DIY Sugar Scrub: How to Make a Body Scrub with Shea Butter and Oils

Stir 8 oz (227 g) of sugar into 4 oz (113 g) of oil or melted butter, a 2 to 1 ratio by weight, then spoon it into a clean, dry jar. Baraka's shea butter, shea oil and baobab oil are made by hand by the women of the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana.

A sugar scrub exfoliates, and the oil or butter in it leaves skin feeling smooth and soft. That is all it needs to do, and all this page claims for it. Below you will find the base ratio, a whipped shea butter recipe, how whipped and oil scrubs differ, which oil to choose, how long a jar lasts, sugar against salt, and how to jar and label scrubs as gifts.

How do you make a DIY sugar scrub?

Weigh the sugar, weigh the oil, stir until the mix looks like wet sand, and jar it. The base ratio is 2 parts sugar to 1 part oil by weight. 8 oz (227 g) of sugar to 4 oz (113 g) of oil makes about 12 oz (340 g), enough for a jar of roughly 12 fl oz (355 ml). Weigh rather than measure by the cup, because sugar and oil pack differently from one kitchen to the next.

1. Wash a bowl, a spoon and a jar, then dry them completely. Water is what shortens a scrub's life, so everything that touches it should be dry.
2. Weigh 8 oz (227 g) of dry granulated sugar into the bowl.
3. Add 4 oz (113 g) of oil. If you are using a butter such as shea butter, melt it gently first and let it cool until it is warm, not hot.
4. Stir until every grain is coated. The mix should hold together when pressed without leaving a pool of oil. If it is runny, stir in more sugar, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time. If it is dry and crumbly, add more oil, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) at a time.
5. Stir in essential oil if you want scent (see the limits further down).
6. Press the scrub into the jar with a dry spoon and close the lid.

To use it, scoop out a small amount with a dry spoon, massage it over damp skin in gentle circles in the shower or bath, then rinse. Oil leaves the tub floor slippery, so rinse the floor too. Keep body scrubs for the body and off the face. For a richer scrub, move towards 1 to 1 sugar to oil. For a more exfoliating one, move towards 3 to 1.

What is the best homemade body scrub recipe?

Our pick is a whipped shea butter sugar scrub. It is thick, it holds its shape on the spoon, and it needs only three ingredients. This makes about 11 oz (312 g).

• 4 oz (113 g) shea butter
• 1 oz (28 g) shea oil
• 6 oz (170 g) dry granulated sugar
• Optional: 10 drops of essential oil (about 0.5 g)

1. Melt the shea butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, just until it turns liquid. Take it off the heat and stir in the shea oil.
2. Chill it in the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes, until it turns opaque and soft at the edges but is not hard.
3. Whip with a hand mixer for a few minutes, until it is pale, fluffy and holds soft peaks.
4. Fold in the sugar with a spatula. Fold rather than whip, so the sugar keeps its grain.
5. Fold in the essential oil if using, then spoon the scrub into a dry jar.

Shea butter is solid at room temperature and melts on contact with skin, which is why this scrub feels creamy rather than gritty. Its natural colour runs from ivory through cream to pale yellow and varies between batches, and a mild nutty smell is normal. Baraka's shea butter is unrefined, strained and filtered only. Baraka shea butter is the base of this recipe, and it is made by hand at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre.

If you want a different flavour of the same idea, each of these has its own full recipe:

• Shea butter sugar scrub
• Cocoa butter body scrub
• Shea oil body scrub
• Baobab oil body scrub
• Chocolate body scrub
• Coconut oil and hibiscus flower sugar scrub

Whipped scrub or oil scrub: which should you make?

Make an oil scrub when you want it done in ten minutes, and a whipped scrub when you want something thick and creamy. An oil scrub is just sugar stirred into liquid oil. It needs no melting, no chilling and no mixer, and it is pourable or spoonable. The sugar slowly settles and the oil rises, so give it a stir before each use.

A whipped scrub takes longer, because the butter has to be melted, chilled and whipped. In return it stays mixed, scoops like frosting and feels richer in the hand. It also softens in a warm bathroom, since shea butter melts readily, so keep the jar somewhere cool. For a first batch, or a quick gift, start with the oil scrub in the section above. For a jar that looks and feels special, make the whipped one.

What oil is best for a sugar scrub?

Most skin-friendly oils and butters work, so the best one is the one that gives the feel you want. Shea oil or baobab oil makes a light, pourable scrub. Virgin coconut oil or melted shea butter makes a thicker one. A little cocoa butter firms the mix up.

