Chocolate Truffle Scrub

What's more classically Valentine's Day than a box full of chocolates?  When I was a kid I had the awful habit of breaking open each and every candy before I ate it.  I was fond of surprises, but not when they involved mystery food.  I turned my nose up at strawberry nougat, coconut, and marshmallow.  These days I am far less picky about my chocolates.  In fact, I'll eat just about any mysterious bonbon that comes my way.  My sense of culinary adventure has grown considerably over the years.  With it, my appreciation of all things chocolate.

The Chocolate Truffle Sugar Scrub
This scrub makes about two 4 ounce jars.

Ingredients
3/4 cup Demerara Sugar
2 ounces Hazelnut Oil
1 ounce Sweet Almond Oil
1/2 ounce Cocoa Butter
1/2 teaspoon Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
1 teaspoon Vitamin E (T-50)
1/4 teaspoon Grapefruit Seed Extract

Directions
Gently melt the Cocoa Butter in a double boiler or in very short bursts in the microwave.  Be careful not to overheat your butter.  Meanwhile, pour the Demerara Sugar into a mixing bowl.  Stir in Hazelnut Oil, Castor Oil, Vitamin E, and Grapefruit Seed Extract.  Add Cocoa Powder and mix well.  Now add you final ingredient, the melted Cocoa Butter.  Stir the mixture well to make sure that the butter is distributed evenly. 

Fragrance
This scrub will have a slight natural aroma of Cocoa Butter while you are preparing it.  However, this aroma will dissipate once the mixture has cooled.  If you prefer a scented scrub you may add a 1 teaspoon of synthetic Fragrance Oil such as Dark Chocolate Supreme or Raspberry Truffles.  Another option is to add several drops of Bourbon Vanilla Absolute or Vanilla Oleoresin.  Although they are not chocolate, these natural Vanilla aromas would compliment this scrub nicely.

 

Comments

[Dominique Davis]

Can you substitute with turbinado sugar?

[Emmy]

I chose Demerara Sugar for this recipe because it is slightly darker, but I am sure that Turbinado Sugar would do just fine.

[Erin]

WOW! I am going to order the ingredients (that I don't already have) to make this right now! And, after that, I'm emailing all my friend & clients to tell them about this luscious product!

Thanks for the great recipe!! You made my day. Sorry for the untimely post, I've just now discovered your Blog!

Kind Regards,
Erin

[Emmy]

Thank you for your awesome comment! It really makes my day to hear such great feedback from someone who has discovered our blog. I hope you love making the Chocolate Truffle Scrub as much as I do. As for sharing our blog with your friends and clients, please do! We love to share the joy of making natural products.

[Erin]

Hello (Again):

I have a general question about sugar scrubs.
The recipe I'm using calls for a small amount of emulsifying wax. What are the advantages (or disadvantages?) to using emulsifying wax in sugar scrubs? Since I've not tried making a scrub without it, is there ever a problem with oil separation?

Thanks for your time!
Erin

[Emmy]

I have never incorporated emulsifying wax into a scrub, but I would imagine that its purpose is to create a creamy, suspension base for the scrub. A scrub that consists of sugar or salt and plain oil will naturally separate when it sits. However, this is not usually a big deal since as long as the user knows to stir the scrub before using it. You can also add a liquid soap base to help keep the salt or sugar from sinking.

[pam]

What type of container would you suggest for this type of scrub?

[Emmy]

I would recommend using a PET or High Density Plastic Jar to package this scrub. While glass would look lovely, it can be dangerous in a slippery bathroom. I find the next best thing to be clear PET plastic jars.

Since this scrub tends to harden up in between uses, I would even consider including a small scoop or spatula with this scrub, for the user to stir with.

[Laura]

Does this scrub need a preservative or does it have a limited shelf-life? I would love to try it, but I'd like to know how long it will last. Thanks!

[Emmy]

The use of a preservative in salt and sugar scrubs is usually up to the "chef's" preference. The formula itself is fairly stable, and left uncontaminated would probably last up to six months. However, salt and sugar scrubs are often handled directly quite heavily. People have a tendency to scoop the scrub out of the jar by hand, or even bring the jar into the shower with them. This kind of handling can introduce water, bacteria, or germs into the scrub, leaving it prone to contamination, spoilage, or bacteria growth.

If the scrub is for personal use, a natural antibacterial such as Grapefruit Seed Extract paired with careful handling will usually be enough to ensure that the product remains stable until it is used up. Be sure to scoop the scrub from the jar using a popsicle stick or a dry, clean spoon instead of your fingers. Also, avoid taking the jar into the shower. Instead, scoop a small amount into a paper cup or small plastic bowl and take that with you.

If you plan to sell the scrub you may want to look into using a stronger preservative such as Liquapar Oil. Professional Challenge Testing is recommended for the sale of products requiring a preservative.

Another option is to package the scrub in single serving containers. If the product is used up in one shot there will not be a high chance for the container to be contaminated with water, germs, or bacteria between uses.

I tend to use scrubs that I make for my own personal use very quickly. I add a small amount of Grapefruit Seed Extract to be on the safe side, and use the jars within a week of their being opened. I purposely package my scrubs in small containers (2 to 4 oz.) so that each jar can be used quickly.

[Corinne Shodipo]

Hi there Reading of packaging i am making a sugar and Honey Exfoliating hand scrub, i would like to package this using pump action bottles so i would need a smoother liquid consistancy, my ingredients are Turbi Sugar, and Honey, (as it is ultimatley Brown Sugar & honey scrub)and Vanilla Absolute.
to get the runny consistency would i use something like liquid Gel, cream oil, or liquid soap base, what do you think ?

[Emmy]

I've never made a scrub that was designed to dispense through a pump, but I think that you would need a base that is not only relatively thin, but suspends the exfoliants as well. I would try using a mixture of 50% Oil and 50% unscented Shower Gel Base as the main liquid for a scrub like this. If you were to use oil alone the scrub would separate as a normal sugar scrub does, and would not pass through the pump evenly. You may have to experiment to see what ratio of liquid should be added to the sugar in order for it to pass through a pump. Good luck with your formula. Let us know how it turns out.