Learn how to make a foot scrub with this soothing and beautifully scented Vanilla & Peppermint Salt Scrub recipe with coconut oil.
Before children and before the farm, I used to get pedicures at least once a month. My feet always looked nice and well taken care of and pretty. However, since moving here, I just don’t have as much time to take care of myself. Sadly, spending hours a day in boots – winter, spring, summer and fall – taking care of the farm has not done my feet any favors. They’re often dry, cracking and anything but pretty.
And whether you’re running a small farm or just running a small family, life gets busy and things start to fall off the list. Usually, it’s the things we do for ourselves that go first.
However, pampering ourselves at home can help keep us feeling a little better. Learning how to make a foot scrub was one of the small things I’ve done for myself to make me feel more – well, me. Plus, it’s made of natural ingredients, which always makes me feel better.
And if you’re in the same boat with a lack of time for you and your feet are looking a little less than fresh, then this Vanilla & Peppermint Salt Scrub recipe is for you and your tired feet.
How to make a foot scrub at home
This year I’ve started to dabble in making my own products at home and learning how to make a foot scrub was one of the first products I made. Sure no one wants to talk about how you might need a good DIY exfoliating foot scrub to take care of your feet, but I guarantee my Vanilla & Peppermint Salt Scrub for your feet is one recipe you will love.
There’s a few elements you need before you get started.
- An exfoliating ingredient.
- A moisturizing ingredient- This can be coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil or any other moisturizing oil you prefer.
- A cleansing ingredient – I use Castile soap, which I’ll explain more later.
- Any essential oils you like to make this smell amazing. (I use vanilla and peppermint.)
- A storage container.
- Spoons for scooping the scrub – optional
- Labels – In case you want to give this as a gift.
The exfoliating ingredient
Exfoliating the skin simply means you’re removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of skin. It’s an important part of any beauty routine because it helps to leave your skin softer, smoother and helps to reduce wrinkles. It can also very helpful when it comes to preventing or improving dry and flaky skin.
It’s often best to exfoliate your skin 2 to 3 times per week to allow the healthier skin to shine through. If you have dry skin, you might need to exfoliate less and if you’re skin is oily then you might need to exfoliate more often.
There’s a lot of ingredients you can use as natural exfoliators in your scrubs. But when it comes to exfoliating my feet, I like to use sea salt.
Here’s a few you might like when learning how to make a foot scrub.
Salt
Salt is a natural exfoliator for your skin and is one of the ones most commonly used. In particular, sea salt contains minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium. This means can help to keep skin soft and lock in hydration while exfoliating the dead skin.
I’ve used Himalayan pink salt for this recipe because it’s coarse and will work well on dead skin and callouses on your feet. Himalayan salt also has detoxifying benefits due to minerals present in the salt. It opens clogged pores and allows oils and other moisturizers to absorb easily.
Sugar
Sugar is also a wonderful natural skin exfoliator. I like to use this in my body scrubs since sugar granules are smaller. It tends to treat skin a little more sensitively. For this reason, it is often used commercially in face and body scrubs too.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is another great option as an exfoliator and I often use it in my homemade soaps. It is wonderful for reducing inflammation and antioxidants, which help with the removal of the dead skin and absorbing bacteria. It also includes saponins, which have soap-like properties and can act as a cleanser.
Coffee
Coffee grounds are another good option for a natural exfoliator when learning how to make a foot scrub, or any kind of scrub. The coffee grounds don’t dissolve in water making them a great option when scrubbing away dead skin. Coffee grounds are also loaded with antioxidants and can help to fight premature skin aging, wrinkles, fine lines and sunspots.
Ingredients in the Vanilla & Peppermint Foot Scrub
As mentioned above, I use Pink Himalayan Salt in this foot scrub. I believe it works the best on feet and truly gives you the best exfoliation. The other ingredients include
- Coconut oil – Coconut oil provides natural, plant-based moisture to your skin. It also provides antioxidants, minimizes signs of aging, boosts nutrients and helps to protect skin.
- Peppermint essential oil – I personally love this scent whenever anyone was working on my feet. I find it invigorating and wanted to include it here. It’s perfect for dry and tired feet.
- Vanilla essential oil – I love to add vanilla to this DIY foot scrub recipe because it complements the peppermint well. Also, it helps to mask the smell of the coconut oil, which I actually don’t love.
- Castile soap – Castile soap is made from plant-based fats and oils. It is gentle on skin because it’s made from saponified oils that have moisturizing properties. However, it also is a powerful cleanse and can kill bacteria. It’s perfect when learning how to make a foot scrub at home that’s effective.
How to use this DIY peppermint foot scrub
To use the Vanilla & Peppermint Salt Scrub recipe for your feet all you need to do is fill the tub or a container with about 2 gallons of water. Place a tablespoon or two of the DIY foot scrub in the water and soak your feet for 5-10 minutes.
- Then, remove your feet and massage another tablespoon or two of the scrub into your feet. Focus on your heals and calluses to help remove the dead skin.
- Let the mixture sit on your feet for about 5 minutes and then rinse and dry.
How to store the Vanilla & Peppermint Salt Scrub
When learning how to make a foot scrub or any kind of scrub, storage is essential. After making, storing the DIY foot scrub in a cool dark place is important. A bathroom cabinet or bedroom drawer is perfect. To make it last longer you can even store it in the refrigerator.
You can find the jars I use to store mine {HERE} and the wooden spoons I used {HERE}.
Here is the free printable sticker for the tops of the jars: {Vanilla and Peppermint salt scrub}. To print these you need {THESE} Avery labels.
Also, if you want to give this as a gift, you can print the gift tags from this file here: {Salt Scrub Gift Tags} with the Avery tags {HERE}. They end up a little long so I just cut them shorter. But I appreciate it’s already in label form for me.
Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! You can find the full, printable recipe for making this DIY Vanilla & Peppermint Salt Scrub recipe below.
How to make a foot scrub with Vanilla & Peppermint Salt Scrub recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup pink Himalayan salt
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, slightly melted
- 3 Tbsp. Castile soap
- 30 drops Peppermint essential oil
- 11 drops Vanilla essential oil
Instructions
- Prep all your ingredients in bowls and melt the coconut oil in the microwave in 10 second increments until it is slightly melted and workable.
- Combine the salt and coconut oil and mix well.
- Add in the Castile soap and mix.
- Add in the essential oils and mix well.
- Secure in an airtight container and store in a cool dark place until needed for use.
Where do you buy your Himalayan salt and do you buy fine or coarse salt?
Thanks!
Amazon or just at the grocery store.