When the bananas are starting to brown, grab those beauties and put them to use. This one skips the oil and relies purely on the benefit of banana and the gently abrasive sugar.
1 ripe banana
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or your favorite essential oil (optional)
Smash ingredients together with a fork into a chunky goop. Don’t over-mash or it will become too thin. If you want a banana scrub for your face, reserve some of the banana and mash it separately without sugar. In the shower, pat the sugar mixture and gently massage over your body. For your face, gently massage plain banana there, avoiding the eye area. Rinse off with warm water.
For the fellow (or the lady, or the sporty) mixing savory herbs with lemon and salt is a super treat for the skin. (If you don’t use it all while cooking, that is.) Rosemary is especially invigorating, but this Lemon and Thyme Salt Scrub from Food + Words is really quite splendid
Coconut oil is subtly fragrant and slightly miraculous. This one is a super moisturizer, and can practically double as dessert.
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Mix ingredients together. Rub on skin while in the shower, massage, and rinse.
For soft lips, this quick treatment is the ultimate treatment to make you a smooth kisser. Blend a bit jojoba or olive oil with caster sugar (also known as superfine sugar; you can also make your own by putting regular granulated sugar in the food processor for a minute) and a touch of peppermint or vanilla extract. Place some of the paste on your lips, massage and lick off.