It’s almost autumn, which is a good enough excuse to hop on the pumpkin train (or tractor?) and start incorporating its deliciousness into just about everything possible. What better way to start than with your beauty routine? As you await the first harvest of fresh pumpkins, you might as well whet your appetite with a body scrub that drowns your senses with wholesome aromas and the occasional (not so accidental) taste test. 

Beauty Benefits of Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

Four ingredients are all it takes to attain clean, smooth, supple skin that emits a soft pumpkin pie scent.

Pumpkin is full of alpha hydroxy acids, which moisturize and smooths skin as well as help to prevent wrinkles. They also improve photo-damaged skin. Pumpkin is also rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A. These antioxidants work to rejuvenate the skin, synthesize collagen, decrease the appearance of fine wrinkles associated with natural aging, and protect against the negative effects of solar radiation.

The sugar acts as a natural exfoliant that gets rid of dead skin cells, revealing a bright and clear complexion. Meanwhile, almond oil’s emollient and anti-inflammatory properties soothe and calm the skin, and cinnamon provides anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that protect the skin from acne. Honey adds a lightly sweet aromatic finish that happens to have antibacterial and soothing qualities.

What You’ll Need

Besides the ingredients themselves, all you need is an airtight container (preferably made of glass) to store your pumpkin pie body scrub.

Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub Recipe

Two to three uses

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarse raw sugar
• 1/2 organic pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
• 1 drop of cinnamon oil or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, pumpkin puree, honey, and almond oil together until well combined. Add more or less sugar and oil until you reach desired consistency. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator between uses.

To use the scrub, rub it into wet skin, paying extra attention to elbows, knees, and feet. Cautiously use on facial skin. The sugar may be too abrasive, especially for sensitive facial skin. Rinse skin clean and pat dry. Repeat once per week for best results.

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Are you still paying for expensive organic exfoliating scrubs? There’s really no need, especially when this body scrub recipe is so easy and affords such great exfoliating and moisturizing benefits for your skin. 

The ingredients in this scrub are easy to find — in fact, we bet you have all three at home. First, you’ll need used coffee grounds. We’ve already been repurposing used coffee grounds for composting, but reserve a bit for this recipe to mix with some pantry staples — coconut oil and honey — and you’ll be ready to make this body scrub recipe in no time.

Coconut oil is an excellent natural moisturizer, as it penetrates better than many other oils. It’s also naturally antibacterial and antifungal, which can help keep acne at bay, and it can speed up healing of wounds and scratches on the skin.

The coffee grounds are not only a great yet gentle exfoliant, they also improve circulation, hiding the appearance of cellulite and making skin appear firmer.

Like coconut oil, raw honey is great for acne treatment and prevention, and honey’s antioxidants also help slow down the aging process. In addition, honey naturally opens up the pores, helping to unclog them, and adds moisture to boot.

The resulting combination smells absolutely delicious — kind of like a Mounds bar — and leaves your skin feeling exfoliated and super smooth. It’s great for those with dry skin, though if you have naturally oily skin or are acne prone, you may want to try it out on a small area first.

All-Natural Coconut and Coffee Body Scrub Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw organic coconut oil
1 tablespoon organic raw honey
1 cup used coffee grounds

Directions

Very gently melt the coconut oil and the honey in a saucepan over low heat. When the coconut oil is almost melted, add the used coffee grounds and mix to combine. When well-mixed, place in a jar with a lid and keep at room temperature.

To use, scrub into dry skin before the shower, working the product in circular motions into your skin. Rinse well. Use once every two or three days for silky smooth skin.

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Coconut oil image via Shutterstock

The post DIY this 3-Ingredient Body Scrub Recipe (You’ll Smell Like Candy!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Winter has definitely set in. Even if you have no SAD tendencies, that dry winter skin can get you down. You don’t have to turn to plastic microbeads or synthetic emollients to get your bod back to soft and silky.

Have you hit that point in winter where you shun short sleeves and wouldn’t dream of letting your SO touch your legs?

Rough, bumpy, leathery skin doesn’t take long to set in once indoor heating and dry weather are a part of the scene. Your skin may seem beyond repair right now, but all you need is a healthy body scrub. And no, microbeads are not necessary (nor are they soon going to be available, either, thanks to Obama’s recent ban).

Sugar, salt, crushed apricot kernels and walnut hulls are all used to effectively exfoliate skin–even more effective than plastic in the first place. It’s important to remember when using abrasives to be gentle and limit to once or twice per week. Another alternative is using fruit and lactic acids. These guys do the work without the physical abrasives, and can be used more often than a traditional scrub.

Winter skin is rough because it is dry. To get the most out of your body scrubs this time of year, use products with natural oils or follow up with a healthy body moisturizer.

6 Microbead-Free Body Scrubs for Winter Skin

1. Tata Harper Smoothing Body Scrub employs a variety of exfoliants – pink Himalayan and Hawaiian sea salts, cranberry fibers, apricot seed powder, and organic sugar – to get skin super smooth. Argan and olive oils moisturize and soften.

2. Raw sugar does the work in Soapwalla Almond Luxe Body Polish, while cardamom and ginger rev up a nice glow you thought you wouldn’t see until next summer.

3. For luxe feel and delicious scent with your scrub, go for Odacite Invigorating Jasmine Mimosa Body Scrub. Walnut shell powder leaves skin baby soft.

4. Mostly used as a facial treatment, I use One Love Organics Brand New Day Scrub & Mask on my decollete and arm too. Works like a charm for instant smoothness.

5. We love our coconut oil, right? S.W. Basics Body Scrub takes things to another level with this sugar and shredded coconut combo.

6. Hydrea London Carbonized Bamboo Exfoliating Gloves are another way to go when polishing the bod. Carbonized bamboo fibers produce negatively charged ions, said to recharge skin and boost the mood.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

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Body scrub image via Shutterstock

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Your best summer accessory is smooth, healthy, glowing skin.  The best (and quickest) way to stellar skin is to remove that surface layer of dead skin cells that can build up over time, making it look dull, clogging pores, and accentuating wrinkles.  Here are four lovely options to have you glowing in no time.

1. Don’t skip your scalp. We’re not kidding when we say head to toe.  Even your scalp (and overall health) can benefit from a deep clean & detox to counteract past chemical damage from synthetic products and processing. Morocco Method’s Zen Detox Hair & Scalp Therapy contains volcanic clay, hydrolyzed prickly pear cactus proteins & rare Celtic trace minerals which work to support scalp health and hair growth by detoxing the follicles, roots, and oil glands and scalp.  Note:  It takes a few rinses to wash it out completely, so have patience.

2. Off with the old.  To brighten delicate facial skin, opt for an enzyme or natural fruit acid treatment such as Arcona’s Raspberry Resurfacing Peel.  A blend of natural fruit acids dissolves dead skin cells to resurface, hydrate and oxygenate the skin while smoothing fine lines and minimizing pores and brown spots.  A great pre-event treatment for nearly instant glow.

3. Smooth and juicy.  We hate lumpy looking lipstick.  The solution?  Even lips benefit in multiple ways from a good scrub.  Exfoliate, condition and plump in a single step with The Natural’s Organic Lip Scrub.  Made using organic sugar, natural oils and beeswax, daily use eliminates flakey skin and decreases fine lines on and around the lips with continued use.

4. Polish it up.  The perfect partner for smooth, moisturized summer skin, Trillium Organic’s Body Polish features ultra purified salt crystals shaped into perfect cubes to exfoliate effectively without damaging skin.  De-congest the dermis, stimulate cellular regeneration and leave skin moisturized, smooth and glowing. Unlike other oil based salt scrubs, their unique oil blend absorbs quickly and rinses clean, leaving no greasy film behind.

While exfoliation is a great way to brighten and smooth skin, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.  To preserve the health of your skin and keep it’s natural lipid layer intact, consider exfoliating 3-4 times a week instead of every day and pay attention to how it’s feeling. If it’s feeling tight or looking red or irritated at all skip the scrub and opt for a gentle moisturizer until it’s ready for a little deep cleaning again.

Photo Credit: Miriam Cardoso de Souza

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