Lemon is our ingredient of the season! So far we’ve used it in a buckle, in bars, in a savory pasta, and in the shower. Oh, and there are a couple of lemon popsicle recipes! This is also one of our many essential oil posts.

Hands down, one of our favorite perks at the beach is the outdoor shower. We love it for clearing away the sand after a day at the beach, but we also love to bring sand INTO the shower in the form of scrubs. Today’s lemon, sugar, and sand scrub is the perfect zesty indulgence as we’re looking to make the most of these late summer days.

We have a simple recipe when it comes to body scrubs. Create a base using a ratio of approximately 2:1 for the exfoliation compound(s) to oil. In this case we used a 50-50 combination of sand and sugar for the exfoliation compound. Coconut oil was added to complete the base.

We wanted to create a lemon scrub, because we love the scent, but also because we knew that there are many beneficial properties associated with the use of lemon essential oils and juice in skin care. They both have antiseptic and disinfectant properties, boosting the cleansing and purifying properties of this scrub. Lemon oil and juice are also known to brighten the skin, reducing discoloration including age spots, although you have to be careful because your skin may be more sensitive to sunlight after using them. Although, we had no trouble with sun-sensitivity when applying this low concentration of juice/oil while using the scrub up our feet.

Wait, you may be wondering why we’re talking about lemon essential oil when we don’t include it in the ingredient list. As lemon zest is squeezed, chopped, and eventually scrubbed into our skin, it’s releasing essential oils! If you don’t have a lemon on hand, you could easily substitute about 5-8 drops of lemon essential oil and just skip the juice in our recipe below. The final mixture won’t be exactly the same, but you’ll still getting the scrubbing power and the benefits from the lemon oil as in the original recipe.

Ingredients & Hints

• 1/2 cup sand, sifted to remove shells
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• zest and juice from 1 lemon (or 5-8 drops of lemon essential oil)

Blend all ingredients and scrub away! The lemon juice in the mixture will cause much of the sugar to dissolve, but don’t worry ~ you’ll still have more than enough scrubbing power from the sand.

Since this scrub will not dissolve in water due to the sand, we recommend using it in an outdoor shower, sitting on the stoop of your deck by the hose, or while hanging out near your favorite water hole… and where ever you do it, be sure to invite a few friends and turn it into a party!

The little ladies in our party loved this scrub so much, that they used it again as a body scrub during their evening shower!… after they called it “oily” earlier in the day, I wasn’t sure that they liked it, but I soon realized that 5 and 7-year-olds say oily when they mean “wow, that coconut oil is so moisturizing”. And it’s true, the coconut oil provides the perfect moisturizer to your newly exfoliated feet (and elbows, and knees).

We hope you’re planning your next shower party now!

If today’s scrub sparked your interest in sand-based body scrubs, last summer we shared a refreshing mint, salt, and sand scrub! We also have a few sand-free options. Make them all before sending out the party invitations ;-).