Exfoliating cedarwood + coffee sugar scrub. DIY gift for boyfriend or husband.

I’m on a mission to eliminate the sugar in our house. As you can probably tell from my recipes, we never use white | refined sugar in our food. However, I may buy + use it if I’m baking for a special occasion or event, and after a few weeks of parties and Halloween festivities, we had a big ol’ bag I need to use up. I put it to work with this course, exfoliating, yet nourishing sugar scrub.

The smell of coffee is rich, robust and yet pleasant. As soon as I smell this scrub in my shower I have a warm, aromatic sensation – built around memories of moments gathered around the kitchen. Alternatively, the scent can also take me outside of our home, and into to fragrant coffee shops with inviting bakeries. And cedarwood is warm and inviting. Cedar + coffee notes come together so organically as an incredibly balanced blend, as coffee energizes and invigorates, while cedar relaxes.

The ingredients in this scrub are minimal and most likely already in your kitchen. You need used coffee grounds, some fresh coffee grounds, white sugar, a bit of honey, cedarwood essential oil, and nourishing oil of your choice. I find this recipe to be fool-proof. If you prefer a grainier texture, simply add more sugar.

Benefits of sugar scrubs:

Sugar scrubs can be used on both body and face, even when you have sensitive skin. Light exfoliation brightens dull skin, by removing old layers. Sugar also helps reduce the likelihood of ingrown hairs, making exfoliation a good regime prior to shaving.

Benefits of coffee grounds on skin

Coffee grounds are widely used in skincare, as the potent ingredient in coffee (caffeine) is known to make skin appear revitalized. Coffee is also high in antioxidants, which assists in slowing down the aging process.

Benefits of cedarwood essential oil:

Cedarwood oil can be beneficial reducing inflammatory skin conditions. It may also assist in regulating sebum production, and is considered have have natural anti-fungal properties.

Placed in an airtight container, this scrub would make a beautiful gift for anyone who appreciates nice smooth skin and aromatherapy (basically, everyone!). This year, I am making nearly all of our Christmas gifts. I find so much beauty in taking the time to create something fresh, upcycled, and sustainable. Are you also looking to eliminate unnecessary plastics, save money, time and stress, and do something mindful this year for the holidays? If so, keep checking back, because I have so much related content coming for ya!