DIY Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub Recipe
This Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub recipe is an easy homemade DIY to pamper yourself or give as a lovely gift. A homemade sugar scrub that’s all-natural since it contains essential oils and smells lovely!
These 23 Sugar Scrub Recipes are always popular and worth a try! We also recommend our DIY Lavender Bath Salts recipe; it’s fantastic!
Have you tried making your own homemade sugar scrub? They are fantastic for banishing dry, dead skin. Store-bought varieties are great but can be expensive and may contain not-so-natural ingredients and preservatives.
It’s so simple and inexpensive to make your own natural DIY sugar scrub recipes; you’ll be hooked!
Making sugar scrubs at home is easy. You might even have all the ingredients on hand in your cupboard right now!
One of our favorite things to do is mix up a batch, place it in a pretty glass container, and give it as a gift. All of your mommy friends would love one for their Birthday or Mother’s Day so that they can pamper themselves with silky smooth skin!
You can even do a spa party and have all your guests make these to take home!
Lavender Sugar Scrub Benefits
Lavender essential oil is known for its calming effect, but there are other benefits as well.
- It’s soothing. It can reduce redness and calm irritated skin.
- It helps acne-prone skin. The lavender essential oil can help heal inflamed skin to reveal a smooth, calm surface.
- It calms your senses and relaxes you. This scrub makes a wonderful addition to your nighttime routine.
Materials Needed for a Homemade Lavender Sugar Scrub
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- Airtight glass jar
- sugar
- (Organic) Coconut Oil (or another carrier oil)
- vitamin E oil (acts as a natural preservative)
- vanilla extract
- lavender essential oil
How to Make a Sugar Scrub
Ingredients
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup oil (almond oil, olive oil, or coconut work best)
- 1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
- You can add more or less oil to your liking.
- Store in an airtight container. Since this recipe doesn’t contain any chemical preservatives, it’s best to use it within a month or two.
How Much Lavender Essential Oil to Use?
How much lavender essential oil to use in your scrub is a personal preference. You can use 15 drops of essential oil as the recipe instructs. Or, for more lavender scent in your scrub, use 5-10 more drops of lavender essential oil.
Newly Added Printable Tags!
Grab your free printable labels to use on your lavender scrub DIY if giving it as a gift! Just cut the tags out, punch a hole at the top, and tie the tag on with a ribbon or twine!
How to Use Your DIY Sugar Scrub
- Scoop a small amount of the Lavender Vanilla Sugar Scrub in your hands with a spoon.
- Scrub all over your hands or feet – or wherever you’d like extra soft skin.
- Allow the sugar scrub to soak into your skin for a few minutes. Take a deep breath. Enjoy this time to relax!
- Rinse well and then pat dry with a soft towel.
Notes about Making a Sugar Scrub
- To gain the most therapeutic benefit, we recommend using non-fractionated coconut oil in this recipe.
- If kept clean and dry, we recommend using your scrub within about 3 months.
- If your scrub hardens, place it in a shallow dish of warm water to soften it up before use.
- The vitamin E oil adds a bit more softness when using your scrub and provides a natural preservative to the recipe. If you don’t have any on hand, you can leave it out, but your DIY lavender sugar scrub may not last as long.
- For your convenience, we added free custom printable tags for this recipe.
- You can also make this recipe with organic brown sugar.
DIY Beauty Products with Lavender
Bonus! With this DIY beauty product, you not only get healthier and more vibrant skin, but you also receive the wellness benefits of lavender essential oil. These benefits include eliminating tension, promoting relaxation, relieving pain, and enhancing blood circulation.
Yes, please!
We Love to Hear From You!
If you try this homemade Lavender Body scrub or any other recipe on Suburban Simplicity, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let us know how it went in the comments below; we love hearing from you! Better yet, use the hashtag #suburbansimplicity if you make the recipe.
You can also FOLLOW US FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food, fun crafts, + DIYs!
