Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

Author's Note: Dear readers, Thank you for making the Candy Cane Sugar Scrub the most popular Natural Beauty Workshop recipe ever!  I am thrilled with the success of this recipe, and have truly enjoyed sharing it with you all.  Due to its success, we've added the Candy Cane Sugar Scrub Craft Kit to our line of New Body Care Craft Kits at FromNatureWithLove.com.  Happy Holidays and Happy Crafting, from all of us, here at FromNatureWithLove.com!

Since scrubs are one of my all time favorite bath and body products, I've decided to feature a new scrub recipe every month on The Natural Beauty Workshop. Every month I will share a different recipe using some of our favorite natural and complimentary ingredients. I'm looking forward to the challenge of creating new and interesting scrubs on a regular basis.

The first scrub of this series was inspired by one of the season's sweetest mascots, the candy cane. Creamy Shealoe Butter has been scented with peppermint and mixed into white sugar. Red Jojoba Wax Beads give this recipe an added flair of color! Shealoe Butter is a wonderful base for scrubs. It adds a thick texture, an even consistency, and it rinses away without any additional emulsifier.

Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

Ingredients
1/2 cup Shealoe Butter*
10 tablespoons Granulated White Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Red Jojoba Wax Beads
2 teaspoons White or Pale Yellow Beeswax
1/2 teaspoon of Peppermint Essential Oil** or Fragrance Oil

Directions
To create a duo-colored scrub, like the one pictured, you'll need two small mixing bowls. Add 5 Tablespoons of sugar to each bowl. In a double boiler, melt 1 teaspoon of white beeswax completely. Next, add 1/4 cup of Shealoe Butter to the double boiler and turn the burner off. Be careful to warm the Shealoe Butter very gently. Overheating Shealoe Butter can cause it to separate. When it has melted completely, stir the butter and wax mixture into one of the bowls of sugar. Next, add 1/4 teaspoon of fragrance or essential oil to the bowl and stir. Add 1/2 teaspoon of Red Jojoba Wax beads and mix well. Pour the mixture into a resealable bag.  Repeat this process with the second bowl of sugar, this time, leaving the Red Jojoba Wax Beads out of the mixture. To make the piping easier, refrigerate the bags of scrub for ten-fifteen minutes. When the scrub is ready, roll one bag's contents into the corner of the bag and cut the corner.Just like piping icing onto a cake, pipe your scrub onto the walls of a clear jar. This may take some practice, but even if you're lines aren't perfectly straight, it should create a lovely effect. Repeat this step with the second color of scrub. When the walls are covered, pipe the remaining scrub into the center of the jar in whatever style you prefer.

This scrub can also be made in one color. This is a little easier, but it still looks lovely. Instead of mixing two separate bowls, as described above, simply mix all of your ingredients in one bowl and spoon into a clear jar!

Packaging, Usage & Preservation
A natural or synthetic preservative may be added to this recipe at your own discretion. For information on preservatives, please visit our informational library. Without a preservative, this product should be used up as soon as possible, ideally within 3 weeks. If it not preserved, or if it is preserved with a natural agent, please handle this product with care. Keep the jar closed and in a cool, dry area. Do not bring the jar into the shower or bath. Instead, use a clean spoon or popsicle stick to scoop single portions into a paper or plastic cup.

This beautiful scrub looks great in a clear container. Try a PET jar to show  it off!

Directions
There are many scrubbing techniques out there, but this is one I am particularly fond of. Step into the shower and before turning the water on, scrub your body all over! (Of course, avoiding very sensitive areas or broken skin.) When you are thoroughly scrubbed, turn the shower on and rinse. When the shower is over, make sure to moisturize your skin with a body oil, cream, or lotion.

*This scrub yields about 4 ounces of scrub. However, you may lose some product in the piping bags. To ensure that you make enough to completely fill a jar, you may want to add 1-2 extra tablespoons of Shealoe Butter to this recipe.

**Peppermint Essential Oil should not be used around babies and small children.

Comments

[pearlandopal]

Okay, I have to ask. How do you pronounce shealoe? :) Also, the sugar scrub is adorable! Might have to do that for Christmas presents next year.

[Emmy]

We pronounce it "Shay-low" at FromNatureWithLove.com, but I have also heard it pronounced "Shay-Aloe". The Candy Cane Scrub would make great Christmas Gifts! I'm making these for a few people myself.

[Cassandra]

What are the different benefits between salt and sugar scrubs? Is one better for your skin than the other?

