Easter special: fail proof face & body scrub

The weather is still cold enough for these scrubs in Germany.

These single dose scrubs are fun to make and even more fun to use. They remain pretty stable all over the year (at least in Germany) even during summer (unless you keep them directly exposed to sun or radiator heat).

If you're leaving in a warm region, or want to send this product to warm regions, you amy need to increase the wax and butter content .

When making scrubs, you need to adjust the concentration of the exfoliant to the particle size. Usually finer particles are used at a higher dosage and you can easily apply the scrub all over the body (even face). If you are using coarser and harder particles, you may need to lower the dosage and the scrub would probably not be suitable for the face. Exfoliants are usually used between 10-25%. Make your first samples with 15% scrub and then decide whether you need to increase or decrease the dosage of the exfoliant.

This is a failproof and pretty straightforward formulation. The exfoliant is applied into a body melt matrix which becomes slightly hydrophilic by applying lecithin (as an emulsifier). Lecithin improves the skin feel after rinsing and reduces greasiness.

We're using plum kernel powder as the exfoliant. You may try other exfoliants such as almond kernel, rice powder or evern some herbs. Since this is a waterless base, you can even use sugar and salt as exfoliant.

One great advantage of these small-dose scrub pieces, apart from their lovely appearance and their easy application is that since the product is waterless, it is self-preserving and you don't need any preservative. Because of the form of the product (no jar, little chance of water remaining on top of the product with causes formation of mould and contamination), you don't need to add any preservative. However, be aware that if you make a huge piece of scrub (using a 100 gr cavity mold for example), the chances that the product remains in contact with water (after the consumer starts using them in the bathroom) are higher compared to smaller pieces which are usually consumed after 2-3 applications. In that case, you may need to use a suitable preservative to avoid contamination.

We generally recommend using small molds and making smaller peices for the case of safety and stability.

This is the formulation:

Procedure:

1- Melt phase A in a suitable beaker in a water bath @ about 60 ^oC.

2- When phase A is melted sto heating and add phase B

3- Stir till the blend cools down to 40 and add ingredients of phase C

4- Pour into molds and put into the fridge for overnight. Plum kernel powder has a high density and sediments while creating a beautiful optical effect. If you use herbs, they have a lowe density and they may float on top of the mold cavity. If you want a more uniform distribution of the exfoliant, you need to add the exfoliant as the blend has reached a trace (almost paste) and then pour the blend into the mold cavities.

5- De-mold after about 24 hours. Keep them at ambient temperature in your lab for 24 hours and test their hardness and texture. If they are too soft and easily melt in your hands, then you may need to reformulate and increase the content of the myrica wax or add another wax with a higher melting point.

Read our previous blog post about 9 most important "natural waxes" for cosmetics .

If the scrub is not as hard as candle in your hand and slowly and slightly melts by applying a little bit of pressure, you have the right consistency. If the scrub feels like candle then you need to reduce the wax content and increase the oil or butter content.

Wrap your creation is parchment paper or another suitable wrapping before packing them in boxes and gift bags.

If you're inspired by this tutorial feel free to send us your photos and comment either per mail or to our Facebook page. If you post any photos on Instagram, don't forget to tag @SkinChakra.

BeHappy and have fun