Easy Cupboard Lip Scrub

Recently I was out to lunch with a friend and we had the most wonderful waitress serving our table. The three of us clicked and we chatted away.  Bronwynn (our wonderful waitress) expressed that she had been fighting chapped, peeling lips. While all of us nodded, she went on to say that she bought a scrub at a local big box store. I smiled as I heard that, politely let her finish and then said: “Well, you could also make you’re own”. Heads nodded. What motivated me to write this post was when our new friend said she used to do DIY stuff but now just doesn’t have time.

Lip Scrubs are a great way to help heal chapped, dry lips. Simple ingredients like coconut oil, sugar and honey are all it takes to create a great DIY product!

I reflected on driving to a big box store, probably to buy one or two things but really, how often are we that exacting? So now you are at the store, buying more than you need, maybe reading a label or two, standing in check out cruising the headlines of those crazy newspaper magazines. You know the ones:

Crazy Lady buys 60 acres and discovers kudzu bonanza!

How much time does all that take? I think we forget that there are moments we can shop in our own kitchens and make something, chemical free *bonus*, in perhaps even less time than it takes driving to the big box store. The only thing you’ll miss are those crazy headlines… That’s what you have me for!

Each of these recipes really only requires two components: an exfoliator (a.k.a sugar) and a nourishing agent (a.k.a honey or oil), which is a powerful wallop for only two ingredients! Though I’m a simple gal there are times I want to embellish. So I’m offering some easy options that you can add (but don’t have to) to these scrubs. Make them as simple or fancy as you like!

Here’s a basic scrub that gets the job done quickly and frugally.

Simple Lip Scrub

1 TB Coconut Oil

1 TB Honey

2 TB Sugar

1/2 TB warm water (optional)

In a bowl, mix the coconut oil and honey together.  If you find the mixture is too thick microwave it for about 5 seconds. Or if you’re like me and you don’t own a microwave (here comes another headline…crazy lady doesn’t own microwave) steam it over your kettle or pop it in a steamer or double boiler to soften.

Once the coconut oil and honey are mixed, pour in the sugar and, if you like, add no more than a 1/2 tablespoon of lukewarm water and mix it all up to a loose paste consistency. You can leave the water out and just add more oil or honey if you like. Scrub lightly on your lips. Leave on lips 1-2 minutes then wash off with lukewarm water.

Be sure to refrigerate when the scrub isn’t in use.

Want an even easier scrub?

Crazy Simple Lip Scrub

1 TB Brown Sugar

1 Healthy Squirt of Honey

Mix together until paste is formed. Gently rub on lips and leave 1-2 minutes and wash off.

Here’s why these ingredients work:

• Coconut Oil = anti aging, moisturize softening
• Honey = natural antibacterial, amino acids that moisturize.
• Sugar = exfoliates & stimulates collagen production – anti aging
• Lemon Juice = brightens skin, and exfoliates.

Have some fun with ingredients. Mix it up a bit! Don’t want to use regular sugar? Use all brown sugar or ½ and ½. Don’t like olive oil? Trade it for coconut oil or another favorite of mine, grapeseed oil.

Don’t like honey? Ok, well I have to draw the line somewhere. Come on, let me convince you of honey’s magic properties! Visit my post “The Miracle of Honey” and witness the errr…. miracle. Honey IS a great healer. Ok, ok, you can leave it out just add more oil but you’re losing some powerful benefits from this wonderful ingredient.

Do you like Essential Oils like I do? Add your favorite! Peppermint, Sweet Orange, Spearmint, and Cinnamon are just some of the oils I use in my scrubs.

Remember:

• To ensure no bacteria are deposited in your precious scrub be sure to:
  Use a swab, popsicle stick or anything other than YOUR FINGERS to dip into the scrub.
• Store in a sealed container in your fridge.
• Rub Gently!

So make your time count, stay home, make something healthy for yourself and create your own headline:

Sane Person Stays away from Money Sucking Store and makes Healthy Alternative Lip Scrub!

Hmmmm, probably won’t sell any magazines but you’re not at the store to read the headlines anyway!

Have you made a Lip Scrub before?