
- Lastly fill the jars or containers and label.
To use: simply scoop some out and rub on cleansed, wet skin in circular motions. Rinse.
The scrub contains no additional preservative. The high amount of sugar is a sufficient preservative, and the scrub contains no water-containing ingredients. However, if you want to play it safe, you can add extra preservative (0.5-1% depending on the preservative used).
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