Make Your Own Blackberry Sage Sugar Scrub for a Clarifying Summer Glow

This post was created in partnership with Everclear® Grain Alcohol. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I daydream about the best summer days, I always think of two things: beautiful, fresh berries plucked straight from the vine and glowing sun-kissed skin. This blackberry sage sugar scrub recipe combines both to create a DIY exfoliator that's essentially summertime in a jar.

I don't know about you, but when swimsuit season arrives after a long winter, I'm always looking for ways to give my dry winter skin a nice glow. With ingredients like fresh blackberries and fresh sage, apricot oil, shea butter, a mix of sugars and essential oils, and Everclear® Grain Alcohol, this rich, berry-hued scrub looks and smells as amazing as it feels on your skin. 

Aside from serving as a fun way to celebrate the summer season, this DIY body scrub also provides some noteworthy skincare benefits. Studies have shown that blackberries can reduce inflammation and free radicals [source] and provide strong antioxidant properties that can improve UV-induced skin damage [source]. 

Then there's the sage. You may be accustomed to cooking with fresh sage, but did you know it's got some notable skincare benefits as well? 

While the scent of the plant's leaves is certainly enough of a reason to include it in this homemade body scrub, studies note that sage also has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties [source]. Those also make it great to use on legs for treating ingrown hairs and tackling dead skin cells that often clog pores. 

When combined with the exfoliation benefits of turbinado and white sugar, the blackberries and sage create a scrub that leaves the skin feeling soft and moisturized (a must after long swims in chlorinated pools and saltwater). 

Using Everclear® Grain Alcohol not only adds a clarifying element to this DIY recipe, but it can also help extend the shelf life of homemade beauty products. And did I mention that the sweet smell of berries mixed with the herbal earthiness of sage and the scent of vanilla and sandalwood essential oils is just divine?

To make this blackberry sage sugar scrub, combine everything except the sugar in a food processor and puree until smooth. If you prefer, you can strain out the blackberry seeds using a mesh strainer, but I left them in. As long as you're gentle and don't use this on your face where skin can be extra sensitive, the seeds act as a nice natural exfoliant.

In a lidded jar or container, combine both kinds of sugar with the blackberry mixture and stir well. Apply in the shower, scrub, and rinse off with water. 

If you have any leftover scrub, it can be stored in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Can you imagine how refreshing the refrigerator-cooled scrub would feel on your skin after a long day outside soaking up the sun?!

You can find Everclear® at your local retailer or online via Cask Cartel, Caskers, or Drizly. You can also search Everclear's product locator page online.

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Blackberry Sage Sugar Scrub

A scrub with blackberries, sage, apricot oil, shea butter, a mix of sugars and essential oils, and Everclear® grain alcohol to soften and moisturize your skin.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Course: Body Scrub

Keyword: DIY, essential oils, skincare

Author: Elizabeth Ulrich

Equipment

• Lidded jar or container
• Food processor
• Mesh strainer (optional)

Materials

• ½ cup fresh blackberries
• 3 fresh sage leaves
• 1-½ tablespoons apricot oil (any carrier oil will work)
• 1 tablespoon shea butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon Everclear® grain alcohol
• 5 drops vanilla essential oil
• 5 drops sandalwood essential oil
• ½ cup turbinado sugar
• 1-½ cups white sugar

Instructions

• Combine everything except the sugar in a food processor and puree until smooth. If you prefer, you can strain out the blackberry seeds using a mesh strainer, but I left them in. As long as you’re gentle and don’t use this on your face, the seeds act as a natural exfoliant.
• In a lidded jar or container, combine both sugars with the blackberry mixture. Stir well.
• Apply in the shower, gently scrubbing the skin and rinsing with water. 
• Store extra scrub in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

If you prefer, you can strain out the blackberry seeds using a mesh strainer after pureeing the ingredients in the food processor, or you can leave them in for some additional exfoliation. Any leftover scrub can be stored in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

References (in order of appearance):

Piazza S, et al. A review of the potential benefits of plants producing berries in skin disorders. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020. 

Calvo-Castro L, et al. Protective effect of tropical highland blackberry juice (Rubus adenotrichos Schltdl.) against UVB-Mediated damage in human epidermal keratinocytes and in a reconstituted skin equivalent model. Photochem Photobiol. 2013.

Abu-Darwish MS, et al. Essential oil of common sage (Salvia officinalis L.) from Jordan: assessment of safety in mammalian cells and its antifungal and anti-inflammatory potential. Biomed Res Int. 2013.

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Gina Jansheski, a licensed, board-certified physician who has more than 20 years of practice experience. Learn more about Hello Glow's medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice, and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.