First of all, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of the kind comments on yesterday’s post. (If you missed it, you can read it here). It’s always a little bit nerve-wracking when we post something out of the norm around here, especially when it’s of a personal nature, and we always cross our fingers and hope it’s well received, and in the way we intended. I curled up with my laptop tonight and read every single comment. Thank you, thank you.
Now, in that post we talked a little about the expectations women everywhere face because of the internet. On that note, has Pinterest pressured anyone out there to compulsively purchase a ridiculously large container of coconut oil? Admit it, and least 4,972 of you did. We know because at least half of you have emailed us to ask what the heck you should do with it now. Here’s an answer! By the way, the brand pictured below, is amazing. Awesome coconut flavor and pure white color.
I love a good DIY sugar scrub. Coconut oil is an amazing moisturizer and sugar is an awesome exfoliant. I had my coconut oil on the counter a few weeks back and as I was scooping some out, I dropped a blob into my fruit basket that was sitting right there. It landed right on top of a lime and that’s when I heard the choir of angels and wondered why I hadn’t thought of this scrub before. I made it right then and immediately texted Kate to tell her how amazing it was. This would be the perfect little gift to whip up for Mother’s Day for a friend, a Mom, or just yourself! Chances are, many of you have all of the ingredients right in your kitchen already. It’s a tropical escape that will leave you feeling all silky and smooth.
Place some coconut oil in a bowl. Depending on the temperature of your surroundings, you may need to heat it in the microwave to soften it. Right now, it’s is the 80’s where I live and my coconut oil stored at room temperature is super soft and stir-able, but in the winter time I definitely have to zap it in the microwave to soften it up.
Next add some granulated sugar. Sugar is a great, gentle exfoliator. If you like a little more umph, you can use a natural coarse grain sugar, but plain ol’ white sugar works great.
It seemed only fitting to pair bright, fresh lime with the smooth creamy coconut.
The natural oils in citrus are found in their peels, so just zest a lime right in there. A microplane grater will produce super fine bits, so if you don’t have one you might want to grate the peel with a fine-hole grater and then run a knife over it to chop it up even more.
Then just stir it all up.
The consistency of a sugar scrub is really a matter of preference. I usually start with a 2:1 (sugar:oil) ratio and then adjust from there. I like my mixture to hold together like a paste, as opposed to crumbling, which I feel usually just makes a mess. So generally I start with that 2:1 ratio (pictured below, you can see it’s rather thick), and then add another scoop of coconut oil.
The lime zest adds a bright fresh scent, and the coconut oil has a light scent to it, but I still love to add a little boost with some oils. I just use the oils I have for cooking and baking. They only cost a couple of bucks, and a little goes a long way. (Please note: I will burn the first comment that tries to sell Do Terra oils on this post. Does that sound overly-dramatic?) You can use lime and/or coconut; I like a little of both. Just add it to taste. And by “taste” I mean smell. Okay, that’s a lie, I totally taste it. It’s amazing, and totally edible. I buy my oils from Orson Gygi; they literally have every flavor you could ever imagine.
Just pop it in a cute jar and you can store it at room temperature for weeks.
I keep a little jar in my shower. Just take a palm-full and massage it all over.
The sugar exfoliates and the coconut oil is uber-moisturizing. Just rinse with warm water and then massage in the oil left on your skin. Or you can rinse with soap if you don’t like the feeling of the oil, it will still leave you silky smooth.
The cute jars in my post are from Hobby Lobby and only cost a couple of bucks. The brown labels are made by Avery in the Martha Stewart collection and I picked them up at Staples. (Fun fact: I’m obsessed with office supplies. Every September I buy ridiculous amount of “school” supplies. For myself.) They don’t make that particular kind anymore, but here are some similar ones you can grab from Amazon. I just wrapped a piece of washi tape around the jars and tied some twine on and these little gifts were seriously SO quick, easy, and cheap to whip up. Also it smells (and let’s face it- tastes) amazing.
You can get the same look by printing off these labels on plain paper and just cutting out the shape. Just use double stick tape to attach them to a jar, or print them on card stock and tie them on with a string. Easy peasy! Little mason jars like these are great for sugar scrubs, too.
Click Here to download Printable Labels
Coconut & Lime Sugar Scrub
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- zest from one lime
- optional: Lime and/or coconut flavoring oils
Instructions
- Place oil, sugar, and lime zest* in a bowl. *If you're not using a microplane grater to zest the lime, you may want to use a knife to chop it even more finely before adding to the mix. Stir to combine, and if desired, add additional coconut oil to reach desired consistency. Add lime and/or coconut flavoring oils to taste (or smell :))
- You may store at room temperature for several weeks (I like to keep a jar in my shower). Use scrub to gently exfoliate skin. Rinse skin clean with warm water and then massage in oils left on skin for a soft, silky finish.
- Yield: about 3/4 cup sugar scrub.
Now, if you’ve got a hankering for lime-coconut and you don’t want to eat your beauty products, here are a few things you must, must make. Soon. These are probably 3 of my all-time favorite recipes.
Lime-Coconut White Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
Questions & Reviews
I’m glad that I found your post. I wondered if coconut oil could be used as carrier for a scrub. I wonder, can you use other citrus fruits like oranges or lemons? I love the smell of oranges. I like that you use ordinary cooking oils. I never thought of that. Simple and more affordable. I can’t wait to try this. Thank you for the recipe.
Yep- any citrus works great 🙂
I made this with my kids and we gave them to teachers and friends for Christmas this year. What a great recipe! Everyone loves it. My friends are raving about it.
I have never made a scrub before and Im super excited to try this recipe for Christmas!! Has anyone tried to make it with the lime squeezed into it along with the zest?
