3 Holiday Sugar Scrubs Perfect for Gift Giving

I have never met a sugar scrub I didn’t like. Especially this time of year when dryness is at a fever pitch, a yummy smelling scrub is like heaven to parched skin. Hop in the shower, mix in a little water and scrub away. Voila!

But the dreamy skin isn’t even the best part. Sugar scrubs are by far the easiest beauty product to make, and with just a few ingredients you can put together a big batch in no time. That also makes them perfect for gift giving.

The scent combinations are endless, and with the right combo of oils and spices you can create some yummy holiday scrubs, like peppermint latte, gingerbread cookie, and mulling spice. So grab some sugar and a few cute jars, and whip up this sugar scrub trio to give to your best girlfriends.

Holiday Sugar Scrub Trio

For each of these scrubs, you can prepare them directly in the jar, or whip up a big batch and divvy it out into several small jars. If you’re putting together a lot of gifts at once, I recommend making your scrubs in bulk and then packing them up separately. It will make your life so much easier and save time cleaning up later. Each of the recipes makes enough for about two 4-ounce jars, but you can adjust the recipe up or down as needed.

I have only recently learned about the wonders of fractionated coconut oil. Have you ever heard of it? Fractionated coconut oil has been processed to remove all the long chain fatty acids, leaving only the medium chain fatty acids. It’s great for beauty products because instead of turning into a solid at colder temperatures, it stays liquid.

I love it because you get all the wonderful skin soothing benefits of coconut oil without having to worry about your scrubs clumping or going bad as quickly. But of course it’s by no means necessary! Simply substitute olive, grapeseed or sweet almond oil in its place if you have some on hand.

Peppermint Latte Sugar Scrub

This is my all-time favorite holiday scrub. It smells exactly like a Starbucks Peppermint Latte, and because it contains coffee, it’ll give your skin a tingly little boost. Simply mix all the ingredients together and spoon into jars.

• 1 cup white sugar
• ¼ cup finely ground coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil
• ½ cup fractionated coconut oil (or oil of your choice)

Mulling Spice Sugar Scrub

When I was younger I always knew it was the holidays because my mom would break out the mulling spices. Something about it just screams holiday cheer to me, so I love incorporating it into my Christmas gifts. This scrub uses orange oil for an energy boost and a combo of warm spices for the ultimate holiday scent. Plus, a little turmeric gives it a festive orange glow and skin-brightening benefits to boot.

• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 15 drops orange essential oil
• ½ cup oil of your choice

Gingerbread Cookie Sugar Scrub

What’s better than warm, freshly baked cookies during the holidays? This scrub is loaded with dried ginger to help nourish skin and a combination of turbinado and brown sugars to polish flakes away.

• 1 cup turbinado sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½  teaspoon each dried ginger, nutmeg, allspice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup oil of your choice

 

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