You don’t have to spend a fortune on skincare to get great results, a typical kitchen is home to tons of super ingredients which can all be combined to make some deliciously good treats for the face and body…
Coconut sugar scrub
Coconut oil isn’t going out of fashion anytime soon. Lower in saturated fat than butter it’s great for chucking in a stirfry, rubbing into your split ends, smoothing onto winter-worn lips, and if you’re a pet owner like me, putting a teaspoon in your dogs dinner for a shiny coat! But it also makes a terrific base for a facial and body scrub. There’s no exact science to this and you don’t really need to weigh anything, which is what makes it so easy!
I like to use coconut sugar as it’s got a deliciously sweet and caramelised scent and the texture is chunky without being too gritty, making it the perfect exfoliant for your skin. It’s simple, mix the sugar with coconut oil at a ratio of around 65/35 oil to sugar. I keep this in a little ramekin (that used to contain one of those expensive puddings from Waitrose!) and pop it by the shower so I can take a scoup in the morning. Rubbed over elbows – and everywhere – leaved skin so soft and negates the need to moisturise afterwards.
Lemon & honey salter
A little like coconut oil, lemons are one of those awesome multipurpose foodstuffs that – as well as being delicious served with copious amount of gin – are fab for skincare too. A natural astringent, the antibacterial properties will work wonders for oily, spot-prone skin and when mixed with honey offer a healing, soothing mix. Salt gives your abrasive texture and helps rid the skin of dead cells, leaving behind gloriously smooth skin.
Mix chunky salt flakes with oil, honey and lemon juice at a ratio around 35/25/30/10. For a body scrub leave chunky, and for facial use grind down to a fine mix with a pestle and mortar. If you have any broken skin, or breakouts that are fresh, then leave out the lemon and salt. I used avocado oil, but olive oil works well too. Voila!
