DIY Lemon Sugar Scrub for Pampered, Glowing Skin

This lemon sugar scrub makes the perfect self care sessions, and a Mother's Day gift too!

We love sugar scrubs for crossing into the realms of beauty and self care at the same time. To make them even more pamper-worthy, we decided to bring you a recipe based around lemon oil! In case you didn’t know, lemon essential oil is used in aromatherapy to help relieve stress, fatigue, and insomnia. At the same time, it also has acne-fighting and skin-purifying properties.

All these juicy facts make lemon essential oil the perfect ingredient for a DIY sugar scrub. We’re here to walk you through the basics of using lemon essential oil, as well as how to make a sugar scrub for yourself. Not into DIY? Not to worry. We’re giving some shoutouts to our favorite ready-to-use lemon sugar scrubs too. Ready to get your scrub on?

Benefits of a lemon sugar scrub

1. Uses in aromatherapy

In aromatherapy, lemon essential oil is thought to help boost mood and balance stress. It’s used to fight stress, curb fatigue, reduce insomnia, and even promote concentration. Add a few drops of it to your diffuser to help clear your sinuses and relax your mind.

2. Antibacterial properties

Lemon essential oil has antibacterial properties that can help eliminate acne-causing bacteria.

3. Antioxidant contents

Lemon essential oil is high in vitamin C. It’s a natural antioxidant, meaning it can help to fight free radicals and prevent sun damage to your skin.

4. Circulation-boosting properties

Lemon essential oil is thought to improve circulation, leading to healthy-looking, glowing skin. Plus, the act of gently massaging a sugar scrub into your skin promotes a healthier glow too!

Lemon essential oil can benefit your skin in many ways, but don’t forget to dilute it before you use it! Remember to perform a patch test on a small area of your skin first to check for irritation. Finally, it’s best to avoid use of lemon essential oil before going outside, as it may cause photosensitivity.

How to make a DIY lemon sugar scrub

Our DIY sugar scrub combines the exfoliating action of sugar, skin-boosting powers of lemon essential oil, and moisturizing plant oils. It’s simple to make and use. Plus, you’ll deliver some much-needed relief to rough, dry skin (and your worn out mind!).

To make a DIY lemon sugar scrub, start by melting 1/4 cups of coconut oil in your microwave or over your stove. The heat will help blend all of the ingredients to create the perfect texture. Next, add 1/4 cup of jojoba oil, 2 cups of granulated sugar, and 3 teaspoons of lemon essential oil. Stir the ingredients together until they’re completely combined, and then allow the scrub to cool off slightly before storing it.

You can store batches of your sugar scrub in sterilized mason jars for up to two months. Be careful to only use it with clean fingers or a clean spoon, or you could lower its shelf life. Add a cute ribbon, and these jars of goodness make great gifts. Hint hint: our soothing sugar scrub is also the perfect DIY gift idea for mother’s day!

How to use a lemon sugar scrub

To use our DIY sugar scrub, wet your skin with warm water. Scoop out about a tablespoon of the scrub at a time, and smooth it over your skin in small, gentle circles. Try not to focus on any one patch of skin for more than a minute. Spread over your whole body, or anywhere that needs some buffing or moisturizing. When you’re all done, rinse the scrub away and pat your skin dry. Round up this pamper session by massaging body butter into your skin.

Best lemon sugar scrubs

Sugar Scrub in Lemon Sugar by Raw Sugar
This ultra-moisturizing sugar scrub buffs away dead skin cells to reveal glowing skin. Along with lemon extract, it contains plant-based moisturizers like coconut oil, macadamia oil, and aloe. It also includes ginger extract to amp up your circulation and boost your glow. Best of all, this sugar scrub is cruelty-free and vegan!

Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub by Andalou Naturals
This facial scrub harnesses the powers of lemon oil to treat oily skin and acne-prone skin. Along with lemon, it contains antioxidant-rich white tea and fruit stem cells to heal skin. The gentle exfoliation is especially beneficial for acne-prone skin, as it’ll help to keep your pores clear. In order to avoid wearing out your skin, we recommend using this scrub no more than three times per week.

Coconut Citrus Body Scrub by Indie Lee
This nourishing scrub leaves your skin velvety soft with delicate, lemon-vanilla scent too. It features jojoba oil, a natural oil that can help to balance your skin’s oil production. That makes this scrub a great option for anyone who experiences body acne. Meanwhile, gentle coconut oil and lemon balm help to repair dry skin that needs some more love.

Lemon Sugar Lip Scrub by Pacifica
This lip scrub is the perfect fix for anyone who suffers from super chapped lips. Sugar helps to scrub away dead skin cells for soft lips, while lemon softens and restores. Shea butter is packed with vitamin E to heal and plump. Super easy to use and highly-rated, it’s a must-have for your on-the-go bag!

Lemon oil is an underrated ingredient in DIY skin care. It’s packed with skin-boosting potential, and comes with the bonus of a therapeutic, invigorating scent. As great as sugar scrubs are, exfoliating too much can be harmful. We recommend exfoliating no more than three times per week, or just once per week for sensitive skin.

Want to experience the benefits of lemon essential oil without overworking your skin? Leave the sugar out of our DIY scrub recipe, and concoct a balm instead. Just leave out the 2 cups of sugar in our recipe, and replace it with about 1 cup of shea butter. When you stir the ingredients together, you should get a smooth paste that can be massaged into dry skin.

Did you like this recipe? We’d love to hear what other DIY ideas you have with lemon essential oil!