Get smooth, glowing skin with this DIY body scrub
You've probably heard that Cocoa Butter is known for being supremely effective at reducing stretch marks, but that’s not the only reason to keep it around. It’s also a marvelous hydrator and moisturizer, just like our Shea and Mango Butters.
Cocoa smells like dark, rich chocolate because it is made with cocoa beans from the cacao plant. The beans are removed, cleaned, roasted, pressed, and voila! ... Cocoa Butter is the delightful result.
Cocoa Butter and Brown Sugar Body Scrub
- 1/3 cup Green Leaf Naturals Cocoa Butter
- 1/3 cup Fractionated Coconut Oil (or Virgin Coconut Oil)
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- Optional: Add 2-3 tablespoons ‘raw’ sugar to provide more exfoliation. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons raw honey. Add 10 drop Coffee Essential Oil (with caffeine) for cellulite reduction. Add 2 capsules vitamin E.
Directions: Melt Cocoa Butter in double boiler on stove top. (To make your own double boiler, in a larger pan, add water, then place a smaller pan inside it with butter.) When butter is melted, remove from heat, pour into a bowl and add fractionated coconut oil. (You can use FCO because it’s liquid at room temp and is less greasy feeling than Virgin Coconut Oil, but either one works great.) We added 2 tablespoons raw sugar and raw honey to boost the exfoliating properties. We also added Vitamin E to keep the oils stable, but Cocoa Butter naturally contains ingredients that prevent rancidity. Place in a wide-mouthed container with a lid.
You should have enough scrub to last a week, possibly two, depending on how much you use. Please use a spoon to remove your scrub from the container, not your wet fingers.
Tip: To remove the raw cocoa butter from the tub, we used a butter knife to chip it away. The ingredient amounts don’t have to be precise but we prefer equal amounts of cocoa butter, coconut oil and sugar for its smooth consistency. To make it easier on yourself, just place a chunk of cocoa butter in the pan and when it’s melted, measure how much cocoa butter you have by pouring the liquid cocoa butter into a measuring cup. Then just match it with the same amounts of sugar and oil. We like our scrub extra slippery, but if you prefer yours thicker, just add more sugar to change the consistency.
Benefits of Exfoliation
When you exfoliate your skin, it helps your cells turn over faster. While this process normally takes place when skin is both healthy and younger (slowing in the cooler months and also with age), regular exfoliating (sloughing of dead skin cells) helps give you the “glow” you love so much on models ... who use products we’ve probably never heard of and/or couldn’t afford.
Exfoliating also helps skin to absorb products better … including moisturizers and self-tanners. Here’s a weird analogy … Ever painted anything? When you give it a light sanding, whatever you put on top of it just sticks better. Exfoliating gives you similar benefits by removing the top, dry layer of skin and exposing the softer stuff underneath.
In addition, because exfoliating requires some ‘light’ rubbing, your circulation is improved helping to impart a radiant glow! How great is that?
Exfoliate normal/combination skin up to 3X per week. If you’re concerned at all, start with 1X a week and see how your skin reacts. If it’s good, build up to 2-3X max per week. Everyone’s skin is a little bit different so pay attention to how yours reacts. If it loves it, keep it up.
For dry skin, stick to once per week. If you find it’s helping (as in, not causing you to become drier), work up to 2X per week.
Remember ... exfoliating is not meant to remove all of your skin. It’s only meant to slough off the top, dead, flaky layers and reveal the baby, glowing skin underneath.
Try this scrub in the shower. Rub it in gently, using circular motions, and pay extra attention to the bottoms of your feet, elbows and other rough patches. Leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse well. After patting the skin dry, while it’s still slightly moist, apply a moisturizer such as our Amazing Aloe Vera Moisturizing Cream with Manuka Honey.