Handmade gifts are a special treat around the holidays. However, handmade gifts can require a bit more work. That’s where this Cranberry Sugar Scrub comes in. It’s easy to make and ready to use right away. Your family and friends don’t even have to know how simple it is to make!
Along with being easy, the scrub also feels amazing on the skin. Sugar and cranberry seeds exfoliate, which make your skin feel clean and fresh. The cranberry seeds also add a pop of red. Avocado oil and potassium cocoate moisturize the skin without feeling greasy. Glycerin is added to help draw moisture to the skin. To complete the festive look, the scrub is colored with Merlot Sparkle Mica and scented with sweet and tart Cranberry Fig Fragrance Oil.
What You’ll Need:
24 oz. Granulated Sugar
1 oz. Cranberry Seeds
1/2 tsp. Merlot Sparkle Mica
1 oz. Avocado Oil
.3 oz. Glycerin
.5 oz. Potassium Cocoate
12 mL Cranberry Fig Fragrance Oil
8 mL Phenonip
Four 8 oz. Tall Plastic Bail Jars
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar and cranberry seeds and mix to thoroughly combine.
TWO: Add 1/2 tsp. of Merlot Sparkle Mica and mix until the color is thoroughly combined into the dry ingredients.
THREE: Add the avocado oil, glycerin and potassium cocoate and stir to fully combine into the dry ingredients. This can take a little time! You may find it easier to use your hands to mix everything together.
THREE: Add the Cranberry Fig Fragrance Oil and Phenonip and continue to mix until it’s thoroughly mixed in.
Note: Although this scrub doesn’t contain water, it will likely get water splashed in it during use. The extra water may cause bacteria and mold to grow. We added a preservative to be extra careful. You can read more in the Talk It Out Tuesday: Preservatives post.
FOUR: Transfer the scrub into the plastic bail jars or another packaging option of your choice and enjoy! To use, apply the scrub to damp skin and use circular motions to gently exfoliate. This scrub is great for legs, body, hands and feet, but might be a little scratchy for the face. If you’d like to use this recipe on your face, mixing this with liquid soap will cut down on the exfoliating dramatically. You may also want to decrease the fragrance amount, as it can be strong right by your nose.
What’s your favorite gift to make for the holidays?
- 24 oz. Granulated Sugar
- 1 oz. Cranberry Seeds
- ½ tsp. Merlot Sparkle Mica
- 1 oz. Avocado Oil
- .3 oz. Glycerin
- .5 oz. Potassium Cocoate
- 12 mL Cranberry Fig Fragrance Oil
- 8 mL Phenonip
- Four 8 oz. Tall Plastic Bail Jars
- In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar and cranberry seeds and mix to thoroughly combine.
- Add ½ tsp. of Merlot Sparkle Mica and mix until the color is thoroughly combined into the dry ingredients.
- Add the avocado oil, glycerin and potassium cocoate and stir to fully combine into the dry ingredients. This can take a little time! You may find it easier to use your hands to mix everything together.
- Add the Cranberry Fig Fragrance Oil and Phenonip and continue to mix until it’s thoroughly mixed in. Note: Although this scrub doesn’t contain water, it will likely get water splashed in it during use. The extra water may cause bacteria and mold to grow. We added a preservative to be extra careful.
- Transfer the scrub into the plastic bail jars or another packaging option of your choice and enjoy! To use, apply the scrub to damp skin and use circular motions to gently exfoliate. This scrub is great for legs, body, hands and feet, but might be a little scratchy for the face. If you’d like to use this recipe on your face, you may want to remove the cranberry seeds so the scrub is a bit more gentle. You may also want to decrease the fragrance amount, as it can be strong right by your nose.
Hi. This scrub is very pretty and smells great. I have made this scrub with a popular national brand of regular sugar and also with organic sugar which is off-white and has a slightly bigger grain. The regular sugar seemed to dissolve fairly quickly while scrubbing. I was wondering if you or other readers had a recommendation for a sugar they prefer. Thank you.
We use the plain white sugar, which offers a gentle exfoliation. If you prefer a more intense exfoliation, you can add more cranberry seeds or use a larger grain of sugar. In general, the larger the grain, the more exfoliation. Learn more here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/all-about-exfoliants/
Hi! Does this scrub separate when it sits in the jar? Like, will the oil rise to the top or anything that would require mixing prior to use?
