Fresh Orange Brown Sugar Scrub With Activated Charcoal

I recently went to an essential oil class - subject matter - making your own skincare products.  So many of them smelled delicious, and any time I can take a step to avoid chemicals in my life I'm up for trying it.   Case in point - buy this deodorant.  I swear by this stuff, and everyone I've introduced to it loves it.  Both the Shea and Cocoa Butter scents are nice, and unlike about 5 other natural deodorants I've tried you never feel sweaty, and it never fails you.  I went a little off topic there, but I keep meaning to share that find.

Anyway - that class really motivated me to go home and make some products for myself.  All of the recipes that we were shown were really pretty simple.  There is a cocoa butter cream that I'm excited to try next.  It smells nice and chocolaty.

I tweaked a different recipe that I found elsewhere, and came up with this scrub.  The activated charcoal is supposed to work as a detox.  The brown sugar makes it a scrub, the avocado oil makes your skin soft and is supposed to help with fine lines.  You can choose to use any of the oils mentioned in the recipe.  I chose to use a wild orange oil scent, but you can use whatever scent you'd like.  This recipe is one that you can be really creative with.  You can't mess it up!
 

1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
4 (280mg) capsules of activated charcoal
3 T. oil - I used avocado (cold pressed is best) - you can use jojoba, olive oil, walnut oil, almond oil
8 drops wild orange oil

To make simply combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well.

Kinda scary looking, but upon using it my skin felt very moisturized and lightly scrubbed.  It does not stain your skin. 

I stored my sugar scrub in little glass canning jars.  If you do this just be careful not to drop it in the shower.  I think I will invest in some non breakable containers - or you can also keep your empty containers from other products, give them a good clean, and use them.  Also, use a spoon to get the scrub out of the jar so no water is added to the mixture.

Lastly, no worries about your shower turning all black.  It just all rinses right away.

I'm going to continue to try making more natural skincare products, and will be sure to share the results with you.  My nieces and I are going to have a creative day soon, and we are going to make the cocoa butter cream.  I think they are going to love it!