DIY Face Exfoliator – Perfect for Dry or Sensitive Skin

This is my favorite DIY face exfoliator. You can use it as a face scrub or an exfoliating face mask. Either way, it is gentle, nourishing, moisturizing, soothing and adds a lot of youthful, dewy glow to the skin…

DIY beauty products are my passion, and this winter I’ve been trying out several new recipes. Some I liked, some not so much. But my absolute favorite and probably a permanent addition to my regular skincare routine is this DIY face exfoliator.

The recipe is actually very similar to a DIY face scrub I’ve been using before, only this variation is with honey. And it turned out – this humble ingredient makes a huge difference!

What I love about this scrub is that it is very gentle, so you can use it even if you have sensitive skin. And it didn’t dry out my skin at all (though, as always, I have to apply a moisturizer after using it), so it is perfect for this harsh winter weather, or if your skin is naturally dry.

But, though gentle, this face exfoliator is also quite powerful. Definitely capable to remove off my skin all the impurities and dry patches.

After exfoliating my face with it, my skin gets super polished, smooth and soft. And it feels nourished, rejuvenated and supple.

Plus, this recipe is quite customizable and you can easily make it as harsh or as gentle as you like. But, later on about that. First, let’s see why this DIY face exfoliator is so good for your skin and what benefits your skin can get from the ingredients…

Benefits of the ingredients of this diy face exfoliator:

Brown sugar is one of the best natural exfoliators. Its texture is harsh enough to thoroughly exfoliate the skin, but it is much gentler than white sugar.

Other than exfoliating, sugar has natural humectant properties and it stimulates collagen production.

Oatmeal powder is a famous skin soothing ingredient that has strong restoring and anti-inflammatory properties. It contains saponins that gently cleanse your skin without drying it out.

It also contains beta-glucan, which repairs the skin’s protective barrier and that way keeps your skin well moisturized.

Honey is perfect for all skin types and it contributes a lot to this face exfoliator. It has antibacterial, antioxidant, soothing and regenerating properties.

Honey moisturizes the skin without making it oily, replenishes it, rejuvenates and it stimulates the skin’s healing process.

Coconut oil is nourishing, soothing and restoring. It reinforces the skin’s lipid barrier and protects the skin against the elements. In this scrub, its main role is to lubricate the skin, help the exfoliating grains to move smoothly and prevent irritation.

You can replace coconut oil with any other skin friendly oil.

How to Make DIY Face Exfoliator

You will need:

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons oatmeal powder
• 1 large teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

In a small bowl, first mix the dry ingredients – brown sugar and oatmeal powder. Add the honey and melted coconut oil and mix well. The texture should be similar to wet sand. Mix everything well together.

Transfer the scrub to a small glass container. Make sure the container is completely clean. You can use rubbing alcohol to wipe the inside and the lid. That way, you’ll prolong the face scrub’s shelf life.

To use this DIY face exfoliator, first wash your face with warm water and a gentle face wash. Then apply a small amount of the scrub to your face. Using upward circular motions, exfoliate your skin with it for around 5 minutes.

After that, if you want, you can apply a thicker layer of the face exfoliator over the first one. Leave it on as a face mask for another 10 – 15 minutes.

When you are done, wash the scrub off. While your skin is still warm and slightly damp, apply your favorite face moisturizer. That way, you’ll prevent the water evaporating from your skin and your skin will stay soft, plump, supple and well hydrated for much longer.

How to adjust the harshness of the face exfoliator:

Of course, everyone’s skin is different and what works for one of us (or even for most of us) will not work for everybody. But, luckily, this recipe is easy to customize.

To adjust the harshness of the scrub, all you have to do is swap the amounts of the dry ingredients for something more suitable for your skin.

Basically, instead of using 3 tablespoons of brown sugar + 2 tablespoons of oatmeal powder, you would be using one of the following:

• 5 tablespoons of white sugar – This version is by far the harshest and it wouldn’t work for most people. Use it only if your skin is not sensitive, is a bit thick and you need something quite harsh to properly exfoliate it.
• 2.5 tablespoons white sugar + 2.5 tablespoons brown sugar – A bit gentler, but still on the harsh side. I’ve been using this one a few times and it gives great results. But, it can irritate the skin a bit, so I wouldn’t be using it too often.
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar – A perfect middle solution – exfoliating, but not too rough. If your skin doesn’t get easily irritated, this one might be the perfect version for you.
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar + 4 tablespoons oatmeal powder – For the girls whose skin is thin, sensitive and fragile. This is a very mild, non-irritating version that you can use every or every other day to gently exfoliate your skin.

Well, that’s it. I hope this post has been helpful and that you’ve found your perfect DIY face exfoliator. Or, that it has inspired you to try out something new and come up with your own custom combination.

Either way, let me know in the comments how it worked out for you. Stay beautiful…