I would love to make the scrub but when I went to the website you posted it says it has no oils (food grade) do you know anywhere else I could buy some, I’m still looking for food grade rose water!
Well if you can help thanks so much,
Have a great holiday,
Tina Bell
Does anyone know can I also use these flavoring oils in soap?
Made this with my little friends (11 yrs old) for gifts. A huge hit! We decorated our jars & the ends of wooden spoons. They’re ready to come back for another craft day want to try orange zest and grapefruit zest. Thanks so much!
This looks wonderful. I can’t wait to try and I want to add grapefruit essential oils to this.
Thank you.
I absolutely love your website and the recipes! Thank you so much!
Never mind! I just saw that you already posted it!
🙂
What font did you use to make labels? I absolutely love it!
I went to the website you suggested to buy my oils. For a small order (something that surely will fit in an envelope) they want over $16.00 for postage. What’s up with that? Is there anyway around that ridiculous amount?
Hi Sara! I love your blog and am so happy to try this scrub. The labels are adorable. Can you tell me what font in on the labels?
Thanks!
Stacey
I was laughing so hard at the doTERRA oils comment and I USE them. There is a time and place to share and it’s definitely not here. Great recipe thanks!
can I substitute the sugar for sea salt?
You bet! It just won’t taste yummy 😉
I found like at Whole Foods if you have one near you. I didn’t need the coconut essential oil.
Did you purchase your oils here in Boise? I can’t seem to find either coconut or lime! I must be going to the wrong stores…
I didn’t- but I would check Whole Foods, they should have at least the lime for sure!
OMG!!! You girls are just amazing! I’m so doing this asap.
Thank you for the recipe. Is the 1/4 c of coco oil measured before or after melting? Just double-checking!
Before 🙂
How many drops of each of the lime and coconut oils did you use? Thanks!!! Excited! 🙂
You’ll just have to eyeball it to taste/smell 🙂
I made a batch of Coconut Lemon Sugar Scrub today. I went to the store to purchase sugar and a few other items. The cashiers that I am familiar with asked what I was going to make “I said Coconut Lemon Sugar Scrub”. They were amazed when I returned with samples for the both of them. My daughter can not wait to use the scrub. Thanks for the recipe.
So…if I went in search of the Martha Stewart Labels you mentioned in this post and I have them, how do I print your cute version on the Martha Stewart Labels. Is there a separate file?
I don’t have a file for that, but you can easily make them yourself. The font I used is Penelope Ann, and the little lime slice is one of my doodles from my own handwriting font, which you can get here! Oh and the “Sugar Scrub” is a font called “Kaleigh”
Thanks so much Heather! I’m going to try the lemon tonight 🙂
I am so sad. I was all geared up to make teacher gifts, bought all the ingredients, jars & ribbon, but I can’t find the coconut & lime flavored oils anywhere? Lots of places have the oil, but not those flavors. Do you think if I use some of the lime juice in the scrub it would smell just as good? I’m such a recipe follower that to have missing ingredients is tough on me 🙁 What would you do?
🙂 thanks!
~deanna
Use lemon instead (Wal-mart does have that one) and you can still use lime. You don’t have to use the coconut at all. My coconut oil was refined (no scent or taste) and I couldn’t find coconut oil flavoring either, and mine still turned out great! (I used the lime zest and lemon flavoring.) Skip the zest altogether and use peppermint (which Wal-mart also has). That would be an awesome foot scrub. 🙂
Love this recipe! I was planning on making a sugar scrub and giving it with pink nail polish as teacher gifts. This is perfect! Any chance you can let me know the font you used on the tags? I would like to include “instructions” for anyone who has never used a sugar scrub and would love to use the same font. Thank you so much!
Hi 🙂 I just wanted to say- if you haven’t heard this already yet .. this is an excellent replacement for shaving cream as well 🙂 I have made coconut sugar scrub with lemon (and lemon zest) and since I love anything and everything to do with lemon, I adore it, but I am definitely going to try yours too! To shave just exfoliate your leg like you normally would with the scrub, rinse off (although I have heard you don’t have to, but it makes me nervous not to 😉 ) shave, then exfoliate again, yes again, and then shave a second time. If you are feeling super parched, you can exfoliate a 3rd time, and rinse but I cannot believe how smooth and soft my legs are! No more razor bumps either! 🙂 and make sure to rub in the oil before you dry off and dry off by gently patting so you don’t remove too much of the oil but I LOOOOVE coconut oil! The many uses are so incredible!
Might I ask where you get your particular brand? I have actually been eyeing a big bucket on a soap making website… ohhhh the possibilities!!! 🙂
I came across your recipe and definitely plan on making this soon. I do agree with the person that mentioned this could be slippery in a tub or shower. I am one of those people who slips easily in the shower. These would make great gifts. I buy small mason type jars at a local thrift shop. I only look for those that are in great shape with no rusty lids of course. I have to mention I read your post regarding Mother’s Day. It was beautifully written. It made me laugh in the beginning and shed some tears in the end. Thanks for a wonderful story and a great recipe. I will be a regular follower from now on.
Mmm, this stuff smells AMAZING!! I made some up as gifts, and luckily had some left over for me. LOVED it!! I needed to wear my glasses in the shower though–I got out, dried, and dressed and realized I still had little bits of lime peel on me. Guess I didn’t rinse too well, lol!
Thanks for this idea, I made the sugar scrub and the coconut/lime banana bread for mother’s day gifts. They turned out awesome with handprint palm tree leaves (from my kids) glued on a palm tree trunk that read “Giving you a bit of paradise this Mother’s Day!!” Thanks for the super cute idea!
I loved you even more for your doterra comment! I can’t wait to try this.,
OK, I love your blog! This scrub looks amazing! I absolutely love coconut and the lime in this looks wonderful. Super cute labels, too.