[Emmy]

You ask such great questions, Cassandra! Both sugar and salt make excellent exfroliants, but there are few differences between the two ingredients when it comes to other properties. Many people believe that the mineral content in sea salts can benefit the skin when they are used in a scrub. The action of exfoliation alone, increases circulation, but salts may help to enhance that action.

Sugar scrubs hold little to no mineral content, but are great for those who find salt scrubs to be too harsh on their skin. Salt can cause a stinging sensation if it is used on even very slightly broken skin. Any nicks and cuts that you may have can be irritated by salt. Sugar, however, does not have this drawback. Sugar scrubs are a good choice for people who have poor luck with shaving razors.

Also, the choice between salt and sugar in a scrub can affect the look and allure of your product. Because this scrub was candy-themed, sugar was a good choice, but you can certainly replace the sugar in this recipe with a white salt to create a beautiful salt scrub.

[Alice]

I love this recipe! I'm on batch 4. I do want to point out what I believe to be a typo. In the second line it says, "Add 1/2 cup of sugar to each bowl." I believe it should say, "Add 1/2 of the sugar to each bowl." as the recipe only calls for 10 Tbsp of sugar total. Otherwise, I did everything exactly as the recipe directed. It is WONDERFUL!

[Emmy]

Thank you so much for your wonderful compliment. I am thrilled to hear that you have been using this recipe with success and have been enjoying it so much. Thank you for pointing out the typo. I do believe you are right about that. I'm going to edit the post right now. I would love to see a photo of one of your batches. Feel free to post one on our Flickr Group if you'd like to share.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/nbworkshop/

[imajacobs]

I love the look of this recipe. I would like to make a few batches for Christmas and order the ingredients from the links you posted, but I am unsure of the actual amounts needed. Your measurements are in cups and teaspoons, but the shop lists them in ounces. How many ounces is a 1/2 tsp. of the wax beeds? And how many ounces is 1/2 cup of the shealoe butter? Thanks.

[Emmy]

I am happy to hear that you are interested in making some of the Candy Cane Sugar Scrub, Ima. Though the measurements I used in this recipe won't work out exactly to the following proportions, I would be happy to give you an estimate:

1/2 cup of Shealoe Butter should work out to be around 4 ounces of Butter.
10 tablespoons of Sugar should work out to 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp.
1/2 teaspoon of Jojoba Wax Beads is a very small amount. If you purchased a 1 oz. pack of Wax Beads it should last you through several batches of scrub.
2 teaspoons of Beeswax is also a very small amount. A 4 ounce bag of wax should be more than enough to make several batches of scrub.
As for the Essential Oil or Fragrance Oil, 1/2 teaspoon equals about 2.5 ml. There are about 30 ml in 1 fluid ounce. Therefor, there would be enough for about 12 scrubs in one ounce of Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil.

[thefireninja]

why does it have the warning about keeping the oil away from children...is it something like they will try to eat it? thank you.

[Emmy]

The reason we recommend keeping Peppermint Essential Oil away from small children is that Peppermint Essential Oil can actually be dangerous to babies, toddlers and small kids. When used in aromatherapy, Mint Oils are kept away from small children as it can cause an adverse reaction. Because Essential Oils are so potent, there are often restrictions regarding who can and cannot use them. Some Essential Oils can raise blood pressure, while others can aggravate certain medical conditions. That is why it is always important to research Essential Oils thoroughly before using them.

While this recipe wouldn't be suitable for babies or toddlers, it can be adjusted for use with older kids. Simply substitute a Cosmetic Grade Fragrance Oil for the Essential Oil in the recipe.

[Suzi]

I found your link thru Not Martha.
I cannot wait to make this for the holidays. I have a bunch of glass jars that need to be used.
What is the shelf life of the scrub after you make it?
Where can you find the shealoe butter?

[Emmy]

The shelf life of handmade products can be a little unpredictable, but if you create your scrub under sterile conditions and store the sealed jar in a cool, dry place, the unopened scrub can last up to 6 months. When the scrub is opened, however, it all depends on how it is handled and whether or not bacteria, fungi, or other undesirables are introduced into the scrub. You can add a strong preservative to the scrub to help combat this, or you can work around it by using the scrub quickly after it is opened, and never using the scrub straight from the jar. By using a spoon or Popsicle stick to scoop out single portions of scrub you reduce its exposure to the wide world of micro organisms.

Shealoe Butter, along with the other ingredients in this recipe, can be found online at www.FromNatureWithLove.com . Use the discount code: "NBWS4277" to take 5% off of qualifying ingredients in your online order.