Wednesday's Cleaning: Make Your Own Hand Scrub

Here I am in my new series "Make Your Own..." (cleaning and body products), and I am having a blast. I feel like I have my own little test lab right here in my house. So as I work my way down my list of products I want to attempt, I keep thinking of more things to try down the road. Again, if you see my list, and you don't see something that you want tested first, let me know, and I'll try it out (within reason).

How it works: I research a few "recipes", get the general consensus, read the comments for faults or warnings, try it out, and then give an HONEST review.

This week's Make Your Own is a DIY Hand Scrub.
I made hand scrubs for Christmas gifts this year, and that was one of the biggest hits. It's quick, easy, and inexpensive.

Homemade Hand Scrub  Not my recipe. I got it from here. 


What You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar (use the white sugar. I tried a batch using Turbinado sugar. Not as pretty) 
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• zest of 1 lemon (you can use another citrus, but I LOVE lemon, so that's what I did) 
• 1 cup olive oil (NOTE: you can use EVOO, but the final product will turn out dark green. I used the lighter version of OO, and it turned out a pretty yellow)
• 1/4 tsp pure lemon extract (this is optional, but I recommend it for that extra kick) 
• Large bowl
• Wooden spoon (it doesn't have to be wooden, but for some reason wooden just seems more old school, and I like old school) 
• Mason jars 

Instructions: 

1. In the large bowl, mix all the ingredients. Stir with the wooden spoon until well-blended. 
2. Spoon into mason jars. This mix makes about 2 cups worth, so if you get the little, itty bitty mason jars, you can make a few to go for each sink around your house. 
3. How to Use: Wet hands. Add no more than a quarter size dollop of the hand scrub to your hands and rub under warm water. 

Review

I love this stuff. Pretty much everyone who got this as a gift from me also loved it. I have one for my kitchen sink, which works GREAT for getting rid of garlic and onion smells from my hands. I keep one at my bathroom sink, which I also grab sometimes for a quick facial rub in the shower. (Be smart about this, though. Don't get it near or in your eyes). I don't use it too often for my face, though, because of the oil. I already have oily skin, but I use this scrub about once a month just for kicks and that baby soft skin on my face. My husband even likes this stuff. He came inside from working on man stuff and said the scrub worked great for getting the the gunk off his hands. Reading through reviews, I would also note that you can use really any kind of citrus. If you wanted to use EVOO, you could go with lime instead of lemon and get a really cool scrub that way too. 

So that's it. If you try it, let me know how you like it or if you have any other suggestions on what to add or take out. 

This is one of those really, really little mason jars. I keep this particular jar next to my kitchen sink, so it gets used often. See the little lemon zest in there? So pretty!