Thanks!
The scrub is pretty dry, so there shouldn’t be a lot of separation. If so, a quick mix will get it combined again. It also helps to keep the scrub in a cool, dry place. Learn more about storing products here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Does the Mica stain the skin?
If you apply the mica directly to the skin it may stick around for a bit, but it will wash off. In this recipe it won’t stain the skin.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
What would the shelf life on something like this be before opening, if it were made exactly in accordance with the recipe and placed in a sealed container? What about after opening it?
Thanks
The shelf life on this product will be about a year. That shelf life begins once the scrub is made. It’s based on what oils are used. In this case, avocado oil has a shelf life of one year, which means the scrub does too. If the oil had a shelf life of 3 months, so would the scrub. After that time it can go rancid. Learn more about the shelf life of your products here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/shelf-life-bath-products-ingredients-rancidity-vs-mold/
Without a preservative, that shelf life may be shorter depending on how much water the scrub comes in contact with. For the longest shelf life, it helps to preserve the scrub and store it in a cool, dry place. 🙂
Read more about storing products here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I HAVE ORDERED THIS AND HOPE IT TURNS OUT GREAT! CAN’T WAIT!
Yay, have fun Rosie! Thanks for your order. Enjoy your cranberry scrub. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
hi,
can i use liquid crystal concentrate,in place of potassium cocoate?
We haven’t used that product so I’m not entirely sure! You can use a liquid soap in place of potassium cocoate though. Potassium cocoate is similar to a liquid soap, so a base like liquid Castile soap will work well. It will help add cleansing properties to the scrub. 🙂
Liquid soaps: https://www.brambleberry.com/Liquid-Bases-C15.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Can this be safely used as a lip scrub as well?
This scrub is not safe for the lips because of the fragrance oil used. You can use a lip safe flavor oil instead if you like! Learn more about flavor oils here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/sunday-night-spotlight-flavoring-oils/
You’ll also want to use a lip safe color! Merlot Sparkle Mica is lip safe. If you add a different color, make sure it says “safe for lips” in the product description. Another thing to keep in mind is that the cranberry seeds are larger, so they can be a bit harsh on the lips. You may want to leave them out and just use sugar. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
If you leave out the cranberry seeds do you have to alter the amount of the other ingredients?
The scrub will be a bit more wet without the cranberry seeds. If you like that consistency you don’t need to alter the ingredients! If you like the more dry feeling of this scrub, you can increase the sugar by 1 ounce. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
How did you determine to use 12ml of the fragrance oil and 8ml of the phenonip? I’m having a hard time figuring it out
Hi Alaina!
The fragrance amount is from our Fragrance Calculator! You can find that here: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
The total weight of the scrub is 26.8 ounces, so you plug that into the calculator. A light-medium scent recommendation is around .4 ounces. You can measure that out on a scale, or use droppers for ease of use. To find the mL amount, type “.4 oz in mL” into a search engine like Google and you will get 12 mL.
The preservative amount is based on the weight of the scrub. We recommend Phenonip at .5-1.5% (in this case 1%) of the total weight of the scrub. That is about .2 ounces, so we did the same conversion in Google and got 6 mL. 🙂
Read more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi – I had some cranberry seed POWDER on hand from another supplier, so I used that instead, and the scrub turned grey? Is that normal – or maybe the powder was older then I thought?
Thanks for any tips.
I’m not entirely sure why that happened! The powder may have been coated with a color that can bleed into the scrub. It may also be natural – sometimes fruit/vegetable powders can turn gray or brown in recipes. I would recommend contacting the manufacturer to find out more. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Is a preservative necessary? I have optiphen but it seems to add a slight chemically smell which I really dislike.
Thanks,
Wallis
The preservative is optional! We added it because scrubs stored in the shower often get water splashed in them, which can grow mold and bacteria. If you don’t want to add the preservative, make sure to store your scrub in a cool, dry place in between uses. 🙂
Read more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This is beautiful! I’m wondering if it’d be okay to sub something like peppermint essential oil (in a smaller quantity, of course) and peppermint powder with a greener mica powder. I love peppermint products…
Or is there something similar that wouldn’t potentially irritate the skin?
