How to Make a Homemade Salt Scrub Recipe

This homemade salt scrub recipe is easy to make and gives you soft, glowing, smooth skin in just one use.

It’s summer and we’ve been spending more time in the sun and in the pool and that always tends to leave my skin looking nicely tanned, but also a bit parched. I love using a good body scrub in the shower 1-2x a week to get rid of dead skin cells, deeply nourish and hydrate my skin and let it glow!

It’s also a relaxing self-care practice that helps you get more in touch with your body and give yourself some extra love and who doesn’t need that?

The down side? Salt scrubs can be expensive—one of my favorites was nearly $50! This has always surprised me because at the end of the day, it’s made up of simple ingredients that aren’t wildly expensive—salt for example! Of course, depending on what type of salt you use and we’ll talk about that in a moment, the price can vary, but still, it’s a relatively inexpensive ingredient.

So, I decided after finishing a tub of my favorite, I’d make my own homemade body scrub. What I love about this is that it’s far more affordable, is customizable to your own preferences and is equally as effective as anything you’d buy.

The Benefits of a Salt Scrub

A salt scrub has a ton of benefits for the skin on your body, making it a great addition for anyone who feels like their skin is looking dull.

By exfoliating the skin with a salt scrub, you remove dead skin cells, leaving behind that glowing, smooth, soft, and healthy skin. Something that applying lotion over and over again just can’t accomplish.

Because of the abrasive nature of salt scrubs, these should only be used on your body and not on your face. If you have sensitive skin, I’d recommend doing a small test on your body before applying everywhere.

That intense exfoliation helps deeply cleanse the pores and encourage detoxification by stimulating the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is the one responsible for eliminating toxins and fluid buildup from your body.

RELATED: How to Dry Brush your Body

And, salt scrubs are rich in trace minerals and trace elements, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron, which nourish the skin and can also help with detoxification and improve your skin.

Salt scrubs aren’t simply just salt—they’re mixed with carrier oils, like coconut oil, almond oil or jojoba oil, which help to moisturize and cleanse the skin, providing the complete package—exfoliation & deep hydration.

If your skin has been looking dull or dry, this will make a huge difference and give you the smooth skin you’ve been wanting.

What’s the Difference? Salt Scrub vs. Sugar Scrub

Most body scrubs you’ll find are either made from salt or sugar, and they’re both great for exfoliating the skin, but are also difference.

Salt scrubs are more naturally more abrasive and provide a deeper exfoliation, making them ideal for removing dead skin cells and promoting detoxification. They are great for areas of the body that need a more intense scrub, such as the feet or elbows. I find them to. great during summer when I’m out in the sun and barefoot more.

Sugar scrubs are gentler on the skin, making them suitable for those with sensitive skin or for using more frequently since they’re not as abrasive as salt. I love a sugar scrubs for gentle exfoliation and moisturizing the skin, leaving it feeling smooth and soft. You can use brown sugar or organic sugar in your mix.

Ultimately, the choice between a salt scrub and a sugar scrub depends on your skin type and the level of exfoliation you are looking for, but both have a place!

Basic Recipe for Salt Scrub

To make a basic salt scrub recipe, mix together Himalayan salt, coconut oil, and essential oils in a small bowl.

The basic proportions needed for a basic salt scrub recipe are:

• 1 part carrier oil
• 4 parts salt

Types of Salt

Before you go dumping your Morton’s iodized table salt into your bowl, let’s talk through the best types of salt to use for your salt scrub There are several types of salt that can be used in a salt scrub, each with its own unique benefits for the skin.

Himalayan Salt

Himalayan salt is known for its detoxifying properties and ability to balance pH levels in the skin. It is also rich in minerals that can nourish the skin.

Sea Salt

Sea salt is another popular option for salt scrubs, as it helps to exfoliate dead skin cells and unclog pores. You can use coarse sea salt or a finely ground, or a mix.

Epsom Salt

Epsom salt is beneficial for soothing sore muscles and reducing inflammation, making it a great choice for a post-workout salt scrub, or for anyone who is very active.

Dead Sea Salt

Dead sea salt is slightly harder to find, bu can be bought online. It is known for its high magnesium content, which can help improve skin hydration and reduce inflammation.

