Nothing beats relaxing on a hot sunny day with an ice cold beverage — especially if it’s a margarita! We took some inspiration from a classic summer drink for this festive and easy salt scrub.
The extra fine Epsom Salts are like sand, and make for a wonderfully gentle exfoliant. The combination of Deodorized Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil and Jojoba oil help suspend the granules and provide plenty of skin-loving goodness without melting too much — no messy pools of oils will form on top of this scrub! We experimented with Coconut Citrus Sorbet and Lime fragrance oils to get the perfect sweet scent, but you can certainly adjust it to suit your tastes. Scrub up!
What You’ll Need:
7 oz. Extra Fine Epsom Salt
1 oz. Deodorized Cocoa Butter
1 oz. Coconut Oil
.5 oz. Jojoba Oil Fragrance blend of: 2 ml Coconut Citrus Sorbet Fragrance Oil & 7 ml Lime Fragrance Oil
6 mL Lime LabColor
4 mL Emerald LabColor
8 oz. Tall Plastic Bail Jar
Droppers
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
DILUTING LABCOLOR: You’ll need to premix your LabColors in order to use them in this project. We like diluting the small bottle of LabColor in 4 oz. of distilled water. For more on diluting LabColors, check out this blog post.
ONE: Melt down the Cocoa Butter on 30 second bursts. Be sure to melt it in a small glass container because too much head space can cause the container to explode — similar to what can happen with beeswax. Once melted, add the coconut oil, jojoba oil and fragrance oils. Mix well and then set aside until step 3.
TWO: In a second container, combine the Epsom salt and LabColors. It may be difficult to mix in the LabColor at first. We found the best strategy was to put gloves on and hand mix the colorant into the salts. It’s very important to mix the LabColor into the Epsom Salts first because the water-based LabColors will not mix into the oil-based scrub otherwise.
THREE: Once the color has been fully incorporated into the salts, add the oil mixture. Be sure the salts are completely enveloped in oil and no salt chunks are present.
FOUR: Pour into an 8 oz. Glass Bail Jar. Keep in mind a small amount of oil may pool on top of the salts, but the scrub should be liquid enough so that you can simply mix it back in with a spoon. Enjoy!
- 7 oz. Extra Fine Epsom Salt
- 1 oz. Deodorized Cocoa Butter
- 1 oz. Coconut Oil
- .5 oz. Jojoba Oil
- 2 ml Coconut Citrus Sorbet Fragrance Oil
- 7 ml Lime Fragrance Oil
- 6 mL Lime LabColor
- 4 mL Emerald LabColor
- 8 oz. Tall Plastic Bail Jar
- Droppers
- DILUTING LABCOLOR: You’ll need to premix your LabColors in order to use them in this project. We like diluting the small bottle of LabColor in 4 oz. of distilled water. For more on diluting LabColors, check out this blog post.
- Melt down the Cocoa Butter on 30 second bursts. Be sure to melt it in a small glass container because too much head space can cause the container to explode — similar to what can happen with beeswax. Once melted, add the coconut oil, jojoba oil and fragrance oils. Mix well and then set aside until step 3.
- In a second container, combine the Epsom salt and LabColors. It may be difficult to mix in the LabColor at first. We found the best strategy was to put gloves on and hand mix the colorant into the salts. It’s very important to mix the LabColor into the Epsom Salts first because the water-based LabColors will not mix into the oil-based scrub otherwise.
- Once the color has been fully incorporated into the salts, add the oil mixture. Be sure the salts are completely enveloped in oil and no salt chunks are present.
- Pour into an 8 oz. Glass Bail Jar. Keep in mind a small amount of oil may pool on top of the salts, but the scrub should be liquid enough so that you can simply mix it back in with a spoon. Enjoy!
I made a variant of this recipe last night with things I had on hand – grapeseed butter substituted for cocoa butter, almond oil instead of jojoba and raspberry lemonade scent. It turned out exactly like the photo above but I’m confused… when I used it in the shower this morning, I found it to be really oily. I realize that there is no soapy-component but how do others use this? I thought I could use it as a substitute for soap (or sugar scrub that I make using foaming bath whip) but after using it I felt wayyyy too oily. I tried to wash it off with soap which helped, but I feel like maybe I’m not using this right. Help please!
