Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub Cubes

Taylor and I got crafty the other day and made these coconut lime, sugar scrub cubes.  It isn't hard.  If I can do it, anybody can do it.

I found a recipe for sugar scrub cubes on Pinterest and thought, "Hey those sound awesome!"  I then proceeded to search for all the recipes on Pinterest for such things (there are many), and then to read all the awesome DIY blogs about said projects.  Some said to use almond oil, others said coconut oil.  Some said any bar soap, others said only use Ivory.  Some said to use the microwave, others a double boiler.  So, after many hours of reading, having become a theoretical expert on the subject, I decided to give it a whirl in the real world.

I LOVE coconut!  It smells divine!  So, that's what I decided to use.  So many bloggers had trouble getting various bar soaps to melt that I decided to stick with the one sure fire bet - good old Ivory.  I love the combination of lime and coconut, so why not?  For the molds I used some half plastic, half silicone ice cube trays.  They are TERRIBLE for making ice, but they worked pretty well for this project.

One batch made enough cubes to fill four 4oz. jars.  I've been using them everyday and it makes my shower feel like a day at the spa!  My skin feels so soft!


Ingredients:

1. Coconut Oil (1/4 cup) - The real stuff that is a clear liquid at room temperature and a white solid when it gets cooler.  The stuff that you cook with, that tastes all tropical delicious, is what you want.  I bought mine at Costco and it was about $25 for 2 big jars of it.

Refrigerated (left) Room Temperature (right)

2. Bar Soap (1 bar 4oz) - I used Ivory.  It comes in 4 oz. bars, and one bar is the right amount for a batch of Sugar Scrub Cubes. 


3. Sugar (1 cup) - Plain old, ordinary, granulated, white sugar.

4. Lime Essential Oil (10 drops or more if you like) - I love the way coconut and lime blend together.  "You put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up!"  You could easily use any other essential oil that you like the smell of, or has a desired benefit for your skin.


Tools:
 1. Glass Bowl - This is going over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave to melt the soap and oil together. 

2. Whisk

3. Cheese Grater or Ninja - Everyone should have their own Ninja, for kitchen tasks and home protection. haha

4. Measuring Cups

5. Molds - Silicone molds are best. If you don't have any you can use a square or rectangular plastic container and then when it is solid, cut it into cubes.

6. Mixing Spoon

Method:
Step 1:  Shred up your bar of soap.  The thought of grating it up like a block of cheese did not sound exciting to me, so I thought maybe I could use my Ninja.  My Ninja is amazing, and can do just about anything, so why not?  I googled it and, yep - I wasn't the first person with this idea.  It worked wonderfully!
 

Step 2: Measure 1/4 cup of coconut oil (room temperature, liquid state) and pour it into a glass bowl with the shredded up bar of Ivory soap.  Heat over a pan of boiling water, whisking until soap is melted and mixture is mostly smooth.  (Alternate method: Heat 10 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring between each 10 seconds of heating.  Heat and stir until soap is melted and mixture is smooth.)

Step 3: Add 1 cup of granulated sugar and stir with a mixing spoon.

Step 4: Quickly press warm mixture into molds.

Step 5: Place in freezer for about 30 min until mixture has become solid.

Step 6: Remove from molds and cut into smaller cubes if desired.  Place in glass jar or plastic bag.


Usage:
Sugar scrub cubes can be used in the shower or at the sink.  Crumble one cube into wet hands.  Rub over hands, face and body to gently exfoliate and hydrate the skin. Rinse with clear water. 

I really like the way it cleans my face.  I don't use a lot of commercial skin care products due to sensitivity, and these work great!