Today’s body scrub recipe is a continuation of the back-flakage obliteration project.
This scrub is significantly richer and more nourishing than Neal’s Yard’s Seaweed & Salt, and is in fact closer to the Orange &Geranium peel, which I also love.
Flakage-obliterating sea salt is the star ingredient in this peel, too, with mango butter, shea butter, and coconut oil to soften and nourish the skin. Thanks to these rich vegetable oils, you won’t need to moisturize after using this peel. The final touch comes from pineapple powder, a brightening enzymatic exfoliate.
Bourbon vanilla, vetiver, orange, and bergamot essential oils work in harmony to give the product its exotic scent.
Vanilla & Vetiver Body Scrub
0.4 cups unrefined sea salt
2 tbsp mango butter
2 tbsp sheabutter
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp. authentic vanilla powder
1 tbsp pineapple powder
10 drops essential vetiver oil
60 drops essential orange oil
25 drops essential bergamot oil
Melt the mango butter, shea butter, and coconut oil in a water bath, taking care not to let them heat up. Mix in the sea salt, vanilla, and pineapple powder and, finally, the essential oils. Mix thoroughly and spoon the mixture into a clean glass jar.
I bought the mango butter and shea butter from the French online store Aroma Zone. If shopping in French is sounds too difficult (though Aroma Zone will turn any kitchen chemist into a fluent French speaker), you might try the well-stocked British store Akoma (recommended to me by a friend) instead. I purchase my essential oils from Neal’s Yard Remedies, as I know their products to be of high quality. I do wish a Finnish retailer would take on the oils, as well!
A Short Guide to the Ingredients
Mango Butter: softens and nourishes the skin. High in vitamin C, antioxidants, and repairing fatty-acids. Renews the skin and repairs minor skin damage.
Shea butter: softens, repairs, and protects the skin. High in antioxidants, as well as vitamins A, E, and F. Repairs minor skin damage, and is a potent skin-renewing agent.
Orange oil: cleansing and antiseptic. Regulates sebum production and minimizes the pores; renews the skin and hastens the scarring process. The scent helps to elevate calm and elevate the mood, and can be used to relieve insomnia and anxiety.
Bergamot oil: strongly antiseptic and therefore excellent for treating blemished skin and infections. It is also used in treating psoriasis and itchy eczema. Its aromatherapeutic effects include relieving anxiety, fear, and stress; bergamot has also been used in treating eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia.
Vetiver oil: antiseptic, soothes infections. Helps to renew the skin, and can be used to treat scarring and hyper-pigmentation. Its earthy and masculine scent is grounding, relieving stress and exhaustion.
Photos Katja Kokko
Translation Katja Nikula
