Homemade mint and lemon sugar scrub
Mint is a great plant to grow as it can be used in so many ways. It’s delicious used in sauces and salads, homemade mint ice-cream and adding a leaf or two to any drink will make doubly refreshing. But if you’ve been spending lots of time outdoors or gardening, then this homemade sugar scrub made with lemon and fresh mint is perfect to help keep your hands hydrated and soft. It’s easy enough for young children to make as it only requires four ingredients and it has a really fresh minty scent. It also makes a great gift!
What you will need:
250g granulated sugar (you can use a finer sugar to make a gentler scrub for little hands!)
100g coconut oil (soft but not melted)
A few sprigs of fresh mint (it’s really easy to grow, see below for a guide)
A lemon
How to grow mint:
Mint is a great herb for children to grow as it’s really quick to grow and smells wonderful when you pick it! It can be grown indoors on a windowsill or outdoors but is best grown in containers because it is quite rampant and can take over in the area in which is is growing!
One of the easiest ways of growing mint is by taking a cutting from an existing plant as germination from mint seeds can be slow and unreliable. So if you have a gardening friend who is growing mint, then you could ask if you can snip a bit off and, as it grows so vigorously, they will more than likely say yes! This is a great way to introduce children to plant propogation.
To take a cutting, you need to cut off a healthy stem, about 10-15cm long. Then remove the lower two or three sets of leaves and cut the stem just below the leaf node (the point on the stem where leaves emerge).
Place the stem in a small glass of water and put it somewhere light and it’ll soon produce roots.
After three or four weeks, the mint cutting should have a nice, strong root system and can be planted into a pot of peat-free, multi-purpose compost. Firm the soil around the stem and water gently.
Keep the pot indoors for another week or so to give the mint a chance to establish before moving it outdoors.
Mint is very low maintenance: you just need to keep it moist and in light or part-shade and then harvest sprigs of young leaves regularly to encourage bushy growth.
How to make the sugar scrub:
Snip off a couple of sprigs of fresh mint and chop finely. If younger children are helping, they might find it easier to put the mint into a mug and then snip the leaves with a pair of scissors.
Zest your lemon using a zester if you have one, or a fine grater if you don’t. Finely chop the lemon zest.
Pour your sugar into a mixing bowl and add the mint, lemon zest and the juice of half the lemon. Mix well, working the lemon and mint into the sugar.
Add the coconut oil and mix again until it is all fully fully combined. A sturdy wooden spoon is good for this!
Spoon the scrub into a lidded jar and now your sugar scrub is ready! To use the sugar scrub, scoop a small amount from the jar with clean hands, rub the scrub on your hands to gently exfoliate your skin and then rinse away with warm water. Your skin will smell great and feel soft and smooth!
Author: Denise Hope, home educating mum of two boys