handmade holidays: vanilla & brown sugar body scrub

Day one of the Handmade Holidays series!

I love homemade body scrubs. They don’t dry out your skin like conventional ones, they smell delicious and organic and they really work wonders on rough, cracking, dry skin in the colder months. This is my favorite scrub and I’ve been using it for years. Last year I decided to give each member of my team a container of scrub at the holidays. No lie they still talk about it and how they want more of it.

This is the perfect, inexpensive gift for anyone who enjoys skin products. Likely you have the ingredients in your house already. What really makes it a personalized gift is how you go about packaging it. Last year I grabbed some plastic containers from Joann’s but this year I decided to use small mason jars because I think it looks a lot more inviting and fancy. I’ll be giving a disclaimer though, to those I gift this to, that I’m not responsible for any injuries due to glass breakage!

Body scrubs are great when you have a large number of folks to give gifts to: think teachers, co-workers, nieces, siblings, etc.

Vanilla & Brown Sugar Body Scrub

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup almond OR sesame OR olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp honey

Mix all ingredients together, stirring very well. It takes about five minutes of stirring to get everything really mixed together. Optional: recruit a handsome fella to stir for you while he watches football.

If too dry add a tad more oil, if too moist add a tad more brown sugar. Take a whiff and even add a tad more vanilla if the scent is not strong enough for you.

Scoop into the containers of your choice. I used tiny, cute eight ounce mason jars. The jars were brand new and they were going to get tossed at my office when we moved to a new space so I snagged them.

In PicMonkey I created circle labels to place on top of each jar. I then wrapped a small bow with twine to finish it off. I love the packaging of them and I think it really is what makes the gift the most appealing. I’m sharing a free printable of the Body Scrub Jar Labels with you guys. You can simply print, cut and place between the lid and the rings of the mason jars.

To use, scoop a small amount out of the jar and scrub on arms, legs and body while showering. Rinse clean and pat dry. Your skin will feel silky smooth!