Gingerbread Lip Scrub

My newest and favorite scrub concoction I have made, Gingerbread Lip Scrub, is a perfect Christmas treat. I think it will make a lovely gift among my DIY gift arsenal this year. I am so excited to package a bunch of this up, pair it with a jar of my Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub, and give it out to some of my favorite ladies. My lips have been so unbelievably chapped, though, that I am getting plenty of use out of this lip scrub myself too. It's an added bonus that this smells (and tastes!) so good. I may have licked it off instead of rinsing. Whoops.

Let's talk a bit about all the good stuff in this mix. Sugar is a lovely gentle exfoliant. Coconut Oil has numerable benefits for the skin and will leave your lips nourished and moisturized. Molasses is a wonderful complexion brightener. Honey is full of antioxidants and is soothing, moisturizing, and clarifying. Ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg are all stimulants that increase blood circulation and have been used in lip cosmetics for years as a natural 'plumper'. I don't include enough of these ingredients in my recipe to cause irritation (read burning sensation), but you may still notice your lips looking just slightly fuller immediately after use. For this reason, I would stick to using this particular scrub on just your lips and not elsewhere on the body. Looking for a body scrub? Try the Cinnamon Honey Salt Scrub or the Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub.



Gingerbread Lip Scrub

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon molasses
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
a few drops vanilla extract or essential oil (optional)

Directions: 
+ Combine the sugar and the brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Cream the (solid/room temperature) coconut oil in to the sugars. This looks just like butter and sugar does creamed together. A fork works best here, to evenly distribute the coconut oil and leave no large lumps.
+ Add the honey and molasses, stirring until combined.
+ Stir in the spices. Add in a bit of vanilla, if desired. Add in more spice or vanilla, if needed, in small amounts until you reach a scent you are satisfied with.

Storage and Usage: 
+ Store in small containers, glass or plastic is fine. I used an old pesto tub and a small baby food container.
+ These can be packaged up nicely for gifts; create a label for the lid of the container and tie some pretty ribbon around.
+ To use the scrub, apply to dry or damp lips rubbing gently for a bit and rinse off. Or, you know, just lick it off. You can leave it on for up to 5 minutes before rinsing.



Enjoy exfoliating and cheers to soft, smooth lips!
xx Emorie