Homemade Facial Salt Scrub

Beauty doesn't have to be expensive. With just a few common ingredients found at home, you can create your own facial scrubs to help you exfoliate and cleanse your skin. Lemon is an astringent that also helps gently slough dead skin cells away; salt is antibacterial and the gritty texture of fine salt crystals will help exfoliate dead skin cells, which the Mayo Clinic identifies as a contributing factor for acne. Yogurt can be added to salt scrubs to help deep clean your pores.

Step 1

Place the sea salt in a clean coffee grinder and grind until the salt is an even, fine consistency. Pour the salt into a small bowl. While coarse sea salt may be appropriate for soaks and even some body scrubs, the coarse crystals are usually too harsh for use on your face.

Step 2

Roll the lemon vigorously under your palm on the countertop several times or place it on the floor and roll it back and forth beneath the arch of your foot, applying enough pressure to soften the insides. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from each half into a separate small bowl, then use a spoon to extract and discard any seeds that may have fallen into the bowl.

Step 3

Spoon the lemon juice into the salt, one spoonful at a time, mixing with the spoon or your fingers. Stop when you've achieved a thick, paste-like consistency. Rinse the spoon off and use it to add the unsweetened yogurt (if desired), half a spoon at a time, until your pasty scrub has a pleasing, creamy consistency. How much yogurt you add and the target consistency are determined purely by your personal preference. The lactic acid in yogurt has exfoliating properties but is safe for skin that is sensitive, according to health and food writer Annie Bond.

Step 4

Rinse your face clean and pat dry. Gently massage the scrub into your skin, taking care to avoid contact with your eyes. Leave it on your face for up to 10 minutes, then rinse away and pat your skin dry again.

Tips and Warnings

You can make a simpler version of this scrub by combining finely ground sea salt, or even table salt, with just enough olive oil to create a paste.
The salt scrub will cause any small cuts or scratches on your face to feel like they are burning. Substitute sugar for the salt until these minor irritations heal.