Friday, February 22, 2008

DIY - Sea Salt Scrub

So I've been trying to take better care of myself lately, especially my skin. As I've mentioned before, I'm fairly breakout prone, on my face, back and shoulders.

Last year, Calvin gave me a spa package for my birthday, and one of the most amazing parts of it was a sea salt body scrub. Afterwards, my skin was much clearer, and softer, which suggests that exfoliation is not overrated at all.

Given that, I wanted to try and get my skin feeling the same way, but as the grad student that I am, resources are, shall we say, limited.

So what's the alternative? Making the sea scrub myself. It's really easy, and it actually makes quite a difference. Here's the recipe I've been using, which is a combination of several recipes I found online.

Sea Salt Scrub
1 c. coarse sea salt
1/2 c. olive oil
several drops of tea tree oil

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour mixture into a sealable container. (I used a clean, empty mason jar.)

It's easiest to use in the shower. Basically, rub it all over your body, and then rinse. Because the oil can leave a fairly strong residue, I use a mild soap after I've rinsed. And as a word of caution- make sure to do this before you shave, and not after, as the salt will (obviously) sting any cuts.

Notes: Tea Tree Oil is a natural antiseptic that helps with the acne; you could use other essential oils, like lavender or rose, if you want something that smells better. You could also use any other type of coarse salt.

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