This vanilla mint lip scrub keeps your lips soft naturally and also tastes amazing.
It doesn't matter what time of the year it is, my lips are dry. In the winter, They get crazy dry because of the low humidity in the house. In the summer, the sun zaps the moisture from my lips.
I'm the girl with lip balms all over the place. One in the car, one in my desk at my office, one in my purse, one beside my bed, and one hidden in a basket in the living room.
Even though I use my lip balms constantly, the best thing I can do for my lips is to scrub them a week. The sugar scrubs away dead skin cells, and the coconut oil gives my lips some serious hydration.
Learn how to make 30 easy body scrubs in my printable ebook Body Scrubs.
The inspiration for this vanilla mint lip scrub came from two different sources. I was originally going to make a plain vanilla scrub. My kids' karate instructor went to Mexico and brought me back a bottle of Mexican vanilla as a thanks for helping with the class.
As I sat on my patio sipping my coffee one morning, I was looking at my herb garden, happy that my peppermint and other herbs were doing well.
Then I had the epiphany to combine the vanilla and mint together to make a vanilla mint lip scrub. I had to use peppermint essential oil and not the herbs from my herb garden, but that's okay. I'll definitely use that peppermint for something else.
I think this recipe would also work well with lemon essential oil in place of the vanilla extract for a vanilla mint scrub.
SUGARS
I used both brown sugar and white sugar for this scrub. Brown sugar is gentler than white sugar. Using both sugars gives you the best of both worlds. It's tough enough to really scrub, yet it's gentle enough that your lips won't get irritated.
COCONUT OIL
I used refined coconut oil just because I didn't want it to smell like coconuts. You can use unrefined coconut oil if you want.
Coconut oil is naturally antibacterial, so it helps protect your lips if you have small crafts. Coconut oil is my favorite oil for dry lips. Sometimes I use just plain coconut oil to moisturize my lips.
VANILLA EXTRACT
Vanilla extract doesn't just smell amazing; it also has benefits for your lips. It's naturally anti-inflammatory, so it naturally helps soothe irritate skin, including lips.
It's also said to help promote healing if you have chapped lips.
Vanilla is also high in vanillin, which is an anti-oxidant that can help prevent the signs of aging.
PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL
Peppermint essential oil is usually used as a natural lip plumper. It boosts circulation to the area, which makes your lips temporarily plumper.
Peppermint is also cooling, so it feels great on your lips.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 drops peppermint essential oil
DIRECTIONS
STEP #1
Combine both the brown sugar and the white sugar in a bowl. Stir well.
STEP #2
Add the vanilla extract and peppermint essential oil. Stir well.
If there are lumps, use the back of the spoon to press them out.
STEP #3
If your coconut oil is solid, heat it in the microwave for about 10 seconds to melt it or get it soft. Drizzle it over the sugars. Stir well.
Spoon into a container with a lid. I really like the little lip balm pots for my scrubs. It holds enough scrub for several applications.
As long as the scrub stays dry, this should last for several weeks. It doesn't have a preservative, so if it gets water in it, creepy crawlies could grow.
Use this scrub once a week. Get about a teaspoon on your finger and gently scrub your lips in a circular motion. I like to scrub for about a minute. Rinse well. The coconut oil will stay on your lips to moisturize them for hours after you use the scrub.
If your lips are really dry, you can scrub twice a week, but don't use this vanilla mint lip scrub more often than that.
This is great for dry or even slightly chapped lips. If your lips are bleeding or severely cracked, don't use this scrub until they heal.
I recommend using a handmade lip balm every day to keep your lips soft.
- Peppermint Lip Balm
- Mocha Latte Lip Balm Recipe
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Lip Balm Recipe
- Chocolate Lip Balm Recipe
- How to Make EOS Lip Balm at Home
Want kissably soft lips without making a scrub? Try one of these from Amazon or Etsy:
