Rise and Shine Coffee Sugar Scrub

In the winter especially, I love using facial scrubs. My skin often gets very dry in the winter, and scrubs help fight dry skin by removing old, dead skin cells to expose the new, healthy skin cells underneath. These healthy skin cells absorb moisture better and help your skin to look and feel healthier.

Store bought scrubs are often very expensive, but you probably already have everything you need to make your own homemade version. While there are tons of versions out there, this coffee sugar scrub has quickly become my new favorite. The coffee helps to improve circulation and is also an antioxidant, and the sugar provides great, gentle exfoliation - sugar begins to melt as soon as it hits the water, so this isn't an overly abrasive scrub.

To make your own scrub at home, you'll need:
*3/4 cup ground coffee
*3/4 cup white sugar
*1 TB vanilla
*1 cup oil (you can use any kind you like - I'd recommend grapeseed oil for very greasy skin, and olive oil for normal - dry skin)
*1/4 cup dry oatmeal, ground in a coffee grinder or food processor (optional. This is a great and very soothing option if you have breakouts on your skin)

Mix all these ingredients together. To use, massage the scrub over damp skin, then rinse and pat dry.

These scrubs can be anywhere on your body that dry skin is a problem, and they also make great gifts! Use some creative packaging, and it would make a great Valentines Day gift for friends or family, or a wonderful teacher appreciation gift!