When you have a special needs kid, there are a lot of people to thank come holiday and end of the school year time.  Special Ed teachers, General Ed teachers, Parapros, Therapists, Babysitters, etc.  Do I have to thank them with a gift? No, but I like giving gifts, and I like the challenge of finding something appropriate that also doesn’t cost too much money.

This past holiday season, I saw a recipe for some homemade body scrub in ShopSmart magazine (a fabulous resource from Consumer Reports), and thought, “Perfect! Homemade, inexpensive, yet from the heart!”  except that the recipe called for lavender buds, which I could only find online, and they seemed expensive to me.  However, I did not give up on the body scrub idea because who wouldn’t want a nice little jar of body scrub?  I looked online and eventually threw a bunch of ideas together and came up with my own recipe.  I obviously made some for myself first, because I wouldn’t want to give anyone an untested body scrub!

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Sugar Body Scrub

2C cane sugar (can also use white or brown sugar)

1C raw, organic honey (a little more work this way – you can use regular if you wish)

2T Tea (yes, brewed tea)

1/2 t Vanilla extract (you can use essential oils, but I find them dreadfully expensive, and I’ve heard pregnant women shouldn’t use them)

crumbled tea leaves (whatever kind you have)

There’s only one step: Mix the ingredients well.  If you use the organic honey, you will have to get it into liquid form by putting it into a pan of hot water for a bit first.

I then put the mixture into the little jars pictured above from Crate & Barrel:  So cute!  This recipe will make about 15-16 ounces of scrub.

*Note: Always test on a small area of skin first.  Be careful using the scrub on your face — I haven’t been brave enough to try, although honey is supposed to be very good for acne-prone skin like mine.  My skin is also extremely sensitive, to the point where I scratch my neck and people ask if I have a hickey (?? Really??) … Suffice it to say, this scrub is gentle enough for my skin.

The extract is primarily for smell, and the tea leaves are for some added texture.  Neither are necessary, but they make the experience a little more yummy.

Before you ask, honey has anti-microbial properties, so you don’t need to refrigerate this scrub, although you should plan to use it up in a few weeks.  Exfoliating too much, though, can lead to raw skin, so don’t overdo it.  I keep mine right on the corner of the tub and use it every few days.