DIY Summer Coconut Coffee Scrub

Hey everyone! Just as I ran out of my favourite scrub from Lush, Michelle from Skana spa in New York contacted me and asked if I was interested in sharing a DIY scrub recipe on my blog, so naturally I agreed and the results were great! I have since learnt that Skana Spa has been reaching out to bloggers everywhere in order to share their awesome scrub recipes - a quick Google search will help you find the scrub you might be looking for in case this one doesn't suit your needs.

The scrub I will be sharing is ideally used in the summer because it contains all-natural ingredients that soothe and moisturize the skin after being out in the sun. Although fall is just around the corner, I figured some of my readers might be returning home from their last-minute vacations and could still benefit! Here is an explanation that Michelle sent me...

"The summer is a great time to become more active and participate in outdoor fun. 

However, the skin requires extra care when the days become longer and sunnier 

and the outdoor temperature rises. Warm weather can leave skin dehydrated more 

easily, and increased sun exposure may call for a regular treatments that nourish 

and exfoliate the skin. The experts from Skana spa of the New York resort Turning 

Stone have provided us with a recipe for an all-natural scrub that will lift away dead, 

rough skin while revealing smoother skin that has a healthier glow."

I tried the scrub out for the first time yesterday and, let me tell you, it actually works. The coffee grinds are the perfect exfoliant - not too abrasive, just right. The coconut oil is incredibly moisturizing, and the aloe has a great cooling effect on the skin.

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup coffee grinds from coffee maker
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (I picked up mine at Tau, a health food store near my house - you may have difficulty finding it at your regular grocery store)
- 1/2 cup aloe vera gel (easily found at your nearest drug store & great product to have around the house during the summer)

Unfortunately this isn't the most appealing scrub, LOL, but the results are effective - trust me.

Directions:

1) Strain the coffee grinds fairly well. Note: Completely drying the grains is not necessary.
2) Melt the coconut oil, and pour it over the coffee grinds. Stir the mixture with a spoon.
3) Add in aloe vera gel, and leave the mixture aside to set. The mixture can be refrigerated or simply left at room temperature to set.

* My observation: If your home is unairconditioned like mine at the moment, putting it in the refrigerator is your best choice, otherwise the coconut oil will not properly combine with the rest of the ingredients. Note that the coconut oil will harden once refrigerated for too long, so remove it from the fridge about 10 minutes before you intend on using it.

Other important indications/tips:

- Use the scrub in the shower to scrub the entire body, paying close attention to rough skin on the elbows and feet.
- Also apply to areas that are prone to developing cellulite and may need a little firming action such as the belly, thighs and bum. The coffee has properties that reduce cellulite and inflammation!
- Rinse with cool water.
- Using the scrub on your face is not recommended because it might be too rough.
- Using the scrub about once a week is more than enough.

And that's about it! I used the scrub in the shower before bed and noticed a difference immediately. Then, once I woke up, the coconut oil had completely soaked into my skin leaving everything super smooth :) All in all, I would definitely remake this scrub whenever I feel like my skin needs some extra exfoliation!

LUSH "Rub, Rub, Rub" & "Ocean Salt" Exfoliators

Hey everyone! Guess who finally got new batteries for her camera?! Ahhh, I'm so excited that I can finally start posting properly again. So without further ado...

If you're a regular reader of mine, you'll know I have a love-hate relationship with LUSH. For the longest time, I just couldn't seem to find a product of theirs that I was absolutely in love with, and their prices are just too high, and their stuff expires, and ugh... But, despite that, for some inexplicable reason, I get sucked into that store every time I'm in the mall...?! I don't know how it happens. I really don't.

Anyway, I wanted to find an exfoliator for my legs that I could use before shaving to prevent ingrown hairs (TMI?). The lady working at Lush explained that Rub, Rub, Rub (called "Lavez, Lavez" in French) would do the trick and that, she "[doesn't] know how it happens, but it makes your hairs stand up!" Okay. Fine. I picked up a sample. (By the way, I was really impressed with the sample size... She gave me like, half a tub)

I got about 4-5 uses of the sample so I feel like I'm qualified to review this product. Do I still have ingrown hairs? Yeah. Less than before, but yeah. So that part was kind of "meh". However, after I use Rub, Rub, Rub, my legs are so. freaking. smooth. It's amazing. Long story short, I went back to Lush yesterday and picked up the full-size tub, and much to my surprise, it was only $19. I thought that was pretty reasonable considering their baby containers usually retail for around that much. Also, I want to quickly mention the scent of this thing... It smells like mimosas. So delicious. They sell a bathbomb with the same scent so I'm gonna have to try that too.

The last thing I'd like to talk about is this sample of their facial exfoliator "Ocean Salt". I may even prefer this one to "Rub, Rub, Rub". It's supposed to minimize pores and it makes your skin SO soft! It leaves the face feeling very tight which some people might not like, but I love it. I find this one a lot grittier so I'm sure it could be used on the body as well, the only downside is that this is more expensive than Rub, Rub, Rub (like, $34 for a tub...).

The active ingredient in Ocean Salt is the vodka which accounts for the "tightening" effect. Also, it smells like margaritas. So yummy. I'm gonna do a follow-up to this post and show you guys some before-and-afters so we can see if it did minimize my pores or not.

Have you tried either of these products before? What do you think? What's your experience with LUSH products?