Make your skin irresistibly soft with this DIY cocoa mint body scrub. Not only will it cleanse and exfoliate your skin naturally, but it smells good enough to eat. Made using just four ingredients it’s an easy, cheap and simple sugar scrub that also makes the perfect gift.

glass jar with brown cocoa mint ody scrub

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All year round, our skin battles with pollution, air con, cosmetics, UV rays and so much more. It can be a struggle to keep your skin nourished, soft, and clean, especially so during the winter months. I find in the colder months my skin feels particularly tight and dry so I knew it craved a good body scrub.

With store-bought body scrubs, however, the “scrub” is often made using exfoliating chemicals that are too harsh. They strip your skin of its natural barrier, causing you more harm than good.

That’s why I’m a huge fan of homemade body scrubs and tailoring them to the time of year. My DIY pumpkin oil body scrub recipe is perfect for fall, zesty lemon body salt scrub for Summer, a rejuvenating coffee body scrub for Spring and this DIY cocoa mint body scrub for Winter.

Whether it’s chocolate chip peppermint cookies or DIY chocolate mint lip balm I adore the combination of cocoa and mint. There’s something undeniably festive about this combination (and this homemade body scrub does make the perfect Christmas gift) but there’s no reason you can’t make it all year round for super soft skin.

white board with brown body scrub and wooden spoon

About The Ingredients

Homemade body scrubs generally need just 3 components: an exfoliant (such as coffee, sugar or salt) a carrier oil (in this case almond oil), and a fragrance. Store-bought body scrubs usually use synthetic fragrances, but instead, I use essential oils, as they provide powerful benefits for your skin.

For this DIY cocoa mint body scrub I used the following ingredients:

Brown Sugar – Brown sugar is softer than regular sugar and is the perfect natural exfoliator to act as the base for this body scrub. It is ideal for those with sensitive skin as it’s not too abrasive. Brown sugar also contains glycolic acid, this means it helps to remove dead skin cells without stripping your skin of its natural oils or moisture.
Cocoa powder – Theobromine is the primary bitter-tasting alkaloid found in cocoa and chocolate. It is believed theobromine has the ability to increase blood flow to the skin’s surface and speeds up cell renewal.
Almond oil – Almond oil is one of my favorite carrier oils for beauty and skincare as it is so versatile. It is inexpensive and great for all skin types. Almond oil is highly emollient. This means it helps to balance the absorption of moisture and water loss making it great for a DIY body scrub. It is also antibacterial and packed with vitamin A which promotes natural moisturizing.
Peppermint essential oil – Peppermint essential oil is renowned for its soothing and cooling properties, making it a great choice for sensitive or irritated skin. The menthol content of peppermint oil also helps to encourage cell turnover and rid the skin of dead skin cells.

wooden spoonful of cocoa mint body scrub

How to Make this DIY Cocoa Mint Body Scrub Step by Step

This DIY cocoa mint body scrub takes just minutes to make and will cost you a fraction of the price of store bought. It also makes a great gift. Simply add a ribbon or gift tag round your glass jar for a finishing touch.

Gather ingredients together.
Pour brown sugar and cocoa powder into a medium-sized bowl.
Add almond oil or your favorite carrier oil.
Add peppermint essential oil.
Mix until thoroughly blended.
Store in airtight glass container.

How To Use This DIY Cocoa Mint Body Scrub

Scrub In the shower: Turn off the shower and lightly pat your skin dry but leave a little moisture. Using circular motions, apply the DIY cocoa mint body scrub to your entire body. Turn back on the shower and rinse with warm water.
In the bath: Start with a long, indulgent soak first. Ideally 20 minutes minimum as this will help soften the outer layers of skin. Massage in the homemade body scrub then rinse off with warm water.

Where to Use This Body Scrub

For Body – This DIY cocoa mint body scrub is ideal for notoriously dry areas such as elbows and knees.
For Feet – If you’re searching for a cracked heels remedy this homemade body scrub is ther perfect natural solution.
For Hands – Dry hands are a common issue, particularly in the colder months. Apply a small amount and massage in to gently exfoliate.

woman in green vest using cocoa mint body scrub

What other kinds of carrier oils could I use?

While Almond oil is great if you struggle with particularly dry skin, I would also recommend using fractionated coconut oil as its renowned for its moisturizing abilities. Fractionated coconut oil is ideal for body scrubs as it comes in a liquid form all the time (unlike regular coconut oil that turns into a solid when it’s cold.)

Other carrier oils that help to soothe and nourish the skin include avocado oil, argan oil and even olive oil. Before you go using in any old oil from your pantry, double check they are organic, cold-pressed carrier oils for maximum, skin nourishing benefits.

What’s better sugar or salt scrub?

When making homemade body scrubs it’s common to use salt or sugar interchangeably as your base. It depends on your skin needs which one you prefer as they both offer different benefits. Sugar is considered more gentle than salt as sugar granules are more round, whereas salt granules are slightly sharper. This means a salt scrub is more abrasive, so is better suited to skin that is particularly rough, and sugar is better for sensitive skin.

How often should I use this DIY cocoa mint body scrub?

Although this DIY cocoa mint bodys scrub leaves skin feeling cleansed and exfoliated, it is best not to use it every day. I’d recommend 2-3 times per week to avoid stripping your skin of its natural oils. Your skin needs time to rest and replenish between uses.

Top Tips

Do not apply this body scrub with wet hands. This will ensure your homemade body scrub lasts. Any water from dripping hands will spoil the contents, so avoid water getting into the container.
As there are only natural ingredients, make sure your body scrub container can be sealed airtight. Air can also speed up the spoiling process, causing bacteria to grow or dry your scrub out.
This DIY body scrub makes a perfect clutter free Christmas gift, especially if you need something last-minute.

More DIY Recipes You Might Like

Did you try this DIY cocoa mint body scrub? Comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see what other fun things I’m getting up to.

Want More DIY Recipes?

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