Make Natural, Home-Made Scrubs from Different Berries

Better Living Through Chemistry Back during the last century, when the technological revolution started sweeping the planet, one of the phrases enjoined by scientists, often under the purview of big corporations, was: “Better Living Through Chemistry.” Nowadays we know that many of the chemicals cooked up in scientific laboratories over the past decades are actually quite harmful and are not found anywhere in nature, making nature sorely pressed to deal with them. Unfortunately, we've infused just about everything we eat and use with harmful toxins.

Home-Made Is Always Best 




Chemicals! If you look at a pack of food or a tube of cosmetics and the ingredients labels have stuff you can't even imagine how to pronounce, you probably don't need to be putting them in, or on, your body. Oh, chemistry is what makes life. It can also be what destroys life. That's why using simple and natural chemistry – your own simple ingredients and your own simple foods – is always best. With three basic ingredients, and by trusting yourself about what's good for you and for your body, you can make some wonderful berry scrubs to invigorate your epidermis. Compounds for your berry scrub should include:


The Berries
Berries are good for your skin, whether you eat them or mash them up and smooth them on your body. Four types of berries lend themselves well to epidermal scrubs. Fresh-frozen berries can work almost as well. The best are organic, grown with no fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides.

– Strawberries Salicylic acid in these berries can get rid of dead skin cells. They can help whiten skin and can be key to reducing dark circles under the eyes. They rejuvenate skin and eliminate free radicals that attack it.
– Blueberries
If you suffer from acne, broken capillaries, or splotchy skin, these berries will help. They normalize oil levels on your skin, making it healthier and less likely to accumulate sebum. Vitamin A, antioxidants, and phytochemicals help neutralize free radicals.
– Raspberries Strong vitamin C offers antioxidant powers to fade age spots and discolouration. These berries round out skin to fill in minor wrinkles. These are also high in ellagic acid that can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. (Black berries, boysenberries, and those like them have similar properties.)
– Acai Berries
Regenerative nutrients in these berries ensure that skin cells function to the best of their abilities by preventing     premature death and fending off harmful invaders. They also defend against premature wrinkles. They work well for wind or sun damaged skin.

The Exfoliator
You should use at least one of these four things in your berry scrubs. These are also the ingredients of which you should use the least. They can damage if overdone or if you scrub too hard.

– Sand 
If you live near a soft-sand beach or a desert area, get a sieve and go sift out the softest, most dust-like sand. Once you've gathered it, wash it thoroughly. Chemically inert on your skin, sand is the purest medium for washing away dead skin. Never scrub too hard.

– Sugar
Use granulated white sugar. Using a mortar and pestle, some folk use coarser or brownish sugar and mash it into a powder like fine sand. Sugar has a slightly anti-bacterial property, which is always helpful. Unlike sand, sugar will dissolve before you do any damage while scrubbing. Still, be careful.

– Salt
Use sea salt. It may be lumpy, so use a mortar and pestle to pound it into a fine powder. If you have oily skin, sea salt is great because it tends to dissolve oils and dry the skin a tad. Salt too will dissolve before you can do any real damage while scrubbing. Still, be careful. Iodized table salt is probably not the best to use in your home-made scrub (chemicals!), but it will do in a pinch.

– Oatmeal 
If your skin is especially tender, you might want to try using oatmeal rather than the three previously mentioned. It's course enough to do a decent ex-foliation job, though it may not be strong enough to make you feel really clean and scrubbed.


The Emollient Mixer
Once you have your berries mashed and your exfoliant agent ready, you're going to need a vehicle for the two, and there are of plenty of good things to consider. Usually, add water, milk, or fruit juice to thin the scrub, if necessary.

– Yoghurt
Milk and its by-products have long been used in facial ointments.

– Honey
This has antibacterial agents and the stickiness helps pull impurities away from the skin.     – Citrus Juice Berries are already rather astringent so go easy on citrus juices, though in combination with berries they can offer a very cleansing, blushing scrub.

– Chamomile Tea
Steep the bags or the leaves for a long time. The thicker and darker the tea, the deeper its benefits.

– Olive Oil or Avocado Slices
Adding mashed avocado or some olive oil will add deep moisturising qualities to your berry scrub.


Being Your Own Natural Chemist
You won't need a degree, a lab coat, or a cabinet full of test tubes and beakers, just some kitchen counter space and a native sense of what works best for you. Basically, a facial scrub can be based on a five part recipe: Two parts mashed berries, two parts emollient mixer, and one part exfoliator. Mix them up using a spoon, an electric mixer, or a blender. Adjust amounts according to your skin sensitivity. Be especially cautious adding the exfoliator and lower the amount if you feel too much abrasion. Adjust thickness as necessary with the dilutions recommended above.

Using Your Home-Made Berry Scrub 
 Rinse your skin with copious amounts of warm water. Apply your scrub. You can use it immediately to cleanse your skin, or you can let it set up on your skin for ten or fifteen minutes and then gently scrub it off. Never scrub your skin too hard. Rinse thoroughly. Never use extremely hot water on any part of your skin.

Become Your Own Best Expert
Concocting a decent home made berry scrub isn't rocket science, as you can see. Become your own best expert. Mix different kinds of berries. Increase or decrease the exfoliant according to your skin sensitivity or cleansing requirements. Consider adding other ingredients such as essential oils or different herbs and spices. For instance, lavender tends to sooth and peppermint can invigorate. Before you know it, your skin will become restored and brighter. As you refine your recipes, you may start passing them out to friends who need help, or as gifts, or maybe even end up selling them. No matter what you do, you'll be putting your best face forward.

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About the Author: Joyce Del Rosario is part of the team behind Open Colleges, one of Australia’s leading providers of dietician and nutrition courses . When not working, Joyce blogs about health and fitness.