• Shea oil. This is the liquid fraction of shea, separated from the butter so it stays pourable at room temperature. It is lighter on the skin than the whole butter and absorbs more readily. Baraka shea oil is made by hand at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre. Its colour and smell vary between batches.
• Baobab oil. This oil is pressed from baobab seeds. It is pale yellow to golden with a mild, faintly nutty smell, and it absorbs quickly without the heaviness of a richer oil. The fruit ripens and falls naturally from wild trees and is gathered from the ground by women in the communities where the trees stand. Baraka baobab oil comes from the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre.
• Virgin coconut oil. It is pressed from the fresh kernel of the coconut with no solvent extraction and no chemical refining, and it keeps its fresh coconut aroma. It is solid below about 75°F (24°C) and clear liquid above it, so a coconut oil scrub firms up in a cool room and loosens in a warm one. That is normal and does not affect quality. Baraka virgin coconut oil suits a scrub that smells of coconut.
• Cocoa butter. It is hard and brittle at room temperature and melts close to body temperature, and it keeps the chocolate smell of the bean. It is too hard to use alone in a scrub, so swap it for up to 1 oz (28 g) of the 4 oz (113 g) shea butter in the whipped recipe. It may show a pale surface bloom after a change in temperature. That is a change in crystal structure, not spoilage, and it disappears on melting. Baraka cocoa butter is unrefined, so the chocolate smell stays.

How long does homemade sugar scrub last?

A water-free sugar scrub lasts as long as its shortest-lived ingredient, so go by whichever oil keeps least well. Shea butter keeps 2+ years when stored properly, away from heat and direct sun. Virgin coconut oil is highly saturated, so it keeps far longer than most oils and needs no added antioxidant. We have not tested homemade scrubs, so as a cautious habit for gifts, write "use within 6 months" on the label and check the smell after that.

Water is the thing that shortens a jar's life, so keep it out:

• Use a dry spoon every time, never wet fingers.
• Keep the lid on tight and the jar out of the shower spray.
• Store it somewhere cool and out of direct sun.

Throw the scrub away if you see mould, drops of water inside the lid, or a smell that has turned sharp or sour. A mild nutty smell from shea butter is normal, and so is a pale bloom on cocoa butter.

Is a sugar scrub or a salt scrub better?

For most people, sugar is the better choice, because it is gentler. Salt is coarser and sharper, and it should not go on freshly shaved skin. Do not use it on skin that is broken either. Sugar is the sensible starting point for a first scrub or a gift, and it is the one used in every recipe on this page.

Salt scrubs have their place on tougher areas such as feet, elbows and knees. If you make one, use fine salt, start from the same 2 to 1 ratio by weight, and choose a glass or plastic lid. Both kinds dissolve in water and rinse away, and either one should be rinsed off, not left on. If a scrub stings, stop and rinse it off.

Essential oils in a rinse-off scrub

Scent is optional, and a light touch is plenty. For the 12 oz (340 g) base batch, use 10 to 15 drops of essential oil, and for the whipped recipe use about 10 drops. Lavender and sweet orange are easy choices. If you want a citrus scent, pick sweet orange, because bergamot and lemon are phototoxic and are best left out of body products altogether. Stir the drops in at the very end so they mix through evenly. Leave essential oils out of anything made for babies. An unscented scrub is a perfectly good scrub, and the natural smell of shea, coconut or cocoa is pleasant on its own.

Jars and labels for gifts

A small glass jar with a tight lid is the best gift container. Choose 4 fl oz or 8 fl oz (118 ml or 237 ml) jars, wash them well and dry them completely before filling. Press the scrub down firmly to remove air pockets, wipe the rim with a dry cloth and close the lid.

A good label includes:

• The name of the scrub, such as "Whipped shea sugar scrub".
• The ingredients, listed by name: shea butter, shea oil, sugar and any essential oil you used.
• The date you made it and "use within 6 months".
• A short instruction: "Scoop with a dry spoon. Massage onto damp skin, then rinse. Body only. Keep water out of the jar."

Tie the jar with ribbon or twine, add a small wooden spoon so the recipient has a dry spoon from the first scoop, and a hand-written tag. If you are filling several jars for gift season, the Baraka DIY pack is worth a look, because it keeps your ingredients together in a single order.

Quick answers

How do you make a DIY sugar scrub?

Stir 2 parts sugar into 1 part oil by weight, for example 8 oz (227 g) of sugar to 4 oz (113 g) of oil, until it looks like wet sand. Spoon it into a clean, dry jar with a dry spoon. Add more sugar if it is runny or a little more oil if it is crumbly.

What is the best homemade body scrub recipe?

A whipped shea butter sugar scrub is our pick. Melt 4 oz (113 g) of shea butter, stir in 1 oz (28 g) of shea oil, chill until soft-set, whip until fluffy, then fold in 6 oz (170 g) of sugar. It exfoliates and leaves skin feeling smooth and soft.

What oil is best for a sugar scrub?

Shea oil or baobab oil gives a light, pourable scrub, while virgin coconut oil or melted shea butter gives a thicker one. A small amount of cocoa butter firms the mix. Choose by the feel you want.

How long does homemade sugar scrub last?

A water-free scrub lasts as long as its shortest-lived oil, and shea butter keeps 2+ years when stored properly. For gifts we suggest labelling a jar "use within 6 months", as a cautious habit rather than a tested figure. Keep water out with a dry spoon and a tight lid, and throw the scrub away if it grows mould or smells off.

Is a sugar scrub or a salt scrub better?

Sugar is better for most people because it is gentler. Salt is coarser and sharper, and it should not go on freshly shaved skin. Salt suits tougher areas such as feet and elbows.