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Sugar and oil are common ingredient available in everyone's kitchen – but did you know they are actually amazing for your body?
When it comes to our diets, sugar and oil are known for their negative effect on our health, contributing to weight gain, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. If you were hoping for this blog post to be about how healthy the consumption of sugar and oil is, I'm sorry, it just isn't. However, when it comes to your beauty routine, both sugar and oil have amazing benefits for our body.
Here are eight DIY body care uses for sugar and oil.
Here are eight DIY body care uses for sugar and oil.
Body Scrub
Starting with the obvious, sugar and oil have been used as a natural exfoliant for many years. You can make a simple body scrub at home using basic white sugar and olive oil (or any other oil). Optionally, add a few drops of your favourite essential oil for fragrance. I like vanilla and lavender EO for its calming effect. For a more stimulating, anti-cellulite scrub, add coffee grounds to your mixture like I did with my Chocolate Mocha Body Scrub – smells amazing, too!
Body scrubs are great to exfoliate basically anything from your head to your toes, including your lips. Use the softer brown sugar for more sensitive areas like your face, and the coarser raw sugar for less sensitive areas like your legs.
Hair Mask
Due to its hydrating and nourishing properties, oil makes for a great natural hair mask to keep the hair shiny, smooth, and less prone to breakage. For a deep conditioning hair mask you will need coconut oil or olive oil, and pure vitamin E oil. Mix and warm up the oil so it more readily penetrates your hair. Apply it on your dry hair, focussing on split ends. If your scalp naturally gets very oily, exclude the roots. Gently massage hair and scalp with your fingers and leave it on for about 20-40 minutes before washing it out with a natural shampoo. Use castor oil to reduce hair loss, fight scalp infections and dandruff.
Sugaring Wax
For an easy and inexpensive DIY hair remover, you can make your own sugaring wax. All you need is white or brown sugar, lemon juice and water. Apply the warmed up mixture directly to the desired area and peel it off with the hair. As opposed to normal waxing, this method is said to be the most gentle and safe way to remove body hair – without removing or injuring the top layer of your skin.
Foot Cleanser
So many people find their feet gross. And I can kinda see why. When it comes to body care, our feet often get neglected – they are so far down there, and they just look weird. Why not use sugar and oil to get clean and soft feet? Mix 1 cup of granulated sugar with 2 tsp baking soda and about 4 tsp oil (coconut, olive, sunflower, almond...), or enough to form a loose paste. I like to add peppermint and tea tree essential oil for their refreshing and antibacterial effect. Mix together, then scrub the mixture onto the bottom of your feet and your heels to get rid of any dead cells and dryness. Afterwards, gently massage your dry feet with some more oil to moisturize.
Face Mask
Another amazing way to use sugar and oil is to make your own natural face mask. For a hydrating and clarifying mask mix together brown sugar, olive oil (or honey) and a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Apply the mixture to your face, working in gentle circular motions with your fingers. Be careful to avoid your eyes and mouth during application. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse your face with cool water and pat dry with a clean washcloth. Apply your favourite moisturiser and enjoy your soft skin.
Body Massage
Whether it's a back, a foot, a face or a breast massage, oil works great to lubricate and moisturize the skin (and BTW, organic coconut oil also makes for a great lubricant for sex, but like all oils it shouldn't be used with condoms!). Choose organic coconut oil, almond oil, the more expensive but non-greasy grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, or just sunflower oil as a "base" or "carrier" oil. Then add essential oils. Use grapefruit, lemon, eucalyptus or rosemary EO for a vitalizing massage; lavender, ylang-ylang, frankincense, sandalwood or tangerine EO for a calming massage.
Tooth Paste
Yep, you've read right. You can actually use oil (but not sugar! lol) to make your own tooth paste, such as my healing turmeric and tea tree tooth paste that is made of coconut oil, finely ground xylitol, turmeric powder, mineral clay and tea tree oil. For an easier recipe for homemade tooth paste simply combine slightly melted coconut oil, finely ground xylitol and a few drops of peppermint essential oil for that fresh minty flavour. Do not use regular sugar instead of xylitol! Xylitol is a natural sugar made from birch extract that is known to prevent tooth decay and is used in dental care (source).
Hand Degreaser
Last but not least, sugar acts as a mild abrasive, allowing you to remove any gunk without using harsh chemicals. If you've ever had the pleasure of working on a car or a bike, then you know that grease can be quite a challenge to scrub down. Use 1 teaspoon of sugar with a little water, and wash your hands as normal. If it's a stubborn mix of grease and grime, add some liquid dish soap. Moisturize your hands with a hydrating oil such as coconut oil afterwards.
Another amazing way to use sugar and oil is to make your own natural face mask. For a hydrating and clarifying mask mix together brown sugar, olive oil (or honey) and a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Apply the mixture to your face, working in gentle circular motions with your fingers. Be careful to avoid your eyes and mouth during application. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse your face with cool water and pat dry with a clean washcloth. Apply your favourite moisturiser and enjoy your soft skin.
Body Massage
Whether it's a back, a foot, a face or a breast massage, oil works great to lubricate and moisturize the skin (and BTW, organic coconut oil also makes for a great lubricant for sex, but like all oils it shouldn't be used with condoms!). Choose organic coconut oil, almond oil, the more expensive but non-greasy grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, or just sunflower oil as a "base" or "carrier" oil. Then add essential oils. Use grapefruit, lemon, eucalyptus or rosemary EO for a vitalizing massage; lavender, ylang-ylang, frankincense, sandalwood or tangerine EO for a calming massage.
Tooth Paste
Yep, you've read right. You can actually use oil (but not sugar! lol) to make your own tooth paste, such as my healing turmeric and tea tree tooth paste that is made of coconut oil, finely ground xylitol, turmeric powder, mineral clay and tea tree oil. For an easier recipe for homemade tooth paste simply combine slightly melted coconut oil, finely ground xylitol and a few drops of peppermint essential oil for that fresh minty flavour. Do not use regular sugar instead of xylitol! Xylitol is a natural sugar made from birch extract that is known to prevent tooth decay and is used in dental care (source).
Hand Degreaser
Last but not least, sugar acts as a mild abrasive, allowing you to remove any gunk without using harsh chemicals. If you've ever had the pleasure of working on a car or a bike, then you know that grease can be quite a challenge to scrub down. Use 1 teaspoon of sugar with a little water, and wash your hands as normal. If it's a stubborn mix of grease and grime, add some liquid dish soap. Moisturize your hands with a hydrating oil such as coconut oil afterwards.
Have you ever used oil or sugar for beauty purposes? If not, what are you waiting for – it's cheap, effective and possibly the healthiest way to use sugar and oil! :)
♥
Maisy
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