Honey Salt Scrub [for hands + feet]
This homemade honey salt scrub will leave your skin feeling soft and silky feeling! It’s perfect for using on dry, rough, or winter-worn hands and feet.
Ingredients + Their Benefits
You’ll need just a few items, most of which can be found at local stores:
- Fine Sea Salt – a natural exfoliant that polishes away tough patches of dry and flaky skin, look for it in the spice or baking section of grocery stores. Salt can be too scratchy for sensitive skin and your face, so it’s recommended to save salt scrubs for hands and feet.
- Coconut Oil – moisturizes and protects most skin types, though some are sensitive and may find it more drying. If you can’t use coconut oil, try an equal amount of babassu oil instead, or add small amounts of a liquid oil (sunflower, sweet almond, rice bran, etc) at a time until a desired scrub consistency is reached.
- Liquid Castile Soap – this is a mild and gentle plant-based liquid soap – its purpose in the recipe is to help the scrub wash away more cleanly and feel nicer on your skin. I use Dr. Bronner’s (the almond scented is divine in this recipe), or the kind from Mountain Rose Herbs.
- Honey – a natural product from beehives, softens, repairs, and nourishes your skin
- Phytocide Elderberry OS – This is the only ingredient that will have to be ordered online. (Check LotionCrafter or Formulator Sample Shop). It’s a natural elderberry-derived preservative and prevents bacteria from growing in your scrubs. If you don’t want to use a preservative, store the scrub in the fridge and use it up within a few weeks. (I also have an article, 10 Natural Preservatives for Homemade Skin Care, that goes over some other organic-approved or nature-derived preservatives.)
Some links on this site are affiliate links; I may earn a small commission for purchases made. I only recommend products I’ve personally used and had success with!
Honey Salt Scrub Recipe
This scrub is super easy and quick to make! It forms a dry crumbly texture that isn’t too oily. If you’d like the scrub to be less dry, add the higher amount of coconut oil. You could also add an additional tablespoon or so of a liquid oil (such as sunflower, rice bran, sweet almond oil, etc) if you’d like a less dry style of scrub.
You’ll need:
- 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp Phytocide Elderberry OS (a natural preservative)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 cup fine sea salt
To make:
Mix together the coconut oil and elderberry preservative. If you’d like to add 3 to 5 drops of essential oil – such as lavender or peppermint – to this scrub, add it now.
Add the castile soap and honey; mix until well blended.
Add the salt and stir well.
Pack into a 4-ounce canning jar or other container for storage.
To use a salt scrub:
Scoop up a small amount, using a spoon instead of fingers (to keep the scrub fresh), and rub into your hands, over a sink. Rinse well with warm water.
Alternatively, use a foot bath, or sit at the edge of a bathtub, and massage the scrub into your feet, then rinse well with warm water.
A thin layer of coconut oil will remain on your skin. Resist the urge to rinse that off too; it will absorb within a few minutes, leaving your hands soft and moisturized.
If using in a bath tub or shower, note that it will leave a slight oily residue on the floor of the tub/shower which could be slippery. Be aware of this fact and take care exiting the tub or shower
Use this honey salt scrub once or twice per week, or as needed.
Shelf life:
This scrub should stay fresh for two to three months, depending on how heavily you use it, though it will probably be used up before that time period.
If you don’t want to add the preservative, store the scrub in the fridge and use it up within a few weeks.
For other natural or organic-approved preservative ideas, check out my article: 10 Natural Preservatives for Homemade Skin Care.
Honey Salt Scrub [for hands + feet]
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- small glass or stainless steel mixing bowl or cup
- silicone spatula or fork, for mixing
- a small jar (abt 4 oz) with top, for storing the scrub
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 tsp Phytocide Elderberry OS, a natural preservative
- 1 1/2 tbsp liquid castile soap, (Dr Bronner's Almond is nice in this recipe)
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/4 cup fine sea salt
Instructions
- Mix together the coconut oil and elderberry preservative.
- Add the castile soap and honey; mix until well blended.
- Add the salt and stir well.
- Pack into a 4-ounce canning jar or other container for storage.
Originally published October, 2014; updated for December, 2021. ❤
I have been reading your blog off and on for a while and have loved all i see i am now disabled and before this time in my life i did make soap’s the hot pour but on seeing you doing it with the crock pot i think i may be able to do my hobby once again thank you for sharing there are several things of your i plan to try thank you for sharing your wonderful life god bless you
Love it!
I’m happy to hear that! :)
I look forward to getting your newsletter each month. I have been making soap for about 5 months now and wow is it addicting. If I am not making it then I am thinking about what my next batch will be. I am excited to try this honey scrub tomorrow. It may just be something else to add to the homemade gifts I am working on for Christmas. Thanks again for your great site and all the helpful ideas!
I’m going to add some to my homemade gifts this year too! And I know exactly what you mean about soap ideas, always on the brain! :)
Could you use this recipe with a similar effect using coarse turbinado sugar in place of the sea salt? ( I bought the wrong thing and was hoping to use it).
Hi Tracey! I think that you could tinker around with it and make it work. I’m not sure how it would affect the shelf life though. I’d try a small test batch and then observe it for several weeks and see how it acts/smells/looks. I hope it works out for you! :)
Hi I would love your news letter sent to me .. Thx
Hi Stella! All you have to do is enter your email in this sign up form: https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/subscribe/ and then click on the confirmation link that they email you. If you have any problems with it, just let me know and I can help you out! Thanks!
Dear Jan.
i am frm Malaysia.
ive been reading ur website very often now. I love all of ur diy projects.. and i wish to make one of ur project on my own.
They are all amazing.
Thanks alot Jan for great ideas and lovely posting short & straightforward.
May God bless u.
Hi Nur, I’m happy that you like the web site and projects! Thank you for the kind words and I hope you have a good day! :)
Is there a substitution for the castile soap? And can it be used for feet also?
Hi AJ! Yes, you can use this for your feet as well. Works great on them! For the castile soap – if you have a liquid hand soap or bodywash available, that should work well too.
Is there a substitute for the photocite elderberry os.
Hi Helen! You could leave out the Elderberry OS & monitor/use the scrub up more quickly, or if you have any Optiphen Plus, that could work too!
I actually made this scrub for years without a preservative and didn’t run into issues, but in recent years have been adding the elderberry OS as extra insurance. :)
Hi Helen! I forgot to add that I have an article about 10 natural preservative options that you might find helpful too!
https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/natural-preservatives-for-skin-care/
Is there another natural preservative that can replace the Phytocide Elderberry OS?
TIA
Hi Jessica! You could leave out the Elderberry OS if you don’t have it, and just use the scrub up more quickly.
I think most of the natural preservatives in the following list would work; I would probably lean towards trying the Leucidal SF Complete first, but several other good options here too!
https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/natural-preservatives-for-skin-care/