A Note on Salt Grains

I prefer to use a fine grain salt when making my own salt scrub, but for coarser areas like feet or elbows, you can use a mix of fine and coarse if you like.

Carrier Oils

Once you’ve selected your salt, you’ll pick a carrier oil for your salt scrub recipe. When making homemade beauty products for the face, I’m always concerned about the comedogenic rating. This rating describes how likely an oil is to clog your pores—0, being the least likely and 5 being the most likely to clog pores.

With skincare for the body, I’m much less concerned with this as I don’t breakout on my body, but this is something to consider if you do. I like to opt for those thicker oils for my body personally and some favorites are coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, and sweet almond oil.

• Coconut oil is great for all skin types and easy to find at any grocery store. I like that this one hardens at room temperature and melts into your skin.
• Jojoba oil is good for oily or acne-prone skin because it’s the most like our body’s natural sebum or oil.
• Olive oil is great for moisturizing and nourishing for dry skin and again, easy to find and readily available at any grocery store. Just check the ingredient list and make sure you’re getting 100% pure olive oil.
• Sweet almond oil is gentle and suitable for sensitive skin. If you’re allergic to nuts, do not use this one.

You can also use a combination of oils if you prefer! When mixing, I like to use mostly coconut oil and then mix in some of the other type of oil like sweet almond, jojoba or olive oil.

Essential Oils

For your salt scrub, you can use essential oils like lavender, orange, peppermint, eucalyptus, or tea tree oil. These are common choices for their soothing, uplifting, and refreshing scents.

Mix-Ins

This is absolutely not necessary, but can look pretty and add a little something extra to your body scrub. Some popular mix-ins include dried flowers or herbs like lavender or rose petals, crushed dried citrus peels, cinnamon or ground coffee. If you use a mix-in, make sure to tailor your essential oils to match.

For example:

Dried Flowers: use geranium, ylang-ylang or rose essential oils mixed with a few drops of an earthy essential oil like cedarwood or cypress

Lavender: use lavender essential oil

Rose: use rose essential oil or another floral oil

Crushed Citrus Peels: use lemon oil, bergamot, orange oil, grapefruit oil or lemongrass oil or a bright and invigorating scent that will wake up your senses. Orange and clove is another combination I love! I had dried orange peels, so I turned them into a powder in my Vitamix and stored the rest for future batches.

Cinnamon or Ground Coffee: try clove, orange, peppermint oil, cinnamon bark, cardamom oils for a cozy smelling scrub

Invigorating Citrus Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub Recipe

For summer, I wanted something that felt uplifting and invigorating, so I opted for some citrus-y scents and mix-ins. Again, this recipe is more of a guide, so feel free to tweak it to your likings, but this one is truly amazing!

• 1 cup Himalayan salt
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (you can also use fractionated or liquid coconut oil)
• 1 Tbsp jojoba oil (you could also use sweet almond or olive oil or more coconut oil)
• 15 drops orange essential oil
• 15 drops lemongrass oil
• 1 tsp vitamin E oil, optional
• 1-2 Tbsp mix-ins (I used pulverized dried orange peel), optional

In a medium glass bowl or mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir thoroughly with a spoon until combined. Transfer to an airtight container like a glass jar and store wherever you’ll be using it. For me, that’s the shower floor!

How to Use Salt Scrub

To properly use a salt scrub, start on wet skin in the shower or bath. Massage the scrub into your skin in circular motions, focusing on rough areas like feet, hands, or elbows. Start with the parts of your body further away from your core and move towards the center of your body to aid in lymphatic drainage.

Let the scrub sit on your skin for a few minutes before rinsing it away with warm water. After you get out of the bath or shower, follow p with more body oil or a lotion to keep your skin looking beautiful.

I recommend using this salt scrub once or twice a week at most. As with an exfoliating product, you don’t want to overdo it!

There you have it, you can now make your own salt scrub at home and customize it to your liking! This will keep your skin feeling silky smooth and glowing.

I also love to make this as a gift for anyone who loves skincare and pampering themselves. A perfect DIY last minute gift for birthdays, house-warming or the holiday season! You can put them in cute containers with tags or stickers for a personzliazed touch. I hope you make this soon and love it as much as I do!

BTW, DIY hair oil for growth, and how to use manuka honey for skin.