by Lisa Parris

Created on: January 11, 2009

Make Your Own Brown Sugar Body Polish

Winter can be hard on your skin. Lack of sufficient humidity outdoors can leave you feeling dry and itchy. Indoor heating further removes traces of moisture drying skin even more. Winter Itch' can occur at all ages and in people without other skin conditions. It can range from mildly annoying to severe, interfering with sleep and interrupting daily activities while the afflicted stop to scratch, producing angry, red patches of skin. It's enough to make you want to hibernate.

With everything that working against you in the winter, what can you do to prevent and even pamper- the skin you're in?

Exfoliation is an essential part of healthy body care. Multi- textured grains sweep away dead skin cells to promote healthy, surface skin cell renewal and revitalize the look of skin exposed to harsh environmental elements.
Exfoliate and moisturize your dull, flaky, winter-weary skin with this brown sugar body polish. It's simple to prepare and much more affordable than the expensive salon products crowding the shelves at your local specialty store. Infused with spicy cardamom oil and ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, this aromatic scrub works well on all skin types and will take you less than ten minutes to prepare.

Sugar and Spice Brown Sugar Body Polish

1 cup of brown sugar light or dark they work equally well

1 cup granulated white sugar

cup soybean, almond, or hazelnut oil (soybean being the most economical and easiest to find)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

40 drops of cardamom essential oil

In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients except the essential oil. Using a wire whisk, blend ingredients thoroughly. Use your fingers to break up any lumps that form in the mixture. When all ingredients are well blended and the mixture is free of clumps, ass the essential oil one drop at a time, mixing well after each addition.

When all 40 drops of oil have been blended into the mixture, spoon the body polish into a container with a tight fitting lid.

To use: Gently massage into preferably dry skin, working the sugar in using circular strokes. Rinse and pat dry. Emerge from the bath naturally revealing the smooth, even, more radiant skin below and smelling delicious, with no need for additional moisturizers. No refrigeration is required, but for best results, use your brown sugar body polish within six months.

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