While anyone can use this lovely DIY sugar scrub to exfoliate, moisturize, and get silky soft skin; a sugar scrub can be the perfect asset to help itchy eczema (especially the flaky, crusty, ‘my skin is constantly peeling off’, body dandruff -dry type of eczema we all know and despise…).
When it comes to my fellow eczema sufferers, a sugar scrub can do more than just exfoliate and moisturize. The sweet relief of a gentle scratch the sugar scrub brings along is not often talked about in the eczema community.
We aren’t supposed to scratch after all.
However, sometimes on particularly bad days it feels like the only thing you can do to achieve a fleeting sense of relief (even though you know deep down you’ll be worse off because of it).
When I was suffering with dyshidrotic eczema my hands would itch, crack, and bleed constantly. They begged for moisture, and it felt like nothing did kept them hydrated. After one particularly sleepless night, (irritated and sleep deprived) I grabbed a sugar scrub that was shoved to the farthest corner of my bathroom cupboard. I had made it long ago as a gift for a friend and (as this itchy sleepless night drug on) it was lucky that I had some left over. The sugar scrub provided a sweet relief that I desperately needed and from then on was used whenever I got a particularly nasty flare.
Again, everyone and their dog knows to not scratch eczema… but it can be tough to resist. If you do use a sugar scrub to help with the itching please, please remember to rub the sugar scrub in circular motions and push very gently. You can easily damage your already irritated and sore hands by scratching too hard!
I learned that lesson the hard way…
In this sugar scrub, lavender and raw honey team up to provide even more relief with their soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. Thanks to those superhero ingredients you can trust that your sensitive skin is in good hands and will be left delightfully smooth, refreshed, and itch free (even if it’s just for a little while)!
Enough with the chit chat, let’s get started!
- 1 water-tight jar or container
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil or olive oil
- 10 – 12 drops of lavender essential oil
- 2 tsp of raw or manuka honey* (See below)
- 2 drops of red food coloring (optional)
- 2 drops of blue food coloring (optional)
* Using either raw or manuka honey will yield the best results for your skin (and health!) It’s been found that the honey industry is very poorly regulated, and as a result some generic or ‘table’ honey actually contain very little honey and are instead filled with corn syrup and artificial sweeteners. Even if a generic brand of honey contains only honey (really, is that so much to ask?) the processes table honey undergoes destroys most of the honey’s bio-active components (the very stuff we want!) and leaves us with essentially a liquid sugar.
Start by melting your raw honey to make it easier to stir. Then, in your water tight container combine together all ingredients, stirring until everything is evenly mixed.
Screw the lid on tight and place either in the fridge or in a bathroom cabinet until you’re ready to use it. This mixture can last up to two months.
Note: It’s not essential to refrigerate your sugar scrub, but some people may feel more comfortable doing so. It’s entirely up to you!
Dampen your hands or a bath sponge and place your desired amount of sugar scrub onto it.
Exfoliate (and get a nice scratch!) by rubbing gently in circular motions to remove dead skin cells. Use all over or just on particularly persistent eczema ridden itchy spots. Again, remember to rub gently!
When you’re done, rinse off with lukewarm or cool water and pat yourself dry with a towel. If desired, put on your favorite moisturizer to top it all off!
There we have it! A gentle, exfoliating, and moisturizing sugar scrub perfect for sensitive (and itchy) skin!
Health & Happiness,
Savannah
P.S You guy’s I ‘ve been eczema free for 2 weeks now! Healthy fingers crossed it stays that way! Check out A Simple Elimination Diet and What To Expect On An Elimination Diet for a no b.s. guide on how you can take the steps to curing this itchy rash once and for all!
