Although there are some great facial exfoliating scrubs for the face on the market there isn’t anything quite like getting in your kitchen cupboards and making a fresh product that is free from chemicals and such.

Earlier on today I decided that my skin could use some homemade facial scrub love and as it was so nice I wanted to share my homemade honey and tea tree facial scrub recipe with you all.

Before we start I should just explain the purpose of exfoliating the skin as it really is essential in this day and age, especially to promote clearer skin and skin that makes make-up last longer and look the way it’s supposed to.

Even if you can’t see any flaky skin on your face I can almost guarantee your skin will go through the process of rejuvenation which takes just under a month. The process is simple. The skin renews itself every 26 days or so and the dead surface skin cells rise to the surface ready to shed themselves. I know it sounds gross but that’s what happens.

Often there are areas around the nose, chin and forehead which can be a little stubborn to shed skin so they just sit there and basic cleansing alone often doesn’t remove them.

Dead skin can harbour bacteria which can cause pimples or irritation so it’s important to remove it.

There is conflicting advice about how often to exfoliate your skin. My rule is this – if the skin is broken, let it heal. If you have any pimples that are broken and are healing, again let them heal. Otherwise a very mild facial scrub like the one I’m about to show you how to make is perfectly fine to apply 2-3 times a week.

These ingredients are all safe to use, even the tea tree, but if you have over sensitive skin please be mindful that even though tea tree has been used for centuries to heal and ward of bacteria it still needs to be used with care. A sensitivity test must be carried out before you use it if your skin is hyper sensitive.

Homemade Honey and Tea tree Facial Scrub

Who it’s for: All skin types. Very good for anyone who wants to soothe and heal (unbroken) pimpled skin and those who wish to reduce blemish scars.

Ingredients: Oats, Natural Honey, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Essence of Rose Water & Tea tree oil.

How to make it: I only ever get hung up on measurements of essential oils so don’t worry about following the other measurements out to the letter as I’ll tell you what it’s supposed to look like further on.

Place two handfuls of the Oats into a mixing bowl. You can scrunch the oats in your hands to make them smaller, or for a much finer scrub use a pestle and mortar to grind the oats to your desired consistency.

Add three dessert spoons of Olive oil and 2 dessert spoons of Essence of Rose Water. Carefully add 2-3 drops of Tea Tree oil.

Mix until you get a thick paste. Your spoon should stand up in it. If you need to add more oil just to make it more pliable then do so.

Application: This is a little messy so I advise leaning over the kitchen sink a little while you do it. Apply the scrub to your clean dry face and neck (avoid the eye area completely.) Gently massage into the key areas where dead skin can build up and or where pimples are likely to form, such as around the nose, chin, and forehead. Then relax with your favourite fashion magazine or get some blog reading done because for 10-15 minutes you simply let it sit on your face and neck.

Removal: Use warm water to totally remove the scrub from your face, you can also take this opportunity to gently rub the mixture a little more but don’t overdo it. You should also watch you don’t get any in your eyes.

The face should feel soothed, on account of the honey and olive oil (which also contains Vitamin E), toned due to the rose water and also fresh due to the tea Tree oil.

If you have any leftover then you can actually apply this on the hands as a hand scrub as well. Again, the tea tree fights bacteria and the honey will soothe as the olive oil nourishes.

Variations:

If you don’t have any rosewater or can’t find any in your local health food store then try Apple Cider Vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar has numerous beneficial properties, including anti-aging, anti-bacterial and is soothing to the skin.

Enjoy your scrub and let me know how you like it.

V x