Homemade sugar scrubs are one of the easiest and most effective ways to rejuvenate your skin. Making your own sugar scrub at home allows you to add in whatever you want to the scrub, personalizing it to your skin and preferences.
If you are wanting to make a sugar face scrub at home, how do you know which sugars are the best to use?
There are quite a few sugars to choose from when it comes to making a sugar face scrub, and each serves a different purpose and feels different on the skin. For a homemade face scrub, brown sugar is your best bet. It contains a healthy amount of glycolic acid which promotes healthy skin renewal and is an anti-bacterial as well.
Below is a complete guide on how to choose the right sugar for your homemade face scrub!
What Are Sugar Scrubs Used For?
Sugar face scrubs are used to exfoliate the skin but still moisturize and hydrate the skin. The sugar acts as an exfoliant, removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, as well as lifting away excess oil and dirt, and stimulating good circulation in the skin.
What makes sugar a great choice for a face scrub is that sugar naturally contains glycolic acid, which is really helpful to cleanse the skin and to dissolve dead skin cells. The glycolic acid will also not strip the skin of natural oils, which keeps the skin hydrated and healthy.
Glycolic acid is often used to treat aging or sun-damaged skin. It breaks down the glue that holds skin cells together, encouraging a faster cell turnover, which results in fresher and younger-looking skin.
Different Types of Sugars
Luckily, there is a variety of different sugars you can choose from when making a homemade face scrub. Each has different properties and varied exfoliation effects. These are the different sugars that can be used for the skin in a face scrub:
- Regular sugar – Regular sugar can be used on both the face and the body
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar is finer than the other sugars and is best used on the face
- Raw sugar – Raw sugar is better suited for the body but can be used on the face if you are wanting a deep exfoliation
- Pure cane sugar – Pure cane sugar, or unrefined white sugar, can be used on all skin types and can be used on the face and body
How The Different Sugars Affect the Skin
While they are all sugars, each treats the skin in a slightly different way. Knowing how each sugar works on the skin will help you decide which is the best one for you to use.
Brown sugar – Brown sugar is the least abrasive sugar on the skin, making it a perfect choice for those with sensitive skin. It is really gentle and is one of the best options for a face scrub. It will feel like an effective, yet light exfoliation on the skin, and can be used up to 2 times a week for the best results.
Pure cane sugar – Being unrefined, pure cane sugar contains some essential nutrients that treat the skin better than other sugars. It is suited for all skin types and will leave the skin feeling hydrated and perfectly exfoliated.
Raw sugar – Also known as turbinado sugar, raw sugar is the coarsest type of sugar, due to the larger granules. This makes it slightly rough as a face scrub, and more suited for a body scrub, but if used carefully, can still be used on the face. As it is the least processed of all the sugars, it contains the most essential minerals and gives the skin great rejuvenation.
Regular sugar – Regular sugar is great to use on both the body and face, however as it is fairly processed, it can contain less essential minerals that help to treat the skin. It is possibly the most readily available sugar for most people and is the most common found in homemade face scrubs.
Which Is The Best Sugar To Use?
Brown sugar is your best option for a face scrub. Not only does it contain a large amount of glycolic acid, but brown sugar also works to improve any damage done by the sun, and can even promote anti-aging.
Brown sugar is a natural humectant, meaning it absorbs moisture from the environment and transfers it to your skin. This helps hydrate and condition the skin, keeping it nourished and with moisture locked in.
Brown sugar also helps to guard your skin against harmful toxins.
When it comes to the granules, brown sugar is one of the finest sugars, which means it will not irritate or hurt the skin when used as a face scrub. The fine particles do their job well to exfoliate the skin of dead skin cells and any impurities but are not too large to be uncomfortable when used on the face.
My favorite face and lip exfoliator is made with brown sugar and can be found on Amazon.
Ingredients For A Sugar Face Scrub
You can choose to make a simple sugar face scrub with just the sugar and oil, or you can whip up one with different ingredients, which will all do wonders for your skin. Here are the ingredients you will need to make a sugar face scrub at home, and then some optional extras you might want to add in.
Sugar – You will obviously need a lump of sugar to make a sugar face scrub. You can choose between brown sugar, cane sugar, raw sugar or regular sugar, but brown sugar is probably the best to be used.
Oil – You need to choose and oil which will work well for your skin. The ratio to use is about ½ cup of oil to 1 cup of sugar. You can also mix the different oils you want to use, and you can choose between the following:
- Olive oil – Olive oil is incredibly hydrating to the skin and because it contains oleocanthal, it is soothing and able to reduce inflammation of the skin.
- Avocado oil – Avocado oil is very rich in fatty acids and vitamin E, along with other wonderful nutrients that treat the skin with moisture.
- Coconut oil – Coconut oil is a natural antibacterial and an antifungal. It is also really great at moisturizing the skin, and because of its liquid form at room temperature, it makes for a consistent sugar scrub which is easy to spread.
- Apricot oil – Apricot oil is very moisturizing to the skin and helps to soothe dry skin. It contains a healthy dose of vitamins E and A, which reduce any signs of aging. Containing gamma linoleic acid, it tones and firms the skin.
