This homemade hand scrub is all about keeping your hands happy! This gentle scrub exfoliates dull skin and is made with oats, sugar, Manuka honey, wheat germ oil and essential oils.
DIY hand scrub
Now, what makes the scrub so great for hands? Glad you asked. Firstly, this homemade hand scrub is a gentle exfoliant and not harsh on the skin. After all, our hands have been through enough already, right?
Oats exfoliates while simultaneously nourishing the skin with vitamins and minerals. Wheat germ oil is moisturizing and has antioxidant and anti-ageing properties. Manuka honey has antibiotic and antibacterial properties, which help to protect wounds and heal small cuts and chaps on our hands and fingers.
The scrub is suitable for all skin types, and you’re not limited to your hands. I use the scrub to exfoliate other parts of my body, such as my neck and arms. The scrub also doubles as a revitalizing hand mask: apply a layer to your hands and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes.
What’s in the homemade hand scrub?
Okay, let’s talk ingredients for a moment. I chose materials that are nurturing and help to repair skin damage. Oats and oatmeal have been a staple in skin care for centuries and have cleansing, moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties.
Together with sugar ground oats act as a gentle and at the same time nourishing exfoliant. Raw Manuka honey exfoliates and is antiseptic, preventing infections and making it an amazing wound healer.
Honey also locks moisture into skin, which is good to prevent chapped cuticles and dry nails. Maple syrup is a vegan alternative for honey.
Wheat germ oil, which is rich in minerals, vitamins B and E, is beneficial in preventing and combating many skin problems, such as dry skin or eczema and can help to repair skin and tissue damage. Sesame oil or almond oil are great alternatives that are very moisturising as well.
What essential oils can I add?
You can optionally add essential oils to enhance the scrub. I’ve included a few suggestions below that are soothing and replenishing on dry, itchy skin. I don’t recommend peppermint or citruses as these can be too stingy and drying on the skin. Use a total of 4 drops (small portion) or 12 drops (large portion) of the following essential oils:
- chamomile
- carrot seed
- cedarwood
- patchouli
- myrrh
- lavender
- geranium
Package and gift the hand scrub
If you’ve been around the blog for a time, you know that I love to share and gift my homemade skin care products. I packed the scrub in wide mouth, half pint mason jars and asked Cyna to create lovely printable labels for gifting the scrub to my girlfriends. You can also fill the scrub into small quilted mason jars and use it as a stocking filler for the upcoming holidays or as small favours for hen and bachelorette parties. The printable can be downloaded at the end of the post.
Homemade Hand Scrub Recipe
This homemade hand scrub is all about keeping your hands happy! This gentle scrub exfoliates dull skin and is made with oats, sugar, Manuka honey, wheat germ oil and essential oils. If you look only for a gentle scrub, use caster (superfine) or granulated sugar. Use brown sugar or demerara sugar to create a coarser oatmeal hand scrub.
Materials
Small portion (great for 1-time use)
- 2 tbsp rolled oats
- 1 tbsp sugar (see tip below)
- 1 tbsp Manuka honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp wheat germ oil
- 4 drops essential oils (optional, see list above)
Large portion (great for gift giving)
- 80 g (1 cup) rolled oats
- 150 g (3/4 cup) sugar (see tip below)
- 3 tbsp honey
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) wheat germ oil
- 12 drops essential oils (optional, see list above)
Instructions
- Blend the dry ingredients. Add the rolled oats and sugar into a food processor or blender and pulse until the mixture is crumbly and combined.
- Add the wet ingredients. Transfer the oats-sugar mix into a mixing bowl. Stir in the honey and oil until well blended. Use right away or fill into airtight containers for storage.
Notes
How to use the DIY hand scrub
Wet your hands with warm water. Then rub a small portion of the mixture in a circular motion over the back of your hands for 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry. Follow-up with a mask and hand balm.
Shelf life and storage
The homemade hand scrub has to be stored in airtight containers away from heat or direct sunlight. It can be kept for up to three months.
Printing Instructions
Print the labels on A4 or letter size cardstock or photo paper and cut out along the grey outline. If packaging the scrub in mason jars, place the metal disk on the jar. Then put the printable label on top and screw the metal band tightly on.
Free Printable Hand Scrub Label
Click on the button to download your free printable hand scrub to package and gift your homemade hand scrub in style.
