January for me is the worst time of the year.
Everyone is cold, broke, breaking out and on spending bans so that they can at least keep to one of their New Years’ resolutions of saving money. Bleurgh.

The last few weeks have seen the weather turn from ‘a bit chilly’ to freezing to snowy and this has certainly taken a toll on my dry/sensitive skin. Being a bit of a skincare ‘DIY-er’ coupled with being on a spending ban, I decided to make my own Vanilla body scrub using Nielsen Massey’s Vanilla Extract*.

A favourite among some of the UK’s most prominent chefs and food experts, Nielsen-Massey can be used not only as a complimentary addition to baking treats and savoury foods, but can also be a great addition to your beauty regime. Vanilla contains antioxidants which is useful in helping the body to repair damage and to get rid of those pesky free-radicals that are rampant this time of year.

Vanilla Body Scrub

1) Measure out 400g of golden granulated sugar, 50g of granulated sugar, 200ml of olive oil and 1tsp of premium Nielsen Massey Vanilla extract into a large bowl. (I had a smaller container so I used 176g of golden granulated sugar, 42g of granulated sugar and 100g of extra virgin olive oil)

2) Slowly add the olive oil while mixing the sugars and the extract together.

3) If the consistency is looking a bit dry, add a bit more olive oil, if it’s too runny, add more sugar until you get the right texture. Try some on the back of your hand if you’re not sure.

Doesn’t it look pretty? The fragrance is amazing and the scrub is so rich and moisturising! I used some in the bath afterwards and I found the granules to be quite course without it being too rough – enough to know that I was getting a decent rub down (heh). The olive oil also moisturised my skin, leaving it very soft with a light vanilla smell.
One thing I love about home-made scrubs compared to pre-made ones is that you can use it in the bath and NOT have to worry about left over granules/grains staining the tub and finding their way into various…..orifices as the sugar dissolves in the warm water – I don’t know about you guys but I find that so annoying!

Find out more about Nielsen Massey Vanillas and Flavours here. 

What are your favourite body scrub ingredients?