So glad you like the scrub! You can add a green mica, peppermint oil and peppermint powder to this recipe if you like. Peppermint can cause a cooling sensation if too much is used, so I would recommend starting with just a drop or two of the oil. If you want it a bit stronger, you can add another drop or two from there. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Peppermint essential oil, 1st distill: https://www.brambleberry.com/Peppermint-Essential-Oil-1st-Distill-P3828.aspx
Hello! I had a quick question about Phenonip and whether it can be replaced with Caprylyl Glycol? I have some friends who I’d love to make this for but they don’t want to use anything with parabens. Thank you!
Hi Vera!
We haven’t done a lot of testing with Caprylyl Glycol before, so I’m not entirely sure. However, you can use Optiphen in this recipe! It is paraben and formaldehyde free. 🙂
Optiphen: https://www.brambleberry.com/Optiphen-P3682.aspx
Read more about preservatives in this post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
If you use Caprylyl Glycol, a small test batch would be helpful to see how it protects against mold and bacteria. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe. The ingredients arrived today, but I’m a little at a loss how to measure mL! My measuring cups start at 30 or 50 mL for the first line and that is way too much. Also, need insight on measuring .3 oz. Help?!
Hi Marisa!
You can use droppers to measure those small amounts! We have some at BrambleBerry.com, and you can also find them at drug stores. Child’s medicine dispensers work really well for that, or anything with small mL measurements on them. 🙂
Droppers: https://www.brambleberry.com/Droppers-With-Suction-Bulb-P3802.aspx
For the .3 ounces, we like to measure that using a scale! Kitchen scales work really well. If you don’t have one on hand, you can use volume measurements. The .3 ounces is about 2 teaspoons. To find that out, I typed “.3 oz in teaspoons” in a search engine and it popped those results up. Keep in mind the measurements may be a bit off, as we weighed our ingredients. The good news is if you want the scrub more dry or more wet, you can add more sugar or potassium cocoate. 🙂
Scales and thermometers: https://www.brambleberry.com/Scales-Thermometers-C207.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I made this scrub yesterday and I love it! First, this scrub is simply beautiful in color and it definitely motivated me to add color to my own scrubs. The amount of time it took me to make this scrub is waaaay less time than it normally takes me to make my own scrubs. The potassium cocoate added a nice lather to my scrub and it rinsed off very nice. Very impressed!
Yay, so glad you’re loving this scrub Rose! It’s always nice when a scrub comes together easily and quickly. Also, the sky is the limit when it comes to coloring your scrubs! We have some shimmery micas that would look gorgeous. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Micas: https://www.brambleberry.com/Micas-C46.aspx
Hi,
I’ve been a fan ever since I found your site several months back and have been trying out many of your recipes. My hubby loves cranberry so I just made this for him. The cranberry fig FO is de-lish!
That’s awesome, so glad you’re liking the recipes Karen! Thanks a bunch for your sweet comment. Also, glad to hear your husband is a fan of this scrub. I have some in my shower now and the bright smell always perks me up in the morning. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I tried out this recipe yesterday and absolutely love it! Added a little more glycerin and oil, and used Liquid soap instead of Potassium Cocoate and it turned out great!
Yay, so glad you love it Shauna! It’ll be perfect for scrubbing away dry winter skin. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
it looks amazing thank you to sharing
I have a question if you don’t mind please . What can i use instead of Potassium Cocoate??
thank you very much
You’re welcome Azhar, so glad you like the recipe!
In place of potassium cocoate, you can use liquid soap. Potassium cocoate is similar to liquid soap, and adds cleansing properties and a bit of lather to this scrub. You can use any liquid soap base you like. 🙂
Liquid soap bases: https://www.brambleberry.com/Liquid-Bases-C15.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Just made this…it smells delicious, but even with a double batch it didn’t quite make as much as I expected. My jars are the smallest I could find, but still clearly too big! I made mine without the seeds as I couldn’t find any, and liquid castile soap instead of the potassium cocoate, and it still looks fab. Can’t wait to give my (very generous) xmas gifts this year!
So glad you got a chance to try this recipe out! If you like, you can add a bit more sugar and liquid soap to make the recipe a little bigger. I think your friends and family will love their handmade scrub. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
What is the typical shelf life without preservatives? Also….If I make it in the next couple weeks will the fragrance hold until christmas for gift giving or should I hold off until it is closer to the holidays to make this?
Hi Kristin!
How long the scrub lasts without a preservative will depend on how it’s stored! If the scrub gets quite a bit of water splashed in it, the shelf life will be about 6 months or so. To extend that shelf life, make sure to store the scrub in an airtight container and keep it as dry as possible. 🙂
Also, we made this scrub a couple weeks ago and the smell is still nice and strong, so it should be just fine to make it ahead of time. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place!
Learn more about storing your products here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
If the water gets in, won’t the sugar just melt? Thanks!
Hi Martina!
We have found that this scrub holds up really nicely in the shower, even with a bit of water splashed into it. Sugar typically needs a combination of heat and water to dissolve, so if it does get a lot of hot water in it it may melt. To make sure it doesn’t, we recommend storing it in an airtight container, and trying to keep it as dry as possible. I like to store my scrubs on the higher shelves in the shower to keep them nice and fresh. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This looks so pretty, with the inclusion of cranberry seeds. I think my daughter would love this, since she loves her Cranberry & Fig-fragranced candle. It really is a yummy scent!
Thank you so much Patricia! I think this scrub would be perfect for your daughter. It smells so nice, a great combo of sweet and tart. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Would it work alright to just use a liquid soap instead of the potassium cocoate?
You can definitely use liquid soap if you like! Liquid soap and potassium cocoate are very similar, and will add cleansing and lathering properties to the scrub. 🙂
Liquid bases: https://www.brambleberry.com/Liquid-Bases-C15.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
If I’m going to use liquid soap, would I use 5 oz.?
Hi Connie!
I would recommend starting with .5 ounces, which is the same amount as the potassium cocoate. If you want the scrub a bit more wet, you can add more from there. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Liquid soap bases: https://www.brambleberry.com/Liquid-Bases-C15.aspx
This sounds wonderful, but I don’t have any glycerin. Can I eliminate it or use something else instead? Thanks.
Hi Nancy!
You can leave the glycerin out of this recipe if you like! You may want to increase the potassium cocoate by .3 oz. so the scrub has the same liquid amount and won’t be too dry. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I would have figured the preservative on the weight of the liquid, not the sugar and seeds. Can you explain why you need that much please?
Hi Lucia!
Absolutely! We add preservatives based on the total weight of the recipe, including the sugar and the oils to be on the extra safe side. Most scrubs are stored in a wet shower, and will get quite a bit of water splashed into them. A preservative based on the weight of the entire scrub will help protect the oils, sugar and other additives against mold and bacteria.
Let me know if that makes sense! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I have otpiphen plus. Can I use it in this recipe? Also, if I wanted to exchange the fragrance oil with a different Bramble Berry fragrance oil, how would I put it through the fragrance calculator? Do I use the bath salts option? Thanks so much!
Hi Rain!
Optiphen Plus works best in water-based recipes, like toners or cleaners. Because of that, it may not work very well in this scrub. Instead, I would recommend using Phenonip or Optiphen. Both of those preservatives work great in scrubs.
Learn more about preservatives in this post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
Also, you are correct! To find out how much scent to add with our Fragrance Calculator, select “Salts” and then enter the weight of this scrub (26.8 ounces). 🙂
Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Sounds fabulous, can’t wait to try it out!
It’s nice and scrubby, and smells awesome! Have fun giving this scrub a try Monica. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Can you use Optiphen for the preservative?
Thanks!
Hi Linda!
Absolutely! Optiphen works great in scrubs. You can add it at .5-1.5% in this recipe. 🙂
Optiphen: https://www.brambleberry.com/Optiphen-P3682.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello,
to make a scrub soap bar… would i just add soap to this recipe?
A mixture of liquid oil, sugar, and melt and pour base works nicely for sugar scrub bars and cubes. Find a recipe and how-to video here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/soaks-and-scrubs/diy-sugar-scrub-cubes/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry