A simple, but effective recipe for homemade oatmeal and brown sugar scrub, using just three ingredients – brown sugar, oatmeal and olive oil.

Sugar scrubs are really lovely for your skin, but they can be rather pricey in the shop. But did you know that you can make your own sugar scrubs for a small fraction of that cost?

You can even make enough to share with your family and friends! Pack the finished sugar scrub in a jar with a pretty ribbon and a tag and you have a great little present for your friends.

This Oatmeal & Brown Sugar Scrub Recipe combined two wonderful exfoliating ingredients – brown sugar and oatmeal.

I have not added any other fragrance or colour and yet this sugar scrub smells amazing and looks pretty too.

I make this sugar scrub every time my skin gets a little dry as the oatmeal makes everything so beautifully smooth and silky! The whole making process takes next to no time and you only need three ingredients from your kitchen cupboard.

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Benefits of Using Oatmeal & Brown Sugar

Soothing Relief for Sensitive Skin: Oatmeal is famous for its anti-inflammatory properties. It helps calm itching, redness, and irritation, making this scrub far gentler than standard salt or white sugar scrubs.

Ultra-Gentle Buffing: Soft brown sugar has smaller, smoother crystals than white granulated sugar, allowing you to gently slough away dead skin cells without causing micro-tears.

Deeply Hydrating Barrier: Olive oil or sweet almond oil coats the skin in healthy fatty acids and Vitamin E, locking in moisture so your skin feels silky-smooth straight out of the shower.

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Sugar scrub recipe ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup olive oil (non-fragranced) or sweet almond oil
¼ cup of rolled oats (finely ground in a food processor)

A Quick Note on Ingredients

The Right Oats: Standard porridge oats or rolled oats work brilliantly, but be sure to grind them into a fine powder (colloidal consistency) before mixing. Coarse, unground oats will just slide off your skin and clog up your shower drain!

Choosing Your Oil: Sweet almond oil has a lighter texture and a subtle, naturally sweet aroma that pairs beautifully with oats. Basic household olive oil is a wonderful, budget-friendly alternative—just ensure it isn’t strongly flavoured extra virgin olive oil so you don’t end up smelling like salad dressing!

Optional Fragrance: While this scrub smells naturally delicious on its own, a few drops of real vanilla extract or chamomile essential oil make a lovely, calming addition.

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How to make oatmeal sugar scrub at home

Grind the oatmeal. You can do this by hand, in a blender or food processor. Alternatively buy oats that are already finely ground or milled. These would be a little bit more expensive, but worth it if you don’t have a suitable food processor.
Mix all of the ingredients into a bowl. Stir well.
Pour carefully into mason jars or airtight containers.
Decorate with pretty bows, tags and dry flowers.

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Storage & Shelf Life

Because this recipe uses completely dry ingredients and oil, it has a brilliant shelf life compared to fruit-based scrubs!

Where to keep it: Store your sealed mason jar in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, such as a bathroom cupboard or bedroom vanity.

How long it lasts: Kept properly dry, this scrub will easily stay fresh for 2 to 3 months.

The golden rule (Keep water out!): Avoid scooping into the jar with wet, soapy hands straight under the shower spray. Trapping water inside an oil-and-oat mixture can cause mould or spoil the oats. Scoop out what you need with a clean, dry spoon before getting into the bath or shower!

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How to Use (and Important Shower Advice)

Application: Scoop out a small handful in the bath or shower and massage it gently over damp skin using soft circular motions. Pay extra attention to dry spots like elbows, knees, and ankles, then rinse thoroughly with warm water and towel dry.

Shower Safety Warning: Because of the vegetable oil, your shower floor or bath tub can become slippery! Mind your footing when stepping out, and run a bit of hot water with a drop of washing-up liquid down the drain afterwards to clear away any remaining oil or oat residue.

Stay in touch

Hope this post inspires you to make your own natural cosmetics and if you do, I’d love to what you think! Let me know in the comments below or find me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and add the hashtag #practicalfrugality so that I can see your post.

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Magdalena