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This DIY Activated Charcoal Sugar Scrub recipe with coconut oil and essential oils will cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize skin while you bathe.
Using activated charcoal in your homemade bath products has multiple benefits for your skin, and you can easily add it into almost any of your favorite DIY recipes.
Here are some of my favorite activated charcoal recipes:
- Activated Charcoal Soap
- Activated Charcoal Drawing Salve
- Activated Charcoal Face Mask
- Charcoal Bath Bombs
For this one, I’ve taken a basic, tried and true, sugar scrub recipe that is great for exfoliating and helping to soften your skin with the addition of three essential oils. Then I added a teaspoon of activated charcoal to help leave your skin feeling awesome.
This Charcoal Sugar Scrub uses only natural ingredients and, yes, it will leave a black residue on your shower or tub. So, as you scrub with it, follow up with a good rinsing to remove any excess from both your body and the spot you’re washing in.
You will find that this is a very easy sugar scrub to make and you can also change up the essential oils if you need to incorporate any specific ones that fit your preferences.
Be sure to check out my free guide to choosing the right essential oils for your homemade beauty products if you want to learn how to switch up oils based on your skin type and goals.
This recipe calls for an 8-ounce jar, so if you have a 16-ounce jar like I used (you’ll see in the photos), then double the recipe.
DIY Charcoal Sugar Scrub with Essential Oils
Supplies
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon activated charcoal powder
- 6 drops geranium essential oil
- 5 drops frankincense essential oil
- 7 drops lavender essential oil
Tools
- 8 ounce glass jar
Instructions
- Pour the granulated sugar into a mixing bowl, breaking down or removing any clumps.
- Add the softened coconut oil to the mixing bowl, and use a rubber spatula to blend the sugar and oil together well. The mixture should be wet all over, but closer to a damp kind of wet than a dripping kind of wet.
- Once they’re well blended and all the sugar is dampened, add in your essential oils and then mix again. All of these oils are of a thin consistency so just go slowly when counting those drops out.
- Once your oils are mixed in fully, you can measure out the charcoal powder and add it in. Be advised that this stuff can get messy! Even when first opening it, you may see it flying a bit in the air and you don’t want to bump the container and spill it, so just a word of caution from a clumsy girl. Add it to the mixture and blend it in all the way. You will see areas start to absorb it and some still in the white sugar color, so keep going until all of the scrub is the dark grey-black color.
- Now, you are ready to put into the jar. I personally prefer to add it by the heaping spoonful, rather than try to dump it from the bowl to the jar, but this may depend on the type of jar you have and how narrow the mouth is. Get the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl scraped clean and add it all in, and you are set to go.
- Place on your lid and add a cute label and some twine or ribbon and give it as a gift or keep for yourself.
Notes
How To Use Your Charcoal Scrub
- Take a couple finger tips full and rub into the skin, especially on rougher areas like elbows, feet, and hands. I like to keep it by my sink so that I can keep my hands nice and soft when they get rough.
- Rub in and mix with water as you do so, and you will feel the sugar break down and work.
- Once the sugar has dissipated, rinse well until the black is gone.
Can u use dead sea salt or natural sea salt in stead of sugar??
Absolutely. I actually have a Charcoal Salt Scrub recipe you can check out here: https://www.happy-mothering.com/diy-charcoal-salt-scrub/
How long can this scrub last for?
If stored properly, homemade sugar scrubs can last anywhere from 2-6 months. The most important thing is to be sure no water gets in the jar and it’s kept well sealed. If the oil starts to smell rancid, throw it away.