- Jojoba oil – Jojoba oil soothes dry skin and reduces redness and irritation. It does a great job at repairing damaged skin.
Essential oils – Essential oils are completely optional to add to your face body scrub, and you can choose almost anyone you want for aromatherapy purposes. Some essentials oils do have benefits for the skin, such as frankincense which can treat inflamed skin and reduce the effects of aging.
Vitamin E – A little bit of vitamin E added to your homemade sugar face scrub can reduce the appearance of scars, and work towards softening the skin even further. It is optional, but a great addition if you can.
Lemon juice – Lemon juice is another optional extra to add into your scrub. It has a wonderful aroma, as well as helping to exfoliate and remove impurities and dead skin cells from the surface of the skin.
How To Make A Sugar Face Scrub
Making a sugar face scrub is so incredibly easy, you will be left wondering why you hadn’t tried it out sooner!
You need to make sure that you have all your ingredients on hand, along with any optional extras that you will want to use. Find an airtight container to keep the sugar face scrub in, to keep it fresh for as long as possible.
- Add 1 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl, and add the ½ cup of oil one tablespoon at a time, making sure to mix in between. You might find that you do not need to use all of the oil, but just keep checking the consistency after each tablespoon to get to a consistency which you are happy with.
- The consistency of the sugar face scrub should be slightly sandy and pasty, not too liquid. If there is too much liquid in the mixture, the sugar will dissolve quickly over a few days and not have the exfoliating effect on the skin that it needs to. If the mixture is too liquid, add in some more sugar.
- Add in any other optional extras that you might want, such as a few drops of essential oils or lemon juice.
- Place the mixture into an airtight container to store away.
How To Use A Sugar Face Scrub
There are a few ways to use your sugar face scrub, all which can fit perfectly into your beauty routine.
Face scrub – In the morning or evening, stand over the sink. Apply a small amount of the sugar face scrub onto your skin and gently massage it in for 1 minute. Do not be too rough as this might irritate your skin. Rinse off the sugar scrub over the sink and apply your favorite moisturizer.
Shower – Your sugar face scrub can be used on the rest of your body as well, and what better way to achieve this than by in the shower? Wet your skin slightly in the shower and then turn the shower off. This leaves some moisture on your skin to be locked down with the scrub. Apply the scrub in circular motions all over your body, and then gently onto your face. Switch the shower back on and wash the sugar scrub away.
Bath – Who can resist a relaxing soak in the tub? Get into a warm bath and let your skin soak for 20 minutes. This softens the outer layer of the skin and creates a better canvas for exfoliation. Gently scrub the sugar scrub in circular motions onto your body and face, and gently remove in the bath when it is done. Your skin will be left glowing and rejuvenated, and full of much-needed moisture thanks to the locked-down hydration.
Other Face Scrub Ideas
If you are wanting to expand your face scrub repertoire, here are some other great homemade facial scrub ideas that you can make with a few simple ingredients:
Chia scrub – Mix some chia seeds, sugar, oil, and peppermint together for a refreshing face scrub
Coffee scrub – Coffee is a great exfoliant, specifically when using ground coffee granules. Along with some oil, the coffee will reduce inflammation and increase the circulation of the skin.
Lemon sugar scrub – This is similar to the sugar face scrub above, but this requires around 11 drops of lemon essential oil in the recipe, which creates a powerfully refreshing and rejuvenating scrub.
Related Questions
How do I know which is the best sugar to use for my skin?
Figuring out which sugar scrub is best for your skin will take some trial and error, but it would be a good idea to start with brown sugar. It is the gentlest of the different sugars and is a great starting point. Try out the other different sugars as face scrubs, and you will be able to work out which one pairs best with your skin, and which ones do not.
How long with my sugar face scrub last?
If you keep your sugar face scrub sealed in an airtight container when not in use, away from heat or sunlight, it should last for up to two months, or even longer in some cases. Make sure to not get any water into the scrub, as this could cause it to become moldy and possibly spoil.
Can I use my sugar body scrub on my face and body?
It is perfectly fine to use your sugar face scrub on your body. To make it go further, you can double up the quantities in the recipe so you don’t run out too fast. A coarser sugar might be better for the rest of your body, but brown sugar should work well as an overall exfoliator.
How often should I use my sugar scrub?
It is safe to use the sugar face scrub up to two times a week. Exfoliating more than that will strip too many natural oils from your skin and could end up drying and damaging your skin.
Can I use a sugar scrub before a spray tan?
You should use a sugar scrub, on your face and body, the day before going for a spray tan. It is completely safe to use and is actually recommended to even out the skin and remove any dead skin cells that might interfere with the overall appearance of the spray tan.
Make sure that all the oil is washed off your skin as if it is left on, it might act as a barrier to the spray tan and cause patches and dark spots.
Sugar Face Scrubs
It is so incredibly simple to make your own sugar face scrub at home, and it leaves you open to personalizing the scrub by choosing what sugar to use and what other extra ingredients you can add in as well.
Your face will love the extra care and nourishment that sugar brings, as well as the oils which will hydrate and soften your skin.
Use your sugar face scrub twice a week for the best results, and you will never have to buy a ready-made scrub again!
