When I traveled to Indiana for Thanksgiving, my best girlfriend was planning a Christmas party for her Nail & Waxing Salon. As part of the party, or the open house, she wanted to give each of her guests a jar of homemade peppermint scrub.
So, she bought several pounds of sugar, a bottle of peppermint oil, and lots of various oils to create the scrub. I offered to help, as I love projects like this (aside from the fact that she’s my friend and I’d do anything for her).
And so, we poured some wine, and started mixing, and testing different forms of the scrub recipe. Our hands were really, really smooth, and her kitchen smelled like one giant candy cane.
Eventually, we perfected the method, turning her dining table into a homemade scrub factory, and in two days, we’d packed 75 jars with peppermint scrub, tied little spoons to each one with a pink ribbon, and emptied a few bottles of wine.
This entire project really got me thinking. A few years ago, I treated myself to a professional body scrub, where I got to pick my scrub (salt, sugar, or coffee), was rubbed down with the scrub, showered, and then massaged with lotion.
It was amazing—relaxing and useful all at once. I had chosen the coffee scrub, mainly because I loved coffee, and also because caffeine is supposed to liven the skin and help rid the body of cellulite. Sold!
And so, as we mixed the peppermint scrub, I wondered if making my own coffee scrub would be so easy. I did a little research, found a simple recipe, and made a batch big enough for myself, and packed half-a-dozen bottles to give as Christmas gifts.
Here is the recipe I followed:
- 1/2 cup sugar in the raw (I used brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup ground coffee (I used vanilla-hazelnut)
- 1/3 cup sweet almond oil
I bought one bottle of the almond oil, which was about $10, and used the entire thing, adding in enough of the sugar and coffee to make a large batch to share.
Since then, I’ve used the scrub about twice a week all over to ensure I’m nice and smooth for all of those chilly nights that I’m cuddling up next to…Blanche.
The Bitter Lemon 