Also, we have a Sugar Scrub Board on Pinterest you might enjoy!
This post was originally published on April 1, 2016. We updated it with enhanced instructions on March 17, 2020.
Our other favorite Scrub is this Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub that smells good enough to eat!
This DIY Peppermint Bath Salt Recipe is also a great homemade treat.
I am using coconut oil and am wondering if I will be able to smell the lavender over the coconut. I have made vanilla sugar lip scrub and can’t smell the vanilla over the coconut.
It can be hard to get the lavender scent above the coconut. You can try adding more lavender or using another carrier oil like olive oil so that the lavender shines through.
I’m confused, because it says in parentheses when listing the ingredients that the vitamin E oil acts as a preservative, but at the end of the recipe, it says that it should be used within a month or two because there are no preservatives.
Good question, Jinnie. Vitamin E acts somewhat as a natural preservative but doesn’t last as long as chemical additives.
I was wondering if I. Pups use fresh lavender in this?
Yes, using fresh lavender is fine in this recipe.
Loved how easy this was to make and it smelled so good!
Yay! This is such an easy DIY you can do from home anytime!
I love this so much. I’m going to tuck this away for a great gift idea. I love being able to make something for myself or for those I love.
It’s such an easy recipe and friends love getting them for gifts.
Do you have printable tags for the lavender vanilla scent? Would greatly appreciate them,
We don’t have printable tags for this scrub, Allyson, but we will add that to our list of future projects. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi! Anyone know how this turns out if you don’t have vitamin E oil??
Thanks!
The vitamin E oil acts as a natural preservative, Kristin. It’s not necessary, but can make your scrub last longer. Plus, it adds a bit more softness to your skin.
I made the Vanilla Lavender Scrub for the first time over the weekend. I love the way it feels and smells. However, I used the coconut oil and found that the coconut smell over powers the Lavender and Vanilla. I was hoping for the Lavender scent to be the primary scent. Should I use more of the Lavender essential oils or use a different oil?. Thanks for the recipes. I can’t wait ti try more.
You can try more lavender essential oil, Laura. However, you can also try another carrier oil like olive, or almond.
Can you use plastic jars instead of glass since they will probably be in the shower?
You absolutely can, Vicki, however, chemicals may leach into your scrub.
Love this! Anything with lavender has to be great right?! I have included your scrub in our article, 5 Homemade Sugar Scrubs.
Thanks, Kelly!
Love the facial and body scrub recipes
How do I keep my sugar scrub from hardening
This is a bit harder to do in the winter months, Tracie. You could add a little almond or olive oil to make sure the coconut oil doesn’t harden.
What size jars are those? 3 ounce jars?
These were the smaller jars, probably about 3 oz. However, I usually use larger ones that fit the whole recipe. They are about a cup.
Half pint jars
I made this and it’s a bit dry, to make it more creamy I would just add more coconut oil right? Can i mix with other oils?
Good question, Stephani. Yes, just add more oil to create the consistency you like. I think it would be okay to mix different kinds of oils for this recipe. Enjoy, Erin
these scrubs are just delightful. I made the lavender mint scrub. It smells so nice and leaves your skin very soft and smooth.
I love hearing that you are enjoying the scrub, Cindy! Thanks for saying so! They’re so easy to make and smell amazing! The perfect way to pamper yourself.
Yum! Lavender and Vanilla, great combo.
Love it too! So refreshing and simple.
Good morning Erin;
I love this and want to give it to my friends for gifts when they arrive. I have known them since 1974 and I am sure they would love this. I have been searching for the jar you are using here and can’t find it anywhere. I wonder if you could tell me where I might find them. I like the look of them so much more than the regular canning jars. Thanks, Erin,
Darlene
Hi Darlene,
I’m sure your friends will loves this sugar scrub as a gift – how lovely you’ve know when so long! I found that jar at Michael’s a while ago, but here are a couple that are similar that can be found on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/2nm1GWK
https://amzn.to/2vpZq5j
Enjoy, Erin
Thank you so much Erin I really appreciate that. I will try to find them.
xo
Darlene
The vanilla/brown sugar looks good enough to eat! I imagine it smells even more tempting.
