Honey scrubs are great for moisturizing lips and exfoliating dead skin. Making this scrub yourself is a fun project and you can modify the ingredients. Remember that your lips are very sensitive and do not do this treatment more than once or twice a week.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
- 1 tablespoon (5 ml) olive oil (or other natural oil)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sugar (preferably caster or brown sugar)
Optional:
- 1 tablespoon (5 ml) shea butter or coconut oil
- tablespoon (0.6 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 drops of essential oil (read the instructions for use for warnings)
Step
Part 1 of 2: Making a Lip Scrub
Step 1. Heat a spoonful of honey
Start with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of honey. Microwave for 20 seconds until honey is almost melted. Thus, the sugar will be faster and easier to mix.
Step 2. Add some natural oil and mix well
Add and stir 1 tablespoon (5mL) of oil so that the lip scrub you make is soft and can moisturize the lips. Olive oil, jojoba oil, and almond oil are popular options for it and keep the lip scrub light.
Step 3. Add sugar
Add 2 tablespoons (10 ml) of sugar and mix. Sugar works to exfoliate dead skin cells. Many people like brown sugar which is softer than white sugar. If you have sensitive or sore lips, use castor sugar, which is very small and fine.
- There is a bit of dead skin on your lips. Exfoliating can help with this problem, especially if the skin around your lips is scaly. But the most important thing is lip moisturizing treatment. This lip scrub can do both.
- When all the sugar is dissolved, add a little more until the mixture feels a little rough.
Step 4. Rub this mixture on your lips
Dip a clean finger or cotton swab into the scrub and make sure there is some sugar stuck to it. Gently rub into lips for about 10 seconds. Some grains of sugar will dissolve into the lips, while other grains remain intact on the lips.
Step 5. Leave it for a maximum of two minutes
The process of exfoliating dead skin only takes a few seconds, but this scrub can moisturize your lips and treat chapped and sore lips.
Step 6. Rinse with warm water
We won't tell anyone if you decide to lick it. When this scrub is gone, try to look at your lips in the mirror. Hopefully your lips look fresher and feel smoother.
If you want to moisturize your lips in the long run, apply a homemade lip balm after you rinse off the scrub
Step 7. Save the remaining lip scrub
You can store them in an old eyeshadow or lip balm case, although it's best to sterilize them first to avoid germs. Depending on the freshness of the oil used, this mixture will usually get moldy or sour within a week or two.
- If the honey crystallizes, place the container in a shallow bowl of hot water until the honey melts.
- Honey is a natural preservative so this type of scrub is safer than other homemade scrubs. Honey's effectiveness diminishes as it melts, so don't expect a home recipe that uses a lot of oil to last very long.
Part 2 of 2: Variations
Step 1. Adjust the ingredients ratio
There are many variations of this recipe, and it all depends on personal needs. If you are not satisfied with the created scrub, try making these changes:
- If your lips are very dry, add another 2 tablespoons (10mL) of oil.
- If your lips are sore or chapped, mix in more honey until the scrub feels soft on your lips.
- If your lips still feel flaky after you rub them with this concoction, try applying a lip balm first. You can also add more sugar to this concoction, but this can make your lips sore and damaged.
Step 2. Make the concoction contain more oil for extra moisture
Shea butter or coconut oil contains fat that is useful for adding smoothness and flexibility to the skin and lips. Shake the product to make it softer, then stir 1 tablespoon (5mL) of this oil into the lip scrub ingredients - or replace the oil entirely.
- If it feels too oily, try jojoba oil or another oil that is light and very moisturizing.
- Petroleum jelly is not a great choice for a lip scrub because your lips won't absorb it. It's a good idea to use a lip balm because it stays on your lips and stops the moisture from evaporating.
Step 3. Add flavoring to the scrub with vanilla extract
Is it possible for a mixture of sugar and honey to be more delicious? Answer this question by mixing tablespoon (0.6mL) of vanilla extract, or any other food extract that is safe for consumption.
This extract does not contain alcohol which can dry out the lips
Step 4. Add essential oil carefully
These essential oils can add a pleasant aroma and provide health benefits, but many of these oils can burn your lips or poison you if swallowed. Try consulting a doctor or experienced herbalist before adding essential oils to lip balm. If you find a safe option, only apply two or three drops (or 1-2 drops per tablespoon/15mL lip scrub).
- Lavender, sweet orange, and green mandarin essential oils are usually safe for the lips.
- Peppermint, spearmint, and tea tree oils are popular choices, but should not be used on young children. Excessive use can also dry out the lips.
- "Synthetic Flavor Oils" are an unnatural alternative that is usually safe for the lips.
Tips
A dark, non-transparent container can make the lip scrub last longer
Warning
- The bigger the sugar granules, the more likely it is to cause chapped and sore lips. Raw sugar has a coarse grain, but white and brown sugar with coarse grains can also irritate sensitive skin and lips.
- Most scrubs that contain citrus (including lemon, bergamot and grapefruit) can irritate the skin and cause mild sensitivity. Your lips are especially vulnerable.
