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Lime & Coconut Sugar Scrub – Make Your Own

Some time ago I shared a recipe for how to make your own Coffee Salt Scrub. It’s part of our household trying to become palm oil and micro bead free. Cosmetics and beauty products pose a particular challenge. I have finished the jar of Coffee Salt Scrub so decided to turn my hand to a Lime & Coconut Sugar Scrub.

small decorative glass jar filled with lime and cococonut sugar scrub with a small bone spoon sitting in the jar

The had juiced a number of limes and whilst I could have simply composted the skins, the lovely scent gave me an idea. I created a zesty sugar scrub to polish up my skin. These type of scrubs are really easy to make, don’t contain any nasties and, don’t run down your drain and leave a lasting impact on the oceans.

A pile of limes from Wide Bay-Burnett

This sugar scrub uses coconut oil but you could easily substitute another neutral vegetable oil such as grapeseed or olive. I chose plain white sugar (not caster) so the lime zest would show through. Raw sugar can be readily substituted. The lime zest is from lime skins I have zested and then dried overnight on a piece of newspaper. Store in an airtight container until you’re ready to use. Citrus is said to stimulate circulation. Don’t be tempted to add any lime juice as it will oxidise and discolour the scrub over time. The zest should be sufficient to provide a citrus zing but if for some reason, you want an even sharper scent, a drop of pure food grade lime oil can be added. One drop will be be more than enough for a jar of sugar scrub.

Lime & Coconut Sugar Scrub

overhead view of small glass jar containing lime and coconut sugar scrub

Ingredients

  • 1 part lime zest, dried (so it could be 2 tbsp or 2 cups or whatever measure you want to use)
  • 3 parts white sugar (or plain table salt)
  • 2.5 parts coconut oil

Method

  • Mix together in a bowl and place in a clean jar (try not to eat it!)
  • Store your sugar scrub in the bathroom cupboard or shower. Apply to damp skin as required (safe for face and body)
  • Rub in a circular motion to slough off rough skin and then rinse clean

Try this scrub with mandarin or orange zest for a change.

You can read more about palm oil here and read more about micro beads here.

small glass jar filled with lime and coconut sugar scrub
Make this guilt free body scrub in less than 10 minutes…
8 comments… add one
  • Mackay Sherry April 29, 2019, 6:15 pm

    It looks good enough to eat! Sounds like a fabulous idea. Those microbeads are just foul things. And we’re paying for them !! Just basic filler! Grrrrr

    • Fiona Ryan May 6, 2019, 1:32 pm

      I normally make it with salt but make the sugar version to give it a go. Tastes great too ;}

  • Adele April 29, 2019, 6:18 pm

    This sounds excellent. I have been gifted quite a few limes and was looking for something interesting to do with these. Can I clarify is it sugar or salt in the recipe? The background info refers to plain white sugar, but the recipe includes salt and no sugar.

    • Fiona Ryan May 6, 2019, 1:31 pm

      Ha ha – my bad. In this recipe I used sugar but in past recipes I have also used salt (just plain table salt) so that’s where the confusion is. I’ll go back and correct it.

  • Mae Sander May 2, 2019, 9:38 pm

    The environment is really full of threatened things — like cutting down forests to grow oil palms. It’s challenging to keep so many disasters in mind, and to use fewer “modernized” products. Making simple products is one approach, as you illustrated. I wonder what our ancestors used to clean their skin (I still use soap).

    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    • Fiona Ryan May 6, 2019, 1:30 pm

      I know that ash and sand were used as cleaning products, once upon a time. The palm oil gives the satisfying bubbles but it’s not really necessary. Some soap doesn’t have palm oil so try to find that if you can.

  • johanna @ green gourmet giraffe May 9, 2019, 11:02 pm

    we have lots of limes on the tree this year so I am tempted to try this – in your ingredients you have salt – is that meant to be sugar? And another silly question – do you just juice your limes and dry them or do you scrape out all the innards before drying?

    • Fiona Ryan May 25, 2019, 9:32 am

      Ahh yes, that was a typo of sorts, When I made the coffee scrub, I used salt. So plain white/raw sugar or table salt. Either works. If it’s lime for the scrub, I just use the zest. Typically, I’ll be using the lime for some other recipe so I’ll zest before I squeeze and then set the zest aside to dry.

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