Two, Four, Six, Eight--How do you exfoliate?

Body scrubs are easy peasy Christmas gifts that can be made with stuff you find in your kitchen and are easily stored in small jars that have been washed out with hot water and the label soaked off. Salsa jars are just the right size for this. They make excellent Christmas gifts. I keep a jar of this in our bathroom at all times. I like to use Fairtrade ingredients if at all possible. It means your gift gives back to the farmers as well.

CHOCOLATE BODY SCRUB

1 cup Fairtrade demerara sugar

2 TB liquid soap (makes it easier to wash off)

2 TB Fairtrade cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

Oil (I like sunflower oil)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and then add oil until it is as wet as you want it. Store in a wide mouth jar that you have washed out with hot water.

                               

 AUTUMN SPICE SCRUB

½ cup  polenta (cornmeal)

½ cup ground oats (oat flour)

2 TB liquid soap (makes it easier to wash off)

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp cloves

10 drops orange essential oil (nice but you can leave it out)

Oil (I like sunflower oil)

Make the oat flour by putting some oats in your food processor and zooshing them until they are all powdery. The name says it all, really. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and then add oil until it is as wet as you want it. Store in a wide mouth jar that you have washed out with hot water.

They are good enough to eat, but don’t try it because of the soap in there. It will taste like yack. But if you want one you can eat try this one. It’s like washing your face with cake.

MARZIPAN FACIAL SCRUB

2 TB ground almonds a.k.a. almond meal (look on the baking aisle at your local supermarket)

2 TB dried shredded coconut

2 TB Fairtrade sugar

4-5 TB vegetable glycerine --enough to make a paste.

Glycerine is a by product of the soap industry so be sure you get one labelled vegetable glycerine otherwise it will have tallow in it from animal fat. Craft stores are good about having vegetable glycerine. Glycerine is a humectant--it draws moisture to it. It is completely edible and very sweet--diabetics beware. It is sold in the UK on the cough and cold aisle at Boots for soothing dry, sore throats.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and then add glycerine until it is as wet as you want it. Store in a wide mouth jar that you have washed out with hot water.

I wash my face with this twice a week and my skin is really clear.

Enjoy and yum yum!