Okay y’all, here we go. DIY exfoliating scrubs are legit the hill I’m willing to die on right now because my skin in January 2026 is giving straight-up Sahara Desert realness. I’m sitting here in my tiny apartment outside Philly, heat blasting, staring at the flakes on my shins like they personally betrayed me, and honestly? Store-bought scrubs have been letting me down hard lately. Too expensive, too many weird chemicals, and half the time they smell like a candle store had an identity crisis.
So about six weeks ago I said screw it and started making my own DIY exfoliating scrubs. And yeah… it’s been a journey. A messy, sometimes literally sticky journey.
Why I’m Obsessed with DIY Exfoliating Scrubs Right Now
First of all, the control. I know exactly what’s touching my body. Second, it’s stupid cheap. Third, there’s something weirdly satisfying about smashing orange peels with the back of a spoon at 11 p.m. while yelling at my reflection “you WILL glow, damn it.”
I’ve made some truly cursed batches and some that made strangers in the grocery store stop me and go “your skin is insane, what are you using?” (true story, happened last Tuesday, I almost cried in the produce aisle.)
My Go-To Coffee DIY Exfoliating Scrub (The One That Actually Works)
This is the recipe I’ve made the most. Like, embarrassingly often.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup used coffee grounds (I save them from my morning cold brew like a little eco-warrior)
- ¼ cup coconut oil (melted but not hot, otherwise it turns into soup)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar (for extra grit because I’m apparently aggressive)
- 5 drops vanilla extract (makes it smell like a bakery instead of a gas station)
Mix it all in a chipped bowl I stole from my mom’s house in 2018. Slather it on in the shower, massage for like 60 seconds (I count in Mississippis because I’m dramatic), rinse, cry tears of joy because my legs suddenly look like they belong to someone who has their life together.
Pro tip: Do NOT use this before a job interview. The coffee smell lingers. I learned that the hard way.
The Orange Sugar One That Almost Ruined My Bathtub
I got cocky. Thought “citrus = fresh = amazing.” Threw in fresh orange zest, white sugar, olive oil, and a little honey.
First application: amazing. Skin felt like a baby dolphin.
Second application: the sugar melted weirdly, the zest stained the grout orange, and I slipped in the shower trying to scrub my shins and almost ate the curtain rod.
Moral of the story: DIY exfoliating scrubs are powerful. Respect the power.
Here’s the safer version I use now:
Chill Orange DIY Exfoliating Scrub
- 1 cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Zest of ONE orange (not two, I repeat, ONE)
- 3 drops sweet orange essential oil (optional but makes me feel fancy)
Mix. Use sparingly. Never when angry.
Salt Scrub Disaster Turned Redemption Arc
I tried a sea salt + lavender one because Pinterest told me to. Y’all. Sea salt is NOT forgiving. My skin looked like it had been attacked by tiny angry crabs for three days.
But then I switched to Epsom salt + jojoba oil + dried lavender buds I impulse-bought at the farmer’s market. Night and day difference. So gentle. So bougie. My calves have never been happier.
Quick Tips From Someone Who’s Messed This Up A Lot
- Always patch test. I didn’t. My inner elbow still hates me.
- Don’t store these forever. They go bad. I found a six-month-old coffee scrub in the back of the fridge. Looked like a biohazard. Smelled worse.
- If you’re lazy (me), make small batches. Nothing worse than throwing out moldy sugar.
- Use in the shower. Not on dry skin. Unless you want your bedroom to smell like regret.
I’m still figuring this out, honestly. Some nights I’m too tired and just slap Vaseline on my face and call it a night. But when I do take the five minutes to make and use a proper DIY exfoliating scrub? My skin thanks me. And weirdly, so does my mental health. There’s something about the ritual that makes me feel like I’m taking care of myself instead of just surviving.
So yeah. Grab some stuff from your pantry, make a mess, curse a little, rinse it off, and maybe — just maybe — your skin will finally stop looking like it’s been through the apocalypse.
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