Cucumber Mint Sugar Scrub Recipe

Cucumber Mint Sugar Scrub

This cucumber mint sugar scrub recipe is made with ingredients skin loves! Formulated using quality natural ingredients like cucumber seed oil and aloe, this homemade body scrub also has a refreshing cucumber mint fragrance.

Unlike traditional DIY sugar scrubs, this homemade scrub is emulsified. An emulsified sugar scrub is basically formulated with an emulsifying wax to prevent it from feeling oily on skin. This also gives your body scrubs, whether they’re made with sugar or salt, a thicker texture. It’s also easier to rinse off than scrubs that aren’t emulsified.

If you’re looking for the perfect option to exfoliate skin this summer, this give this homemade skin care recipe a try! This DIY is incredibly easy to make at home. Plus, it also makes a great homemade gift to give to friends and family.

Cucumber Mint Sugar Scrub Benefits

There are a number of natural skin care benefits to using a cucumber mint sugar scrub. These benefits are reflective of the ingredients used to create the finished product. All the ingredients for this body scrub work together to do the following:

• Exfoliate skin to remove dead skin cells and reveal soft, glowing skin.
• Moisturize skin so that it is hydrated and looks plump and more youthful.
• Fight aging with key ingredients such as cucumber seed oil which is rich in antioxidants.
• Soothe inflammation and help calm irritated or dry skin.

While most of you are familiar with the skin care benefits of the shea butter and sugar used to formulate this DIY cucumber mint sugar scrub, there are two ingredients you may be less familiar with. Following is a brief overview of the benefits provided by cucumber seed oil and aloe vera oil

Benefits of Cucumber Seed Oil in Sugar Scrubs

Cucumber seed oil is a carrier oil that has a number of natural benefits for skin care. This ingredient is rich in vitamins B and C, essential fatty acid and minerals. As such, it is prized for the properties provided by the nutrients when used in both hair and skin care applications.

This highly moisturizing oil is beneficial for those with troublesome skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema. It is possesses both anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.

Benefits of Cucumber Seed Oil in Body Scrubs

In addition to the cucumber seed oil found in my emulsified cucumber mint body scrub, this recipe also contains aloe vera oil. Aloe vera oil, which differs from aloe vera gel and is also a key component in my natural baking soda free palmarosa + lime deodorant recipe, is commonly used to treat skin inflammation as well as chapped skin. It’s also beneficial for burns, including sunburns, and can help to reduce the appearance of scars due to its high vitamin E content.

Cucumber Mint Sugar Scrub Recipe

© Rebecca D. Dillon

Get glowing skin this summer with this lovely cucumber scented body scrub! This body scrub recipe yields three 9 oz. jars of product.

Cucumber Scrub Ingredients:

These are the ingredients you need to make a DIY cucumber mint sugar scrub:

• 28.5 oz. white granulated sugar: Sugar is used to exfoliate skin. By removing dead skin cells, you’ll reveal softer, more beautiful skin. Your skin will also look healthier.
• 2 oz. cucumber seed oil: This carrier oil provides essential vitamins and minerals believed to help combat aging. It is also a wonderful body moisturizer for skin.
• 6 oz. aloe vera oil: Like aloe vera gel, this oil possesses anti-inflammatory and skin soothing properties.
• 1 oz. refined shea butter: Shea butter is a wonderful, all natural body butter. It’s often used to thicken body scrubs and is an excellent moisturizer used to hydrate skin. It’s also suitable for all skin types.
• 1 oz. emulsifying wax: This natural vegetable wax helps to further thicken the cucumber mint sugar scrub recipe. It also helps to prevent the final product from feeling greasy or oily on skin.
• .5 oz. cucumber mint fragrance oil: This ingredient gives this body scrub with sugar a wonderful scent! It’s best described as afresh, bright fragrance with the clean scent of cucumbers and. peppermint. It also has a delicate floral finish.
• 1/2 teaspoon jade green mica powder: Mica is used to add color to this DIY sugar scrub. This ingredient is optional.

