Make Your Own Moisturizing Sugar Lip Scrub

There’s nothing worse than walking around with flaky lips. And, your lip balm can’t do its job either because of the thick layer of chapped skin. Luckily, in this Friday FYI, we’ll show you how to make your own moisturizing sugar lip scrub with some pantry essentials you probably already have at home.

How to assemble your lip scrub

In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of honey with 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil.
Before you shower or wash your face for the night, gently rub it over your lips with your finger and lightly rub your lips together. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Then, let it all dissolve away with a warm water rinse before you wash your face or jump in the shower.

Why it works

Sugar is a natural humectant that draws moisture from the air and into your skin’s top layer. It’s also a natural alpha-hydroxy acid (glycolic acid to be exact) and a mechanical exfoliant, which scrubs aways dead skin cells. The sugar granules are finer in texture, so they won’t cause abrasion like a salt scrub. Brown sugar is also gentler than white sugar.

Honey and coconut oil benefit your skin as well. Honey hydrates your lips and is a natural source of antioxidants. It’s also naturally antibacterial. Coconut oil is an emollient with anti-inflammatory properties.

A word of caution

It’s a good idea to do a patch test in case any of the ingredients causes irritation.

Before or after using a lip scrub, avoid chemical plumping agents since they can also cause irritation. And, don’t forget to slather on the SPF.

Use it to scrub your body

If you want a nice body scrub, you can use the same ingredients and apply the same proportions (say, using 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon coconut oil). On the body, sugar scrubs assist in removing dead skin cells and increase blood circulation.