Gift Idea: Make Your Own Lip & Hand Scrub

I never thought I would be the girl who handed a friend a gift and said, "I made you this _________!" Nope, never. But recently I've become a huge proponent and believer in the power of essential oils and have come across some great recipes on pinterest. So, last weekend I set out to gather my supplies and whip up some gifts for friends. Both recipes that I used are from the team at A Beautiful Mess and they turned out so well! You know those fears you have of the ultimate pinterest fails exploding in your kitchen? I went into this DIY journey with healthy skepticism but also moderate expectation because the ABM girls make everything look so. freaking. easy. I was thrilled when the ingredients came together to perfection and I didn't have to resort to something last minute. These recipes are perfect for Christmas gifts (because of the ingredients!) but could easily be adapted for anytime of year. The two scrubs that I made were the Gingerbread Lip Scrub (featured on the sister company's instagram, Oui Fresh) and the Whipped Peppermint Cream Hand Scrub. I've shared the recipes below and how I wrapped them up to gift them to my friends! Anything homemade, in my opinion, is incredibly thoughtful, and I know you won't be disappointed with these recipes if you test them out! Just prepare to make enough for yourself, too!

SUPPLIES

- Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (The container will say "unrefined")

- Brown Sugar

- Honey

- Cinnamon Essential Oil

- Small Plastic Containers

Combine your ingredients in a small bowl. Make sure the coconut oil isn't melted. You want it to be firm but easy to scoop out of the container. Mix with a spoon (or fork) until combined and the mixture has a paste consistency.

The measurement of ingredients is perfect! The scrub is super gritty but very moisturizing when you rinse or wipe it off your lips. The cinnamon essential oil acts as a lip plumper, as well! And it seriously smells like gingerbread!

I scooped the scrub into these little containers that I found at Michael's. Aren't they perfect?! The box of 12 was only $6.99. I spooned in a little at a time so the container didn't get messy, then I pressed it down and filled it to the top.

SUPPLIES

- Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (The container will say "unrefined")

- Moisturizing Oil (I used vitamin E but jojoba or argan would work, too)

- Granulated Sugar

- Peppermint Essential Oil

- Vanilla Essential Oil (I ended up having to use vanilla extract)

- Red Food Coloring

- Containers (I used small mason jars)

STEP 1: In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 drop of red food coloring. Mix until the sugar turns a pink-ish color. Set aside for later.

STEP 2: In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of coconut oil and 3/4 cup of sugar. The coconut oil should be firm. With a mixer, whip these ingredients until stiff peaks form.

STEP 3: To the mixture, add in 1 tablespoon of moisturizing oil. Using this oil makes the scrub so moisturizing. You don't even need to use lotion afterward. I used 15-20 drops of peppermint essential oil (I wanted a very distinct but not overpowering minty scent) and 3-4 drops of vanilla essential oil. I couldn't find vanilla e.o. the day I was buying my supplies. I ended up using half a cap full of vanilla extract instead. It's definitely not the same but still worked and gave the scrub a creamy scent.

STEP 4: After everything is whipped, fold in the pink sugar you mixed in step 1. Don't use the mixer for this. Use a large spoon or spatula.

STEP 5: Fill your containers. I found that this recipe filled about one and a half of these 8 oz. squatty mason jars so you may want to opt for a smaller container. The original DIY from ABM suggests tying on a small spoon to make sure the scrub stays sanitary as people use it.

Y'all this scrub smells so freaking good. It's the most moisturizing scrub I've ever used - seriously! That extra bit of oil that you add in makes all the difference. It's creamy and gritty and leaves your hands feeling so soft. There's no way you'll be disappointed!

Now for the fun part! I love putting gift wrap together. The ribbon, the adornments - it's all so fun! And when you go the extra mile, your friends will definitely notice. I chose to put the two containers in clear, plastic bags and tie them up with ribbon and an ornament. The bags came from the party section of Target, the pink ribbon and grass are from Michael's (currently on sale!), and the gift tags and ornaments came from TJ Maxx.