DIY Body Scrub: The Easiest Low-waste Gift of the Season

Our pantry staples are for more than just the pantry!

If you’ve never used one before, a body scrub is simply a gentle exfoliator and usually a mix of something coarse (like sugar, salt, or even coffee grounds), oils (like olive, jojoba, coconut), and skin-soothing add-ins (like honey) that buff away dry skin and leave everything soft, smooth, and hydrated.

And with just a few ingredients, a glass jar, and five minutes, you can make this low-waste gift that looks beautiful, smells dreamy, and has that ‘homemade’ charm.

DIY body scrubs check every box:

✔️ Affordable
✔️ Low-waste
✔️ Nourishing
✔️ Customizable
✔️ Consumable

Why they’re great:

A homemade gift is nearly always more special than a store-bought one, and when it comes to beauty products, the people in your life will appreciate knowing exactly what’s going on their body. These scrubs are made with simple, whole ingredients, and customized with any essential oil they may prefer.

Plus:

• They repurpose what you already have. An old jam jar, pasta sauce jars, spice jars.. can all be cleaned up and transformed into gorgeous packaging.
• They aren’t clutter. It’s gifting that doesn’t create more ‘stuff’. The consumables inside are enjoyed, used up, and the jar can be reused all year long.
• They’re personal. Customize with their favorite scent, decorate the jar, write a note including instructions on how to get the most out of your scrub.

Who they’re for:

Think of them as a little spa day in a jar. Literally anyone. People who shave, get dry skin, garden, or just enjoy a little pampering. People who are hard to shop for. People who “don’t want anything”. You can make a whole batch, portion them into smaller jars (we recommend trying to source wide mouth and shallow jars), tie on a ribbon, add a handwritten tag, and you’ve got a thoughtful gift for friends, teachers, neighbors, coworkers, or as a stocking stuffer!

DIY Peppermint Sugar Scrub

Instructions:

FOR MAKING:

1. Combine ingredients in a glass or metal bowl (not the container you intend to give away).
2. Mix thoroughly, adding the essential oils in gradually to avoid overdoing it.
3. Scoop into a wide-mouth jar. (Tip: this recipe can be portioned into many smaller jars to create great stocking stuffers: lip scrubs!)
4. Dress up with a festive ribbon and label.
5. Optional: include a card or tag with the following instructions.

FOR ENJOYING:

1. Use before washing or shaving.
2. Message gently on wet or dry skin.
3. Wash off, or rinse off with warm water and a washcloth for an extra moisturizing effect.
4. Can also be used as a lip scrub.

DIY Calming Sugar Scrub

Tip: more oats = more soothing, more sugar = more exfoliating

Instructions:

FOR MAKING:

1. Optional: blend oats in a blender or food processor to achieve a finer scrub
2. Soften coconut oil in microwave for about 10-15 seconds
3. Combine ingredients in a glass or metal bowl (not the container you intend to give away)
4. Mix thoroughly
5. Scoop into a wide-mouth jar
6. Dress up with a beautiful ribbon and label
7. Optional: include a card or tag with the following instructions

FOR ENJOYING:

1. Use before washing or shaving.
2. Message gently on wet or dry skin.
3. Wash off, or rinse off with warm water and a washcloth for an extra moisturizing effect.

Homemade sugar scrubs are simple, thoughtful, affordable, and truly low-waste. They are a consumable gift that gets used up, not stuck in a drawer or on a shelf collecting dust, eventually headed for the landfill. Whether you’re making a single jar for someone special or a whole batch to give out to the whole team, it’s a sweet way to give something that feels luxurious without all the plastic and mystery ingredients.

If you need jars, ingredients, or a little help getting started, we’ve got it all right here at Life Unplastic. Happy homemade gifting! 🎁