I have always wondered why no one mentions that with the goodness of no preservatives, we do need to use home-made scrubs faster, thank you so much for covering that. (I still wonder about sticking it in the ‘frig, but better safe than sorry, I imagine)
I literally am eating a peppermint and was thinking about doing something with peppermint, so I’m *so* excited to see the peppermint bath salts! Headed there now!!
Thank you so much for sharing these, my fave scrub was discontinued and I have missed the heck out of them, it will be fun to try this.
How much does this recipe make ? I would like to make for 9 party favors
Each recipe makes about 1 and 1/2 cups. If you double double it, the recipes makes about 3 half pints jars. Enjoy, Julie!
Hi!Will the sugar in the scrubs cause them to harden?Thanks……Lisa
Hi Lisa, great question. You should be able to keep your sugar scrub for a month or two without hardening. Any more time that that and it may harden or spoil since it doesn’t have any preservatives. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
I’ve made this a few times now and it’s wonderful ! My skin feels so silky and smooth . I’ve experimented with other essential oil fragrances and its turned out great????
Yay! I’m so glad, Heather. I just love making them this time of year for gifts…and my self!
How many mason jars of scrub does the recipe make?
It makes just over a cup, so depending on how large your jars are, you’ll get one of two out of a batch.
What a gorgeous blog! And I can’t wait to try the recipes. What with homeschooling eight kids, I am SORELY in need of some spa time! Thanks!
Oh, I can imagine you need a little spa time! Enjoy this easy DIY for when you get a little “me” time 🙂
Looking forward to many essential oil recipes! Thank you.
Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m glad you like the recipe!
How many ounces does this recipe make?
This recipe makes about 12 oz. Maybe slightly more.
Such a cute jar too! Where do you get your glass jars?
Good question! I get lucky sometimes and I find cute ones in the dollar bin at Michael’s. Otherwise, I pick them up where ever I see cheap ones!
Will this turn out okay if you don’t have Vitamin E oil?
I think so, Lisa. Vitamin E acts as a preserving agents, so it may not last as long. Also, it provides a little added softness to the recipe to make those feet extra soft!
I’m allergic to coconut, what would be a good alternative oil to use
Have you tried almond oil? That would work well.
This turned out excellent. I melted my coconut oil and squeezed some vitamin E capsules then added some Body Shop Musk oil and it smells and works better than store bought scrubs. Great gift idea, thanks!
Yeah!! I’m so glad. I just love giving handmade gifts. Love the addition of Body Shop Musk…nice job!
I’m making this for my baby shower favors! I read in your comments that you use the liquid coconut oil. Would the solid one work for the recipe? Also, what size jars do you use and how many do you get out of one batch?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Alyssa, I think liquid coconut oil would work best. If you want to use solid, I would warm it up so it softens and can be mixed easily. It’s personal preference on how you like the texture…more solid or more smooth. Also, you can use any size container, but I would keep the proportion the same and just double or triple the batch depending on how many you need. One batch makes about a 1 1/2 cups.
This sounds amazing! Do you think I could make this in a big batch? I am making this for my boys’ teachers, and there are ten of them! Thank you. 🙂
It is amazing! I think you could totally make it in a large batch. Just make sure the proportions stay the same. I’ve made 3-4 at one time, but not 10! Good luck! They’ll love it!
My first thought when reading the title of this post was that this would be a great Mother’s Day gift. I’m sure my daughter will love and I will make one for myself also.
Yes! Definitely a great Mother’s Day gift. What mom wouldn’t want to be pampered with something yummy and sweet smelling? Have fun making a batch or two, Sandra!
Love lavender and scrubs. Can’t wait to try.
Me too! Such a great combo for pampering yourself…or someone else 🙂 Thanks for coming by, Felicia!