Tools and Materials:

In addition to the ingredients needed to make this cucumber mint sugar body scrub, you will also need a few common tools and additional materials. These include:

• Digital scale: A scale is needed to weigh out the ingredients for the emulsified cucumber mint sugar scrub recipe.
• Containers for packaging: I used 9 oz. clear straight sided glass jars with silver metal lug caps for this project. If you’d like to use the same containers to package your homemade sugar scrubs, you can find these jars at SKS Bottle & Packaging here.
• Large heat safe mixing bowl: This will be used to combine and mix the ingredients together needed to make the scrub. You can also use Pyrex measuring cups.
• Microwave: You will need a microwave to melt the ingredients. Alternately, you can also melt the ingredients for this DIY body scrub in a double boiler on the stovetop.
• Utensils: Additionally, a spatula and fork, or other utensil is necessary to mix the ingredients together.

How to Make Cucumber Mint Sugar Scrub

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients and tools needed for this project, you’re ready to learn how to make a cucumber mint sugar scrub. Here is how to proceed:

1. Begin by weighing out the emulsifying wax and shea butter.

2. Combine in a large 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup and heat at 50% power in the microwave until melted. Alternately, you may use a double boiler.

3. Remove from heat.

4. Weigh out the cucumber seed oil and aloe vera oil and stir into the melted wax and shea butter.

5. Follow with the fragrance oil, weighing it first, then mix in.

6. Next, in separate container, weigh out the sugar.

7. Using a measuring spoon, measure out the mica powder.

8. Add the mica powder to the sugar and mix well with a fork until the mica is evenly distributed throughout the sugar. (If your tub stains easily I recommend using Polysorbate 80 to help prevent staining and/or using a lesser amount of mica powder.)

9. Now slowly pour the sugar into the wet ingredients, whisking with a fork until all the sugar has been moistened and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

10. Spoon the scrub mixture evenly into three 9 oz. clear straight sided glass jars and screw on the lids to package the finished product.

Labeling

It’s always a good idea to label the sugar scrubs you make. I recommend including information on what’s inside as well as the date is was made.

You can label this skin care product with a decorative label as desired for personal use or gifting. I used clip art I purchased from Mellenes Art on Etsy to create my own custom labels.

Usage

To use this product, remove desired amount from the container. Then massage onto damp skin in the shower or bath. Rinse to remove. Then pat dry.

How Long Does Cucumber Sugar Scrub Last?

As this homemade cucumber scrub does not contain water or fresh botanicals, it has a longer shelf life than those products made using these ingredients. Being an oil-based product, you can expect my cucumber mint sugar scrub to last 6 months when used as directed.

Does My Body Scrub Need a Preservative?

It is important to note that, as this is an oil based product, I did not include a preservative in my cucumber mint sugar scrub recipe. However, as your completed cucumber mint sugar scrub is likely to come into contact with water during usage, I highly recommend that you include a preservative if you are not using it all at once, are gifting this product, or are planning to sell this product. There is a wide array of preservatives available on the market that you can use to preserve your body scrubs.

The preservative you use is your choice. I recommend choosing a preservative that is best suited for the makeup of this product and that fits your personal lifestyle choices. One popular preservative is Optiphen Plus which is both paraben and formaldehyde-free.

The usage rate of your preservative will be recommended by the manufacturer at a percentage. Simply total the weight of all the ingredients in your cucumber mint sugar scrub then multiply by that percentage to determine the amount of preservative your product will need. Add at or below recommended temperature. You will want to use a food thermometer for this.

Alternately, you can also swap the sugar in this recipe for salt. When salt is used at a 50% ratio in your skin care formulations, they will be naturally preserved. As is the case with my strawberry smoothie foaming salt scrub.

How Do I Sell Homemade Sugar Scrubs?

If you plan to sell the finished cucumber mint sugar scrubs you create from my recipe, then you will need to label your product according to FDA guidelines. If you are unsure about labeling laws then I highly recommend the book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain English, by Marie Gale.

Interested in more homemade sugar scrub recipes? You can find more of my homemade sugar scrub recipes here. Or, discover more similar recipes on my DIY Bath and Body Pinterest board. You can also find and follow Soap Deli News on Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram.