This Not That: DIY Face Scrubs For Total Rejuvenation

Skin can be fickle, and we rarely wake up with an even and glowing complexion. We tested out two facial scrubs to help you put your best face forward.

The first scrub calls for strawberries, brown sugar, and coconut oil. The ratio of sugar to oil is 2 to 1, so decide how much of each ingredient you’d like to use. I used ¼ cup oil and ½ cup sugar, and I have enough scrub for 12 to 15 uses.

SEE ALSO Daily Bite Wellness Tip: Strawberries for Whiter Teeth

Directions:

1. Cut 3 to 4 strawberries up into little pieces, and mash them in a bowl.
2. Mix in the coconut oil. If your coconut oil is hard, measure it out first and then melt it to make it easier to mix.
3. Add in the sugar. Mix just enough to incorporate all the ingredients.
4. Put the mix in a jar and keep in the refrigerator, where it will last for about 2 weeks.

Strawberries are essentially the wonder fruit for your face. Let me tell you why…

Pros:

• Strawberries are bursting with vitamin C, an antioxidant which helps restore and grow skin.
• Strawberries contain ellagic acid, a compound which fights skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays. A study conducted at Hallym University found that ellagic acid works against wrinkles and skin aging brought on by the sun.
• Strawberries also fight acne. They contain salicylic acid, which is found in common acne treatments. Salicylic acid works by getting rid of the dead skin cells on the top layer of the face, so the treatment (in our case, all the goodness found in coconut oil) can penetrate into deeper layers of the skin.

Cons:

• Be careful not to over mix the scrub, or the sugar will melt in the oil, and the exfoliating benefits of the brown sugar will be lost.
• I had a hard time justifying using valuable strawberries in a scrub! To bypass these qualms, I used frozen strawberries. They likely do not contain the nutritional value of fresh strawberries, but they did make the scrub smell like strawberry pie.
• This scrub has to be refrigerated because of the strawberries, but coconut oil hardens incredibly fast! You’ll have to run the jar under hot water and stir the scrub with a spoon to loosen it up before each use.

The second face scrub calls for tomatoes, salt, and extra virgin olive oil.

SEE ALSO 10 Terrific Tomato Recipes

Directions:

1. Crush the tomatoes in a bowl. You can use either the pulp of one tomato, or a few spoonfuls of canned tomatoes.
2. Add in the extra virgin olive oil. The ratio of salt to oil is 2 to 1.
3. Mix in the salt, and stir just enough to integrate the ingredients.
4. Place the mix in a jar, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Pros:

• Tomatoes, like strawberries, are effective at treating acne, especially blackheads.
• Tomatoes also contain large amounts of vitamin C, which can help restore damaged skin, as well as remove dead skin cells.
• Tomatoes may relieve sunburned skin, which makes this scrub the perfect remedy now that we are spending more time in the sun.

Cons:

• Salt is more abrasive than sugar, and may dry out your face. Be mindful of your skin type when testing out these scrubs, and experiment with small areas of your face to discover which substance works best for you.
• The olive oil made my face very oily. I’ve used oils on my face with excellent results, but the olive oil was not a good match for my skin. I tested out the scrub one night before bed, and when I woke up the next day, my skin still felt very oily.
• After using the scrub, I smelled like an Italian restaurant that used too much salt, and my husband wasn’t thrilled!

Verdict: Hands down, the strawberry scrub worked best for me. However, all skin types are different, so test out both scrubs to see which one works best for you!

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How do you keep your face smooth?