Grapefruit Honey Sugar Scrub + Free Printable Labels

This Grapefruit Honey Sugar Scrub smells amazing and is wonderful for your skin. It also makes a great gift! Learn how to make a sugar scrub with this quick step-by-step tutorial! 

When winter rolls around, my sensitive skin immediately starts acting up. I have a particular skincare routine for my face, but it doesn’t involve exfoliation because I’ve never felt the need (and I’ve heard physical exfoliation can actually be damaging).

However, I love using a gentle, homemade sugar scrub on the rest of my body. The oils help to moisturize my skin, and the sugar leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft and smooth. It’s a wonderful way to combat dryness.

It also makes a lovely gift! I’ve once again teamed up with Jessica from Coco & Mingo to create free printable labels you can use to make an inexpensive, crafty present for friends and family.

Sugar Scrub Ingredients

• granulated sugar
• caster oil
• honey
• extra virgin olive or jojoba oil
• grapefruit essential oil, or essential oil of your choice

How to Make Homemade Sugar Scrub

This homemade body scrub couldn’t be easier! Simply stir together the ingredients in a small or medium-sized bowl, then transfer to an airtight container of your choice.

Which Natural Oils Are Best For Your Skin?

Depending on your skin type (dry, sensitive, oily, etc) the best type of oil for your sugar scrub might vary. I’ve included caster oil, which is thicker and more rich than many oils, but it makes my skin feel amazing.

Here are some other options you might want to consider:

• Jojoba Oil
• Grapeseed Oil
• Almond Oil
• Coconut Oil

Check out this article from Everyday Health to learn more about these oils. You can also throw in some facial oils, which are wonderful for your body as well. I buy most of my facial oils from The Ordinary.

Keep in mind that these are typically sold in smaller quantities and are therefore much pricier:

• Squalene Oil 
• Marula Oil
• Rosehip Seed Oil
• Sea Buckthorn Oil

Originally I used coconut oil instead of caster oil in this sugar scrub, but I switched for three reasons:

1. The coconut scent was overpowering the essential oils.
2. Coconut oil solidifies at room temperature and makes the scrub slightly more difficult to handle.
3. I like caster oil better than coconut oil.

Which Essential Oils Are Good For Sugar Scrubs?

I recently discovered grapefruit essential oil, and it’s currently my favorite scent to use in this homemade sugar scrub. Cheesy as it may sound, the smell makes me happy.

However, you can use any essential oil you prefer. Jessica and I intentionally left the scent off of some of the labels so you can fill in your own! Here are some other popular essential oils you might want to consider:

• Eucalyptus Oil (my other favorite)
• Lavender Oil
• Sweet Orange Oil

Which Essential Oils Brands Are Safe to Use on Skin?

There are plenty of great brands out there, but read the labels carefully to make sure the label explicitly states that it’s safe for use on your body. I one time tried a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the bath and it stung almost immediately.

Additional Sugar Scrub Recipe Notes

• I’ve suggested using organic ingredients in the recipe, but the type of sugar you use is up to you.
• Please be aware that some essential oils are toxic to pets.
• I probably don’t need to mention this but if you’re planning to use the scrub in the shower, don’t store it in a glass jar. Use something that won’t shatter like a plastic container with a tight fitting lid.
• These labels are designed to work with Avery 22808 round labels. If you want to use gift tags as opposed to placing them directly on decorative jars, Amazon and craft shops sell an assortment of options that will work with these labels.

Download a pdf version of the sticker labels to place directly on jars here.
Download a pdf version of the sticker labels to place on gift tags here.

---

Grapefruit Honey Sugar Scrub

Total Time 5 mins
Yields: approximately 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar + 1/2 cup more if needed
• 1/4 cup caster oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup extra virgin olive or jojoba oil
• grapefruit essential oil, or essential oil of your choice

Instructions

1. Place the sugar in a food processor and pulse several times until the granules are smaller. (note: this step is optional but will make the scrub more gentle, especially on sensitive skin.)
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the honey briefly until it’s slightly thinned out, approximately 10-20 seconds.
3. Place 2 cups of the sugar in a medium-sized bowl and stir in the caster oil, honey and olive oil. If desired, stir in an additional 1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar until the desired ratio of sugar to oil is reached (the oil shouldn’t be seeping but there should be some excess).
4. Add the grapefruit essential oil until fragrant (I like a strong fragrance and added over 30 drops).

Related Skincare Posts

If you like this post, you may also enjoy my rosemary sugar scrub, peppermint vanilla lip scrub, and hydrating face mist!