This natural brown sugar scrub recipe is an easy and effective exfoliator that is gentle enough to use on your body or face. Made with nourishing oils and sugar, it is the perfect way to unwind after a long day.

three small mason jars with brown sugar scrub in them. An antique spoon sits to the right

You know when you are just having one of those days? I’m talking about the kind of day where the kids take turns screaming for dear life and mama just needs a break.

Maybe hide in the bathroom hoping the kids won’t find you for like, 5 minutes… kidding (not kidding?).

Today was that day, and I had a ton of projects that needed to be done. Thankfully for me, this brown sugar scrub was one of them.

The moment my husband he walked through the door, I yelled “tag, you’re it!” and I ran to the bathroom to take a nice, LONG, relaxing shower and to use this homemade sugar scrub recipe, do a charcoal face mask, and maybe a little foot scrub.

Very rarely do I get some all-alone quiet time, but in mom world, being alone is weird. You just want some time to yourself, and when you finally have it, you start missing your kids and wonder what they are doing.

Surely it’s not just me?

Anyway, sugar is definitely not the healthiest ingredient to eat, but it is amazing for exfoliating your skin.

And this brown sugar body scrub is amazing, especially to help you unwind and pamper yourself a bit after a long, crazy day.

Not only is sugar a great exfoliator, but it can also help clean clogged pores, remove dead skin cells, and make your skin feel super soft, which helps your skincare products work better. It can be used it as a lip, hand, body, foot, or face scrub.

Sugar is a natural source of glycolic acid, which helps encourage cell turnover, and can help reveal younger-looking skin, and promote firmness of skin (source).

Since scrubs help remove the top layer of skin, they can help other products you use on your skin be more effective.

hand holding a jar of brown sugar scrub with more scrub in the background

Why you will love this homemade body scrub recipe:

Gently exfoliates dry skin to reveal soft skin. Perfect for sensitive skin. Least abrasive of all the sugars.
It’s moisturizing. Dry, itchy skin? This will make it feel so healthy and nourished.
Will leave your skin feeling amazing!
Inexpensive and a great way to pamper yourself.
Makes great gifts for a holiday, or just for that mom in your life who could use some extra love.
Sugar body scrubs are easy to make. They seriously take 5 minutes and are made with simple ingredients from the grocery store.
Made form natural ingredients.

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

overhead shot of 3 jars brown sugar scrub

Tips:

While this is made with brown sugar, if you don’t have any you could use regular sugar or salt to make salt scrubs.
I like to do this in the shower to help reduce mess. Simple apply in a circular motion and then rinse with warm water.
Turn this into vanilla brown sugar scrub by adding 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract.
This is more of a basic recipe, you than can add other ingredients to make it your own.

Brown Sugar Scrub Ingredients

Organic brown sugar: it’s more gentle than regular granulated sugar because the particles are smaller, making it safe as a body or face scrub. Although just about any kind of sugar will do. It is also a natural humectant meaning it helps pull moisture from the environment. If you want to use organic cane sugar try this recipe out.

Carrier Oil: pick an oil that works for your type of skin. I like to use a little less than 1/2 cup oil per cup of packed brown sugar.

If you want an ultra-hydrating scrub, use 1/2 cup oil to 1 cup sugar. You can also mix and match the oils. As long as you keep the sugar-oil ratio about the same, you can use whatever combination of oils works for you.

Extra virgin olive oil is very moisturizing, and can help reduce inflammation in your skin. It contains oleocanthal, which can help reduce irritation.

Avocado oil is a great moisturizer that is rich in fatty acids (I.e. Oleic acid), vitamin E and other nutrients.

Apricot oil (I use this one) is great for dry skin, as it is very moisturizing. It contains vitamins A and E, which can help reduce signs of aging. It also contains gamma linoleic acid, which tones and firms skin. Apricot seed oil is great for your face.

Jojoba oil is moisturizing. It can soothe dry skin, reduce redness and inflammation, and help repair skin.

Coconut oil is naturally antibacterial and antifungal. Coconut oil is solid under 74 degrees; if you choose this oil, I would recommend adding coconut oil with the brown sugar in a food processor and pulsing until combined. This would also create more of an emulsified sugar scrub.

Other possible oils: Sweet almond oil, hazelnut oil, hemp seed oil.

Vitamin E oil: (optional) Add a few drops of vitamin e oil to help moisturize and repair damaged skin.

Other tools you may need:

Bowl

Liquid and dry measuring cup

Spoon

three jars of diy brown sugar scrub on a white countertop with a teal bowl and napkin in the background

FAQ

Is brown sugar scrub good for your face?

Sugar is a natural source of glycolic acid, which helps encourage cell turnover, and can help reveal younger-looking skin, and promote firmness of skin (source).

Since scrubs help remove the top layer of skin, they can help other products you use on your skin be more effective.

What does brown sugar scrub do?

It gently exfoliates and moisturized the skin giving

How do you make a good brown sugar scrub?

It is really as simple as starting with brown sugar and adding a bit of natural oils until a paste is made.

Can I use brown sugar scrub on my face?

Yes. Since brown sugar is more gentle and less abrasive than most other types of sugars, it is perfect to use on your face.

jars of homemade brown sugar scrub with a blue napkin in the background

How To Make Brown Sugar Scrub

In a bowl, add packed brown sugar.

oil added to brown sugar to make a brown sugar scrub

Measure out oil and pour into the sugar.

pouring vanilla extract into brown sugar and oil in a bowl on a white countertop

Optional: add in essential oils, or a tiny bit of vanilla extract.

antique spoon mixing brown sugar scrub up

Mix together and keep stored in an airtight container in a dry place.

To Use:

Rub this DIY body scrub onto your whole body in a circular motion. Focus on rough spots. Rinse with warm water. You can also use it in as a facial scrub by taking a small amount and rubbing it in small circles on clean skin. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Apply facial moisturizer.

Just in case this needs to be said… For external use only.

Storage:

Store in an air-tight container at room temperature in a dry place for up to a month or two. If any water gets into the jar, it will spoil much much faster

Variations:

Vanilla: Add a few drops of vanilla extract or vanilla essential oil:

Lemon scrub: Mix in a 2-4 drops of lemon essential oil and if feeling extra fancy, add lemon zest.

Calming: Add a in a few drops of lavender or chamomile essential oils

Candy cane: Mix in a few drops of peppermint or spearmint essential oil.

More Of My Favorite DIY Skincare Recipes