Oh that looks lush Erin! Can’t wait to try it! Mimi xxx
Thanks for coming by, Mimi! This is one of my favorite things to make. Easy and so pampering! Enjoy!
Ideal scrub recipe for me. Vanilla is my favorite fragrance. Thanks for sharing with us at Merry Monday. Pinned to our party board.
Me too! I love vanilla, too. Makes me think of sweet, happy things. Thanks for the great party!
Erin after reading the description I can smell the lavender all the way over here! And I’m positive the scrubbing will help to refresh and soothe our tired feet and in my case fingers. Thanks for stopping by our new party at Sweet Inspiration.
Super excited about your party, Mary! Congrats! Yes, the smell of lavender is so relaxing and pampering. Love it. This is so easy to make, it’s worth the 10 minutes.
Just hearing the word, lavender, relaxes me! You always have such beautiful photographs of your work! Love this scrub Erin…thank you for the recipe!!!
Thanks, Michelle! I try to get good photos…still a work in progress 🙂 I know, lavender is such a pampering smell! I think I want to make this with lemon for when I want a refreshing smell in the morning!
My grandmother always kept an embroidered handkerchief with a lavender sachet in her linen cabinet. I think I need to make this nd take a nice warm bath! Thanks Erin. Thank you so much for linking at #ThursdayFavoriteThings! I look forward to seeing what you share very week. Please come back for #OverTheMoon on Sunday night. Don’t forget to comment your link #’s so I can be sure to visit. Pinned and shared.
Lavender is good for so many uses. I like the way it makes my closet smell too. I also like to spray it on my bed at night for a little extra relaxation 🙂
Erin, this is awesome! The lavender would be a perfect scrub to wind you down at the end of the day, I love it’s relaxation properties. You could use a citrus oil for a sugar scrub in the mornings, to invigorate you for whatever comes next! I had no idea that it would be this simple to make my own, it sure will save us money, and we get to feel pampered!
Yep, this recipe would be good with citrus in the morning for sure. Maybe that’s my next DIY project 🙂 I just love how easy it is and how inexpensive too. Enjoy, Nikki!
Do you melt the coconut oil first? Mine is always pretty hard. Or do you just try to crunch it all together?
Hi Brianna, I use the hard coconut oil for cooking, but for making something like this sugar scrub I use the liquid version, like this one here http://amzn.to/1MfdmE9.
How lovely Erin! I like giving home made gifts and this is perfect for Mother’s day and looks so cute too!
Thanks, Katrin! I love giving homemade gifts too! This sugar scrub is great and looks expensive, even though it’s not!
This post comes at the perfect time for me. I’ve been using a store-bought scrub, but I have been thinking I want to try to do a DIY version since my current scrub was $25! Plus, I’d like to use something natural for my kids—they LOVE getting a scrub in the shower as a special treat 🙂
I always have coconut oil on hand. I can’t wait to try this! Thanks, Kristiina
Wow, $25 is a lot. This could be made for a lot less. Plus, you’d feel good about using it on your kids! Coconut oil is great for so many things!
Just how often times should you use it in a week’
I think You could use this sugar scrub a couple time a weeks.
Mine was $25 as well, a pretty good sized container, but it would often start to smell a bit rancid if I didn’t use it up quickly. I still miss it though, there is just something about smelling like chocolate that made me happy! But I love vanilla and have read so many good things about lavender. Saving money and knowing what I am putting on my body sounds really good! I always used scrub once or twice a week, depending on how dry & “patchy” my skin feels.
Do be careful if you get in the shower after using a scrub, oils can make it very slippery.
Yes! Do be careful in the shower! It doesn’t make you feet very slippery 🙂
I used to make salt scrubs like this all the time. I think is’s time for me to make some time to do a few for Mother’s Day gifts.
Thanks for this recipe.
That’s awesome, Celeste! I just started making more and giving them as gifts. Mother’s day is a perfect time to make them!