Every year when the weather warms up, I break out my sandals for the first time and am taken aback by how dry and cracked my feet get over the winter.
Not this year!
That’s because a couple months ago, I decided to really start paying attention to how I cared for my feet. I pulled out all the stops: I started using a pumice stone on my heels regularly, taking care of my cuticles, and using this citrus “sandal season” foot scrub. It’s pretty amazing how much of a difference exfoliation can make for your skin! This DIY lemon foot scrub offers two different types of exfoliation for winter-ravaged feet: physical and chemical.
Physical exfoliation uses anything abrasive to dislodge and remove dead skin cells – in this case, sugar. Chemical exfoliation is the use of of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) to dissolve dead skin cells and promote regeneration.
“Chemical exfoliation” sounds a little scary, but in this case we are simply using lemon juice, a natural source of alpha hydroxy acids. I’m also convinced that the lemon juice in this scrub should help with any stinky feet problems!
This scrub will keep for a long, long time in a jar. It’s a good idea to store it in a cool area out of sunlight to prevent the oils from oxidizing. It may separate over time, but if that happens, you can just give it a quick stir before you use it. No harm done!
While I mainly use this scrub on my feet, it is gentle enough to use all over your body. Use it anywhere you have dry skin or dead skin cells that need to be sloughed away.
My favorite time to use it is just before I go to bed, so the oils that are left on my skin can be absorbed by skin as I sleep. If you think you’ll use it the same way, leave out the lemon essential oil. It has a stimulating effect – the last thing you want to have at bedtime! I use about 1 Tablespoon of the scrub for both feet, but I like to use lot – you can probably get away with using less.
Give it a try and let me know what you think of this citrus sandal season foot scrub! It has become one of my spring beauty staples.
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice (or the juice of ½ a lemon)
- 5 drops of lemon essential oil (optional)
- Add all of the ingredients to a medium sized bowl and stir until combined.
- If you prefer a coarser texture, you can add more sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
- If you prefer a more liquid scrub, you can do the same with avocado oil.
- Store your finished scrub in a clean, airtight jar.
Looking for a DIY Cracked Foot and Heel Salve? We’ve got you covered. And if you aren’t ready for DIY we also sell two different sizes in our shop!
Comments 6
Is there another oil besides avocado oil we could use?
Author
Hi Emma, there are several carrier oils you could substitute. Check out this post + see what you have on hand. 🙂
https://scratchmommy.com/how-to-choose-carrier-oils/
Can this be used on the whole body?
Author
For the most part… I would avoid sensitive areas because lemon can be irritating for sensitive skin.
This stuff is amazing i used it all over my body and i was alive again after only 3 hrs of sleep and them 5 hrs spent on making different sugar scrubs for family Easter Baskets! Do i need to wash off or just rinse? I was in a huge hurry so only rinsed and was fine but want to make sure for others.
SO glad you love it and you are passing it along as gifts. That’s wonderful! You do not need to wash it off, unless you want to. A rinse will do just fine. Happy DIYing for you! 🙂