Hi Mary!
This scrub is made up of oils, butters and salt. That means it is very moisturizing, and will have an oily feel to it. Also, depending on the temperature it’s in, the scrub may be solid or oily. That’s because the oils can melt in hot temperatures.
If you’re looking for a more cleansing scrub, we have some awesome recipes! They are made with ingredients like Foaming Bath Whip, which have the cleansing properties you’re looking for. I’ll include them below. 🙂
Rainbow Jojoba Bead Sugar Scrub: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/soaks-and-scrubs/rainbow-jojoba-bead-sugar-scrub/
Fresh Rain Sugar Scrub: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/soaks-and-scrubs/make-fresh-rain-sugar-scrub-short-video/
Sweet Summer Scrub Tutorial: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/soaks-and-scrubs/sweet-summer-scrub-tutorial/
Rose Clay Sugar Scrub: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/soaks-and-scrubs/rose-clay-sugar-scrub/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I have read the preservative articles, but I’m still not positive about my question. Are phenonip and optiphen completely interchangeable when called for in scrub recipes?
Hi Leah!
Phenonip and Optiphen can both be used in scrubs, and both protect your product from mold and bacteria growth. The difference is Optiphen is paraben and formaldehyde free, which some people prefer. Hope that helps! 🙂
The Talk It Out Tuesday: Preservatives post has more information on the subject: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi,
Can I use sugar instead of Salt? If yes i can use same amount? How many jars of 200ml will result?
This is the first recipe i will try 🙂 for scrub.
In Romania i can not find Phenonip or Optiphen but i can use Cosgard (benzyl alcohol, salicylic acid, glycerin, sorbic acid) which is both a preservative and an antibacterial solution. Do you think it is ok?
Thank you,
Andreea
Hi Andreea!
You can use sugar in this recipe if you like! I would recommend substituting the same amount of sugar for salt. Also, this recipe fills one 8 oz. Glass Bail Jar. 🙂
8 oz. Glass Bail Jar: https://www.brambleberry.com/8-oz-Glass-Bail-Jar-P5444.aspx
Also, we haven’t done a lot of testing with Cosgard, so I’m not entirely sure! We’ve had the best luck with the preservatives sold at brambleberry.com. You can find a list of those preservatives and how to use them here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
We also ship to Romania! You can find out more in the Soaping All Over the World: Resources for International Soapers post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/soaping-world-resources-international-soapers/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
My friend wants fresh lime&ginger in a scrub. Could i incorporate the juice of half a lime of just the zest/ ginger zest at the sugar and color stage seeing as this is water based too. Mix well let it dry out a bit then add oil? Could this work?
Hi Simone!
We didn’t try fresh lime and ginger in this recipe, but I believe that would work! I think adding it into the salt would be the best way to incorporate it. Also, keep in mind the shelf life of the scrub will be shorter because of the fresh ingredients. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
If I want to use one fragrance like a margarine fragrance how much will I use? The total of the two in the recipe? 9 ml? Thank You!
Hi Jan!
That is correct, you would use a total of 9 mL of fragrance oil. 🙂
You can use our Fragrance Calculator to find out how much scent to add to all your recipes! For scrubs, select “salts” in the drop down menu.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
Can green clay or spirolina be used as a colorant?
Hi Nancy!
You can use either of those as colorants. 🙂
Because they are powdered colorants, you may have some speckling.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
do you use preservatives in your sugar scrubs and if so what one is the best to use?
Hi Barbara!
You don’t have to use preservatives in this recipe, but you can if you want to be extra careful.
Phenonip is a good one to use. You can use that at .5 to 1% in your recipe. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Talk It Out Tuesday: Preservatives: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
Hi! How is the texture/consistency after a while? Does it stay pliable or does it solidify?
Hi Summer!
The scrub does harden up a little, but it does stay nice and soft! The top picture is the scrub once it has hardened, which gives you an idea of its texture; thick enough to form a pick, but soft enough to manipulate. I hope this helps 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
Would you suggest using this a facial scrub? If not, any recommendations?
Hi Cindy!
