We miss our Muse family and understand more than anyone the importance of being pampered. While we patiently wait to reopen next month we want to make sure you can still feel a little pampered. We found the perfect recipes for a sugar scrub that is guaranteed to make you feel like you just left the spa or decorate a cute jar and give it as a gift. Pair any homemade gift with a Muse Salon & Spa gift certificate she'll be able to get pampered twice. It's a win win.
Don't forget May 10th is Mother's Day. Although we won't be back open by then we wanted to give you some ideas on how to make your Muse feel special. Muse Salon & Spa offers gift certificates in any amount that fits in your budget. Gift certificates can be used to purchase retail products or salon and spa services. It's the perfect gift for that hard to buy for person or that someone who has everything. Let your Muse get exactly what they need. If you live out of town and want to buy a gift certificate for someone who's local we can email or snail mail gift certificates as well. Easy peasy!
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photo source: Holistic Kenko
What is a sugar scrub?
Typically, sugar scrubs are formulated with sugar granules, which are used to help physically exfoliate that dead skin cell buildup. Exfoliating with a sugar scrub can help create the appearance of smoother, glowing skin. Just keep in mind that generally, you wouldn’t exfoliate with a sugar scrub every day—consider it a sweet treat for your skin that you’d use a few times a week. That being said, sugar scrubs typically offer gentle yet effective exfoliation.
Our hands are taking a beating with how often we have to wash them. For me, by the end of the day it doesn't feel like any amount of lotion will ever bring them back to their normal state. Our resident Muse nail artist, Andrea Corning, posted a video last week on how to make a sugar scrub. You can use scrub scrubs on your hands daily or on your body once a week. My skins never felt smoother and my hands feel soft and smooth again.
Sugar scrubs are super easy to make. This recipe takes only 5 minutes to make. At a minimum all you need is a sugar and oil for a quick hydrating hand scrub. Most people have those two items in the cupboards. You can use brown sugar or white sugar, both provide the same exfoliating benefits. If you are tempted to use other oils, make sure they are formulated for skin. There are a lot of choices and each providing their own unique scent and skin benefits.
Creamsicle Sugar Scrub
The recipe below is one I modified from another blog. It is a heavenly combination of orange and vanilla that leaves a light creamsicle scent on your hands long after you are done. I added avocado oil because it has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that help your skin stay smooth, strong, and elastic. I also added vitamin E because it is a powerful antioxidant that may be effective at reducing UV damage in skin. Vitamin E applied topically may help nourish and protect your skin from damage caused by free radicals. I only had soft gel capsules so I punctured them with a knife and squeezed out the vitamin E oil.
You can substitute the grape seed oil for another oil altogether. If you prefer the benefits of coconut oil make sure to use fractioned coconut oil. Basically, it is a form of the oil that has had the long-chain fatty acids removed via hydrolysis and steam distillation. Just this one change makes the oil liquid at room temperature, and extends the product's shelf life. The other form of coconut oil in a jar turns into a solid state at room temperature and has to be melted down.
This recipe calls for extra fine granulated sugar. However, all I had was regular cane sugar in my pantry which is very course. I used a mortar and pestle to grind down the sugar to a even finer consistency. You may be able to use a food processor or Nutribullet. I haven't tried it to know how those work. If you don't have fine granulated sugar, please keep in mind course sugar can be more damaging to skin than good if not used carefully.
Mix vanilla extract, orange essence oil and vitamin E in a small bowl. Mixing first allows for a more even distribution of color in the sugar scrub. In a medium sized bowl, combine the sugar and liquid mixture. Slowly add grape seed oil until you reach desired consistency. More or less can be added depending upon preference for crumbly scrub or more liquid scrub. Package in an airtight jar and use within three months.
Ingredients
8oz airtight glass container or jar