The Scrub Down on Body Scrub (Recipe Included)

I like to push myself. To be able to push my physical and mental boundaries I need to make sure I am taking care of my body and mind, one of my favorite ways to do this is with a good old fashioned scrub!

After a hard but fun day out in the garden, rock climbing, mountain biking etc. there is nothing more rewarding than using a restorative and relaxing body scrub in the shower. I know from personal experience just how soothing a good body scrub can be and after talking to friends – everyone seems to agree. So what really makes a scrub so great and why do we feel so good after using one?

1. Size Matters: According to the American Academy of Dermatology scrubs with big particles may actually damage the skin causing minor cuts or abrasions, so it may be best to stick to something with a small particle size, like fine ground salt.1

2. The Ingredients: Depending on your skin type you may want to consider a salt, sugar or coffee scrub, do your homework on this one. My favorite type of scrub happens to be a pink salt scrub. Beyond the main abrasive material you want to make sure your scrub is free of nasties like SLS, SLES, Parabens, Alcohols, synthetic fragrance etc. Remember you are scrubbing this into your skin while your pores are open in the shower, don’t spend your money on a product that will be dumping toxins into you. A great way to know exactly what you are putting onto (and into) your body is to make your own!

3. The Application: One of the best things about using a scrub is the time it takes to apply it and the fact that you need to give yourself a massage- yep, I’ll make time for that any day. Self-massage offers many of the same great benefits of regular massage therapy including stress reduction, improved circulation, reduced anxiety, improved sleep, improved digestion, quicker tissue repair and much more.2 It’s also a great time to connect with your body and really turn inward, feel what’s tight, what may need some stretching, think nice thoughts about yourself and really focus your attention on healing.

4. Aroma Therapy: Aromatherapy is a powerful way to influence our mental state and the great thing about making your own scrub is that you can choose whatever scents suit your needs. A word of caution though, aroma therapy is powerful and essential oils can be dangerous if they are not used in the correct manner. Just because its organic and from the earth doesn’t mean it can’t be harmful. Before you buy an oil make sure it is approved for topical application and also make sure it doesn’t have any ability to disrupt your hormones, lavender and tea tree are good examples of hormone disrupting oils.3 I typically use Frankincense essential oil in my home made scrub, recipe below, because it offers added benefit. Research suggests that Frankincense essential oil may, “possesses promising potential to modulate the biological processes of inflammation and tissue remodeling in human skin.”4 What does this mean? Appropriate use of Frankincense essential oil could be beneficial for healing of the skin!

5. The Glow and Chill: Okay so this information is coming to you from a VERY reputable and scientific study where I convinced my husband to try a body scrub just to see if he would feel as relaxed and great as I do when I use one…yup he’s the best ever and a great sport. Well, jumping to the conclusion…this study suggests that regular scrubbing can make your skin feel moisturized, soft and make you feel chilled out – something we all could use during this crazy blip in time!

Frankincense Relax and Restore Salt Scrub

2 Cups Fine Pink Himalayan Salt
¾ Cup Oil – I like to use a mixture of 3/8 sesame seed oil and 3/8 sweet almond oil but you could also use olive oil if you have it on hand! Cold pressed organic non-gmo is the way to go for oils!
2 heaping droppers full of organic vitamin E (optional)
20 drops of organic Frankincense essential Oil

Tip: Save your small glass jars, I like to use a honey jar to store my scrub because I can reach the bottom of the jar with my finger and I like to store products in glass rather than plastic so there are no plastic contaminants! Also, don’t use salt scrub over cuts or already irritated skin, you will be in for a heap of stinging!

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References:

1. How to safely exfoliate at home. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2020, from https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/routine/safely-exfoliate-at-home

2. Never had a massage? What you should know. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/massage/art-20045743

3. Chemicals in lavender and tea tree oil appear to be hormone disruptors | Endocrine Society. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2020, from https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2018/chemicals-in-lavender-and-tea-tree-oil-appear-to-be-hormone-disruptors

4. Han, X., Rodriguez, D., & Parker, T. L. (2017). Biological activities of frankincense essential oil in human dermal fibroblasts. Biochimie Open, 4, 31–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopen.2017.01.003