Although there is a lot of staying at home right now, we’ve still had a busy week! We had two beach days (actually beach evenings because those are my favourite), a small birthday celebration, and I’ve just finished staining a monster of a picnic table.
Believe it or not this is the backstory to my post. 🙂
After a few days in the sand, and some wood stain dripping on my feet, I decided that my feet were in desperate need of attention.
I’ve had some great luck with DIY foot scrub recipes in the past and decided to give one a go this morning.
If you haven’t made one before, they are super easy!
The best thing is that I already had all of these ingredients at home so my cost was $0. Perfect!
Here is a simple DIY Foot Scrub Recipe and some tips based on past recipes I have tried.
Ingredients
1 cup Epsom Salts
¼ cup Coconut Oil (I used a virgin, cold pressed coconut oil)
8-10 drops of Essential Oil of your choice
(I used lemon because I love the smell of coconut and lemon together!)
Directions
Throw it all in a bowl and mix it together.
Store it in a seal tight container.
I wish cooking was this easy. My kids would be thrilled!
Storage
I had some cute jars from the dollar store on hand that were perfect for storing the foot scrub.
Tips
The coconut oil just needs to be soft enough to stir and mix with the epsom salts. If your coconut oil is a bit hard, I find that there is no need to heat it because the stirring action alone is enough to soften it so that it mixes easily.
You can substitute olive oil for the coconut oil if you wish. I have tried both. I find them both as effective but I tend to prefer the coconut oil better because the smell reminds me of a beach in the summer!
If you use olive oil instead of coconut oil, you likely won’t need as many drops of essential oil because the scent of coconut oil is a bit more overpowering than olive oil.
I have seen recipes that call for 1 cup of epsom salts and 1 cup of oil (or more) but I find those too oily and not textured enough for a good foot scrub. However, if you want more moisturizing and less scrub, you can play around with the ratios and it will still be great.
If you would like to use this as a body scrub and find the epsom salts too rough, feel free to substitute sugar (white sugar or brown sugar both work well) for a more gentle recipe.
Bonus… If you’d really like to treat yourself, start with a foot soak. This is actually the most relaxing part!
Here is a simple and energizing DIY Foot Soak Recipe.
Fill a large bowl or foot bath with warm water
Add:
¼ cup Epsom Salts
1 tsp Olive Oil
5 drops (approx.) of Essential Oil of your choice
(I prefer Peppermint Oil for a foot soak because it feels so refreshing on tired feet!)
Follow up your soak with the foot scrub and it will be like you’ve just visited a spa!
You won’t even need foot cream after because the coconut oil leaves your feet nicely moisturized. I’d suggest putting socks on when you’re done to keep your feet from slipping on your floors. You don’t want to be landing in a heap after a relaxing foot bath and scrub. 🙂
One important thing to note is that you don’t want to use this foot scrub while having a shower. Your feet will be super slippery and the last thing a busy mom needs is to fall in the shower and be injured. Save the foot scrub for a bath or foot bath.
Benefits of the DIY Foot Scrub Ingredients
Not only is this recipe super simple to make and very low in cost (especially if you already have some essential oils on hand), but there are some great benefits to each of the ingredients.
Epsom Salts
Epsom salts are most well known for being recommended for muscle soreness and fatigue by adding them to a warm bath.
However, According to healthline.com, “Most of the reported benefits of Epsom salt are attributed to its magnesium, a mineral that a lot of people do not get enough of.” As well, magnesium may help support better sleep and reduce stress but healthline notes that there is no scientific evidence to support that magnesium can be absorbed through the skin via an epsom salts bath.
Coconut Oil
I absolutely love the scent of coconut oil. Not only does it remind me of a summer beach day as I mentioned above, but the smell also reminds me of the 24 hour family road trips we’d take to Florida during spring break when I was a kid! My sisters and I would spend too much time in the sun with a bottle of Hawaiin Tropic by our side, and we’d follow it up with some No Ad After Sun Lotion when the day was done. Throw in a little Target shopping in the evening and it was perfection.
But we were talking about the benefits of coconut oil…
Here are some of its benefits according to Crystal Martin at The Oprah Magazine:
- Provides a moisturizing barrier that helps skin stay hydrated
- Has antimicrobial and antibacterial benefits that can help prevent infections related to eczema
- Helps ease inflammation
However, if you are using a coconut oil scrub for your face, it is also commonly stated that coconut oil can clog pores. As always, if you haven’t used coconut oil on your skin before, try it on a small test spot first to make sure it works for your skin.
Essential Oils
Essential oils have become very popular during the past few years and I know many friends who are really well versed in them. I am no expert but I have found a few that I truly love and use. For this post, Lemon Oil and Peppermint Oil are my go to’s.
You could read forever on the topic of essential oils and there is definitely some disagreement over their benefits. As well, their ability to treat ailments is unproven. However, adding a bit of lemon or peppermint essential oil for aromatherapy can create a foot scrub that feels energizing and maybe even boosts your mood.
If you’d like to learn more about essential oils, I found this article, Aromatherapy: Do Essential Oils Really Work? very informative and easy to read.
Conclusion
Now is the perfect time to DIY a foot spa treatment at home. You deserve it!
DIY Foot Soak Recipe
Fill a large bowl or foot bath with warm water
Add:
¼ cup Epsom Salts
1 tsp Olive Oil
5 drops (approx.) of Essential Oil of your choice
(I prefer Peppermint Oil for a foot soak because it feels so refreshing on your feet!)
DIY Foot Scrub Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup Epsom Salts
¼ cup Coconut Oil (I used a virgin, cold pressed coconut oil)
8-10 drops of Essential Oil of your choice
(I used lemon because I love the smell of coconut and lemon together!)
Directions:
Throw it all in a bowl and mix it together.
Store in a seal tight container.
Enjoy! KJ