This DIY Hand Scrub is formulated especially for gardeners! I know I can't be the only one who forgets their gardening gloves! Sometimes on purpose, once the soil warms up because I just really like the feel of warm soil in my hands.
But that makes my fingers look awful and sometimes does cause surface scratches on my skin that needs to be cared for so nothing gets infected!
What makes this DIY Hand Scrub special!
When I was in Esthetics school my favorite chapters in our textbooks were about ingredients and their effects on the skin. Natural plants and herbs have so many benefits, not just for our insides but for our largest organ, the skin. The skin has optimal abilities for absorbing what it comes in contact with. So being chemical free is important as well as needing products that really work!
I came up with this easy DIY Hand scrub with gardeners in mind several years ago. I actually sold it for a few years in my online shop! It did really well.
Since I no longer sell scrubs I decided it was time to share it with my fellow gardeners and previous customers so they can make their own.
The Ingredients and why they are important
The key ingredients are infused comfrey oil, tea tree, and lavender essential oils.
Comfrey: The healing action of comfrey on wounds comes from a constituent contained in the leaf and root called allantoin. This compound is a cell proliferate which helps to regenerate wounded areas of the body and speed up new healthy cell growth! In most all of my skin care products over the years, I included comfrey because it works to support healing and beautifies! Allantoin is used in most skin care products but is typically lab synthesized. The real thigs works SO much better! I add a comfrey leaf infused oil and a tsp. of comfrey root powder for its help and support to heal minor skin scratches that can occur when gardening without gloves. I can not say enough about the positive effects of comfrey on the skin for these reasons and so much more. It's literally worked overnight for me in some situations! I believe in it so much I'm actually writing a whole book on it! Check this post if you do not know how to make an herbal oil infusion DIY Herbal for Horses whether you are making it for human or animal its the same thing 🐴
Lavender Oil: Has wonderful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that help with bug bites as well as minor wound healing support! Plus it smells amazing and helps mellow out the stronger fragrance of comfrey and tea tree oils.
Tea Tree Essential Oil: Helps with dry, itchy skin and skin irritations. It's anti-inflammatory and also helps support any minor wounds.
Lavender Oil: Has wonderful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that help with bug bites as well as minor wound healing support! Plus it smells amazing and helps mellow out the stronger fragrance of comfrey and tea tree oils.
Tea Tree Essential Oil: Helps with dry, itchy skin and skin irritations. It's anti-inflammatory and also helps support any minor wounds.
The other Ingredients that make it work so well!
Those are the ingredients that help support any healing of bites or scratches from rocks out rough dirt that can occur for us that 'forget' our gloves occasionally!
But these are the ingredients that get your hands clean!! Even the tiny little crevices in the fingers!
Sugar: Just plain old cheap sugar! In fact, scrubs are the only reason I have sugar in my house at all! It is a natural, gentle abrasive that removes dead skin cells and dirt easily. It helps keep skin unclogged and clear!
Olive Oil: Is what I use to infuse the comfrey. Its prevents signs of photo-aging and sun damage. The fatty acids absorb quickly into the skin making it a great moisturizer.
Soap Sheds: I prefer adding soap shreds to this and really any scrub I make. Soap shreds add another level of clean! And also help reduce an oily feel that might be left behind on the skin. I highly recommend you use a natural handmade soap with extra moisturizing benefits like a goat milk soap or one of my Donkey Milk Soaps
Vegetable Glycerin: It's a natural humectant that locks in moisture! It's optional for this scrub but really adds to it if you have drier skin!
DIY HAND SCRUB RECIPE
This recipe/formula is for 4 oz. of hand scrub. You will need a kitchen scale, a grater like you would use for cheese, small mixing bowl, spoon and a small jar with a lid to put the scrub in.
2.5 Oz. Sugar
1 Oz. of infused Comfrey olive oil
.25 oz. of soap shreds
10 drops of tea tree oil
10 drops of lavender oil
Optional
1 Tsp. Of vegetable glycerin
1 Tsp. Of comfrey root power.
Mix it all up and scoop into your jar! Easy peasy and ready to use!
I hope it helps you like it's helped me!
This scrub has been so beneficial to me over the years. Keeping scratches from getting infected and keeping my hands so clean and soft you'd never know I garden without gloves, trim hooves, shovel manure, etc... It's really great for all-around farm work!
Another DIY Herbal to try is my Homemade Fly Repellent Salve
I actually developed this for my equine but it works great for people too!
Other resources
Sourcing out good herbs and essential oils is important if you want your DIY Herbals to actually work. I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs
If you are a member of AHG you can get a 20% off discount as well as if you enroll in some herbal student programs.
For essential oils, I really like Majestic Pure
More About The Comfrey Book and recipes!
I mentioned above I am working on a book about Comfrey because it has been such an amazing herb for us on so many levels! The book will be about its many uses, growing, and harvesting as well as many formulas for healing support. It will also include a bonus booklet with recipes for a complete facial skin care routine!
When it's released I'll be doing a deeply discounted special on it!! So if you'd like to be notified sign up for our email list!
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