I probably would not recommend this as a facial scrub. The salt may be a little too scratchy for the face. What type of scrub you use will depend a little on your skin type (whether your skin is dry, or oily). Here is a great recipe that you can use both as a gently scrub, and as a mask! It’s great for drier skins.
Oatmeal Facial Scrub and Mask: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/soaks-and-scrubs/oatmeal-facial-scrub-and-mask/
I hope this helps!
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
I’m confused about this recipe – on the one hand you say you don’t need a preservative due to it not having any water in it, yet you have to dilute the lab colors with water and add them. Also, it doesn’t way how much lab color (diluted) to add. The whole 4 oz? I don’t think that would be right?
Hi Dian!
When you dilute LabColors, you do need to use a preservative to do so because you are adding water to them. This preservative will preserve the amount of water in the LabColors.
Because the scrub does not contain water other than the LabColors, you do not need additional preservative. That being said, because scrubs often come into contact with water because they are stored in the shower, some people like to add an oil-soluble preservative (like Phenonip) to their oil based scrubs.
The amount of LabColor you need to add is listed above. You will need 6 mL Lime LabColor, and 4 mL Emerald LabColor.
I hope this helps! 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
I only have gerbamen II. Can I add that to the lab color and the scrub?
I only have gerbamen II. Can I add that to the lab color and the scrub? And, if so, how much to add for this recipe?
Ok, will Gerbamen II work as preservative, and if so how much to add for lab color and scrub?
Hi Dian!
Germaben works great for diluting LabColors! Below is a post that walks you through this process.
Diluting LabColors:
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/diluting-bramble-berry-labcolors/
Because Germaben is a water soluble, you would be not be able to use this in the scrub itself. If you’d like to add additional preservative to the scrub, I would recommend using an oil soluble preservative like Phenonip or Optiphen ND. For more info regarding preservatives, you may find these posts helpful!
Perfectly Preserved: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/perfectly-preserved/
Talk it Out Tuesday: Preservatives: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
I hope this helps!
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
I do not have any jojoba oil on hand, could this be done with sweet almond, avocado, hazelnut or hemp seed oils instead? Thanks!
Hi Molly!
You could certainly switch out the jojoba oil with another :). Any of these oils would be a good choice, but I would probably go with Avocado or Sweet Almond. Sweet Almond is great in salt and sugar scrubs, and Avocado Oil is extremely good for the skin! Both would work well 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
How would sugar wor?. Probably need an emulsifier.
Hi Robin!
Sugar would work just fine! You would not need to use an emulsifier because this recipe does not contain any water 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
So you don’t need to use a preservative?
Hi Toni!
Because this scrub does not contain any water, you do not need to use a preservative. That being said, some people like to add them to their scrubs if they are going to stay in the shower and will come in contact with water. If you’d like to use a preservative, I would recommend using Optiphen at a 1% usage rate 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
I don’t have any cocoa butter on hand. could you substitute mango or avocado butter in this recipe?
Hi Nancy!
You could definitely use Mango or Avocado Butter, although it will probably change the consistency of the scrub just slightly, but I’m sure it would still be great! 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
I love scrubs, and the texture of this looks amazing. I will definitely have to give this a try – maybe a nice cucumber melon, though the margarita variety sounds awesome with the salt.
Hi Lyssa!
Cucumber Melon would be great as well! I absolutely love the Coconut Citrus Sorbet Fragrance Oil, it smells so fantastic! I bet it would smell great blended with Cucumber Melon as well 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
I don’t have LabColors, but I do have LaBomb Key West Lime. Would this be an acceptable substitute?
Hi Karen!
You could certainly use a LaBomb colorant, I’m sure the Key West Lime would look cute! 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
Ooh this looks yummy!! Does it smell like a margarita with this scent combo?
May make this for my friends!
Hi Dawnia!
I find this scent combo to be really “yummy” but to me, it definitely has more coconut scent than a traditional margarita does. If you’d like it to smell more like a margarita, I would use less or all Lime Fragrance Oil 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
Would micas work for this project?
Hi Crystal,
Yes you could definitely use micas for this project 🙂 If so, I would add them directly into the oil mixture at step 1. Have fun!