Natural ingredients that make excellent exfoliants can be found in most of our homes, but they tend to get overlooked when considering how to effectively combat dry winter skin. Many affordable, everyday pantry staples and household products feature beneficial exfoliating agents that can be used to make homemade facial treatments to target dryness, flaking and irritation along with acne and breakouts from overly dry skin.
Why use natural exfoliants?
Considering that many exfoliating products are made with fragrances, dyes, unfamiliar chemicals and other not-so-optimal ingredients, natural ingredients are an obvious choice when applying products to our skin. It is our largest organ, after all, and everything that it comes in contact with eventually ends up in our bloodstream. Therefore, it’s important to use natural ingredients on our skin whenever possible — just like how we should also opt to eat more natural foods. This healthy practice exposes us to fewer chemicals and toxins over time and can also be more affordable than using conventional products. It’s a win-win!
The optimal combination for natural exfoliants: moisture, acid and granulation
Natural exfoliators for the skin can be combined to create effective and simple treatments that address dryness, redness, breakouts and oiliness all at once. The best combinations include three components: moisture, acid and granulation.
A moisturizing agent prevents further dryness and acts as a base for the other two ingredients used. Popular moisturizing agents found in most homes include coconut oil, honey and olive oil. Each of these provides optimal moisture to the skin and is natural and free of chemicals.
The acid component helps treat breakouts and oiliness without overly drying the skin when combined with the moisturizing agent. Two of the best natural acid ingredients are lemon juice (fresh is better) and apple cider vinegar. These two ingredients fight bacteria and aid in skin cleansing.
And finally, the granulation ingredient exfoliates the skin without causing redness or irritation so long as it is used with a moisturizing agent. Effective granulating agents include sea salt, baking soda, sugar, oats and even finely shredded coconut, which smells great too!
Ten natural recipes (and tips) for homemade face scrubs
The following 10 natural combinations of ingredients make excellent exfoliators for smooth winter skin. Be gentle during the application and removal of these exfoliants since harsh scrubbing can actually irritate your skin and make dryness worse. It’s best not to use an exfoliating application every single day either, as overuse can also exacerbate dryness. However, with proper use, these treatments can change your skin for the better without using any chemicals whatsoever.
1. Coconut oil, lemon juice & baking soda
Baking soda and lemon juice both help exfoliate and cleanse the skin while the coconut oil helps keep skin lubricated and prevents redness during exfoliation. Use this combination no more than twice per week on nonconsecutive days.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. of softened (not melted) coconut oil with 1 tsp. of fresh lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. of baking soda. Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for one minute before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
2. Honey, apple cider vinegar & sea salt
Honey is a natural emollient and makes a great base for a skin applications. Raw honey, specifically, is said to contain antibacterial properties. The natural sugars found in honey can also help with exfoliation and dryness. Apple cider vinegar and sea salt each combat breakouts, and sea salt also gently exfoliates the skin without drying it out. This treatment should be applied no more than three times per week, and avoid using it two days in a row.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. of raw honey with 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar and 1 Tbsp. of sea salt (not iodized salt). Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for one minute before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
3. Honey, lemon juice & oats
Oats are full of antioxidants that can battle redness and irritation; in fact, they have been used for many years as an external treatment for severely dry skin. Combining oats with honey and lemon juice creates a natural exfoliant that can be applied twice per week on nonconsecutive days.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. of raw honey with 1 tsp. of lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. of quick-cooking rolled oats or steel-cut oats. Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for one to two minutes before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
4. Honey, lemon juice & finely shredded coconut
Believe it or not, finely shredded coconut is another terrific natural exfoliating agent that can be used in a variety of homemade masks, salves and other skin applications. The key is to use finely shredded coconut rather than thicker cuts and to only use unsweetened varieties. Sweetened varieties tend to be overly moist and won’t work the same way. Honey and lemon juice work to combat dryness and breakouts at the same time. This is a very gentle application that can be used up to three times per week.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. of raw honey with 1 tsp. of lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. of finely shredded coconut. Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for one to two minutes before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
5. Coconut oil, apple cider vinegar & baking soda
Coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and baking soda is a classic combination often used to combat breakouts and redness. Just be aware that this exfoliating application is more abrasive than others, so only use it once or twice a week and never two days in a row.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. of raw coconut oil with 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar and 2 Tbsp. of baking soda. Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for 30 seconds to 1 minute before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
6. Coconut oil, lemon juice & sugar
Although we should limit how much added sugar we consume each day, sugar is a fantastic ingredient to use in countless skincare products. Of course, using a naturally produced sugar instead of refined sugar is optimal here, so avoid store-bought white sugar, if possible, and go for more organic, unrefined options when making your own exfoliants. In this combination, sugar exfoliates the skin without drying it out while coconut oil and lemon juice cleanse the skin naturally, keeping it clear and radiant. This scrub can be used up to three times a week on nonconsecutive days.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. of softened coconut oil with 1 tsp. of lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. of organic sugar or organic brown sugar. Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for one to two minutes before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
7. Olive oil, apple cider vinegar & sugar
Olive oil is full of healthy fats that are great for the skin, and it works well with other natural ingredients as a base for simple skin applications. Sugar helps exfoliate the skin while apple cider vinegar helps combat oiliness and blackheads that can occur from the build-up of dead skin cells from dry skin. This combination is gentle enough to use several times per week.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil with 1 tsp. of raw apple cider vinegar and 2 Tbsp. of organic sugar. Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for one to two minutes before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
8. Olive oil, lemon juice & sea salt
You might be thinking that this mixture looks like something you use as a marinade or put on salad and roasted veggies, and while you’d be right, this combination also happens to make a great exfoliating application. Olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt work to moisturize and cleanse the skin for just cents on the dollar. For best results, use twice per week on nonconsecutive days.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil with 1 tsp. of lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. of sea salt. Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for one to two minutes before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
9. Honey, apple cider vinegar & sugar
Both honey and granulated sugar exfoliate the skin without causing dryness. Apple cider vinegar helps cleanse the skin and prevent breakouts — especially when used in combination with raw honey, which contains its own natural antibacterial properties. This application is fairly gentle but should still only be applied one to three times per week, spaced apart.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. of raw honey with 1 tsp. of raw apple cider vinegar and 2 Tbsp. of organic sugar. Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for one to two minutes before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
10. Coconut oil, lemon juice & finely shredded coconut
This combination smells great and is often used in baking, but try not to eat it! Save the benefits of these healthy ingredients for your skin instead. Coconut oil lubricates the skin while lemon cleanses it and prevents oiliness. Finely shredded coconut exfoliates the skin without being too harsh. Apply two to three times per week on nonconsecutive days.
Directions
Combine 3 Tbsp. of coconut oil with 1 tsp. of lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. of finely shredded coconut. Apply to face with clean hands and leave on for two to three minutes before gently washing off with a warm cloth.
As you can see, many of the same ingredients appear multiple times throughout these scrub recipes, and they can be used interchangeably so long as the combination of moisture, acid and granulation occurs in each one. Feel free to choose whichever natural ingredients from these mixtures you have at home and rotate them as needed or desired. If you’re feeling adventurous, pick one from this list that you haven’t tried, and shop for it here at Vitacost!