How to DIY Exfoliating Salt

Salt scrubs are a great product to exfoliate and moisturize the skin. You can make salt scrubs at home with a few simple ingredients, using recipes or experimenting with your own creative ideas. You can also add colors and fragrances to your salt scrubs for extra fun and a relaxing or energizing scent. Once finished, you can store your products in pretty jars to make a cute gift.

Table of Contents

Ingredient

Basic Exfoliating Salt

1 cup (300 g) salt
½ cup (120 ml) of oil
5 – 15 drops essential oil (optional)

Salt Exfoliating Lemon Lemon

½ cup (120 g) fine sea salt
½ cup (120 ml) of oil
1 teaspoon (2 g) teaspoon (2 g) grated orange peel

Coconut Salt Exfoliating Salt

2 cups (400 g) coconut oil
1 cup (240 g) Epsom salt
8-10 drops of essential oil

Exfoliating salt removes sebum

½ cup (150 g) kosher salt
¾ cup (180 ml) grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons (45 ml) liquid castile soap
12 drops essential oil

Coffee flavored exfoliating salt

2 cups (480 g) fine sea salt
½ cup (30 g) instant coffee
½ cup (100 g) coconut oil

Peppermint Exfoliating Salt

1 cup (240 g) Epsom salt
1 cup (200 g) coarse sea salt
⅓ cup (80 ml) grapeseed oil
6 drops of peppermint essential oil
4 drops of red food coloring

Make basic exfoliating salt

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Choose salt. In scrubs, salt scrubs away dead skin and leaves skin soft and smooth. You can use several different types of salt such as table salt, sea salt, Himalayan salt, Dead Sea salt, kosher salt, or Epsom salt.

Sea salt and Epsom salt are a few of the most popular salts for scrubs. The type of salt is not as important as the fineness of the salt. For salt scrubs, you should choose fine salt rather than coarse salt, as fine salt will exfoliate better.
You can combine many different salts in one product.
White sugar, brown sugar, coffee, oatmeal, or ground nut shells can also substitute some or all of the salt in this recipe. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Choose a carrier oil. The carrier oil acts as a base to bind the exfoliating salts, while helping to moisturize the skin. You can use special oils or oils that are available in the kitchen cabinets. To avoid slipping in the bathroom, you should choose an oil with a thin or medium texture that can be easily washed off: ^{[2] X Research Source}

Grapeseed oil and jojoba oil have a thin texture and a very light fragrance
Sweet almond oil has a medium texture and a light fragrance
Vegetable oils, olive and canola oils are medium in texture and low in fragrance
Coconut oil has a medium texture and a very strong sweet fragrance
Peanut, walnut, and hazelnut oils are thin to medium in texture and have a nutty aroma
Castor oil has a thick texture and is difficult to wash off

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Create your own fragrance. Salt scrubs don’t need to add anything but salt and oil, but you can add flavorings and essential oils if you want to scent your products. You can choose your favorite flavors to match the seasons or festivals. Remember that these fragrances must be used on the skin.

Citrus oils such as lemon, orange and grapefruit have a cool and energizing scent that is perfect for spring and summer scrubs.
The essential oils of flowers such as ylang-ylang, rose and geranium are sweet and summery.
The invigorating peppermint and cinnamon essential oils are great for Christmas and winter.
Lavender, vanilla, chamomile and frankincense have a gentle fragrance. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Combine the ingredients. Look for a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid to store the exfoliating salt. Pour the salt into the jar, followed by the carrier oil. Finally, add a few drops of essential oils or aromatherapy until the desired aroma and intensity is achieved. Stir the mixture thoroughly before use. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Preserve exfoliating salt. Close the jar tightly after adding the exfoliating salt to the jar and store it in a cool, dry place like a bathroom cabinet. Salt is a preservative, so salt scrubs can last for one to two years without going bad. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Sugar is also a preservative, but a sugar scrub will only last a few months.

Make exfoliating sea salt with other recipes

Try using citrus peels. Lemon-flavored sea salt is great for the morning because it has a fresh and invigorating scent. This product also feels good after a workout or a nap. To make a citrus-flavored exfoliating salt, combine the following ingredients in a glass jar: ^{[6] X Research Source}

Fine sea salt
Sweet almond oil or jojoba oil
Grated orange, lemon, or grapefruit zest, or a combination of all three

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Stir in a luxurious coconut-flavored exfoliant. Coconut oil has a cooling and moisturizing effect on the skin, so it acts as a skin conditioner in an exfoliating product. Mix coconut oil, Epsom salt, and 6-10 drops of essential oil in a glass jar and stir until the mixture has a smooth texture. ^{[7] X Research Sources} Suitable essential oils for this recipe are:

Vanilla
Patchouli
Orange
Rose
Geranium

Make salt scrubs to remove sebum. A sebum-removing scrub salt is a very effective product for washing hands after cooking, gardening or cleaning the garage. When using this product, you don’t need to use soap because the formula includes liquid castin soap, and the salt works to scrub away sand and dirt. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Mix salt, grapeseed oil, and soap in a glass jar. Add 12 drops of essential oil. Stir the mixture well and store it in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room.

Wake up to a coffee-flavored exfoliant. Coffee-flavored exfoliating salt is also a great product to start the day and can replace the citrus-flavored scrub that many people often use. Here’s how to do it: ^{[9] X Research Source}

Mix salt with coffee.
Add room temperature coconut oil (the mixture will be soft and easy to mix)
Stir the mixture evenly.

Creative carnival candied scrub salt. This multicolored exfoliating salt is perfect for the festive season and makes a lovely gift. Mix salt, oil and 6 drops of peppermint oil in a bowl, stir well and divide the mixture into two parts, pour half into another bowl. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Use red food coloring to color the red half. Stir thoroughly until the color is even.
Use a spoon to sprinkle a layer of red exfoliating salt on the bottom of the glass jar and press down. Scoop an extra spoonful of white sprinkled on top of the red layer. Keep doing this until the jar is full.
You can use FD&C water-based liquid dye for a vibrant color, or mica powder for a light, iridescent color. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Use Salt Exfoliation

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Wet skin. Fill the tub with water or turn on the shower and step in to get your skin wet and soft. This will make it easier for you to spread the salt scrub on your skin.

If you just want to scrub your feet and hands, you can fill a bucket or basin with water to soak your hands or feet for a few minutes.
You can also use salt scrubs on your face, but be very gentle and avoid getting in your eyes. Fill the sink with water and wet your face with a washcloth or hand.

Advice

You can also use seashells as a pretty and fancy spoon to scoop up salt scrubs.

Warning

Do not rub exfoliating salt on the skin with cuts or abrasions, as the salt will cause stinging.