Make your own natural exfoliating face and body scrubs

Peak inside your cabinet for the answer to smoother and healthier looking skin with your own exfoliating face and body scrub.

Treat your face and body to exfoliating scrubs regularly to remove dead cells and they will refine and clarify your skin's appearance. Exfoliating scrubs can be made from a number of natural ingredients. Essential oils and salt are key ingredients and oranges, lemons, sugar, olive oil and almond bran are ideally suited for facial scrubs.

Since exfoliating scrubs are abrasive, they shouldn't be used frequently.

• For normal skin: You can treat normal facial skin to a scrub every two weeks.
• For dry skin: Exfoliating face and body scrubs should be used on dry skin once a month.
• For oily skin:  You can use exfoliating scrubs on oily skin weekly.

After a scrub, always apply a moisturizing skin care product made specifically for your skin type.

Why go for a store-bought scrub when you can make your own? Try one of these.

• Treat sensitive skin with orange peel. Grate the zest from an orange and dry carefully, then grind in a coffee grinder or a mortar. Add a little warm water and rub onto skin. Rinse thoroughly.
• Rejuvenate your skin with a scrub made from ingredients found in almost every home. Stir together five millilitres (one teaspoon) of sugar and 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) of olive oil. Massage the scrub onto your skin, then rinse thoroughly.
• Make normal and oily skin clean and glowing by mixing together 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) each of almond bran and oatmeal with five millilitres (one teaspoon) of grated lemon peel. Add a little warm water, then massage the scrub on your skin. Rinse thoroughly with warm water after two minutes.
• Smooth dry skin with a fragrant oil scrub. Mix 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of almond bran with an equal amount of rose water to produce a thick paste. Add two drops of rose oil and one drop of lavender oil. Gently massage into the skin and rinse with warm water after two minutes.

Looking to make your own exfoliating body scrub? Try one of these.

• Stimulate dry skin with a sea salt scrub. Mix 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) of sea salt, 25 millilitres (two tablespoons) of almond oil and 10 drops of lemon oil and apply to a washcloth. Massage your skin with it while still wet from the shower and rinse thoroughly.
• Make a sweetly fragrant scrub by mixing together 25 millilitres (two tablespoons) of sea salt, 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) of walnut oil, five drops of patchouli oil and two drops of jasmine oil. Apply the scrub, wrap yourself in a towel and let it work for 30 minutes before rinsing off thoroughly.