1. Body Scrub

Imma tell you what — if hearing things like we all lose a whopping 200,000,000 skin cells per hour (PER HOUR) isn’t enough to make you want to change your bedding, like clockwork, on a weekly basis, I don’t know what will! And when it comes to your skin’s health and well-being, specifically, if you don’t want some of those dead cells to clog up some of your pores (which can lead to breakouts), that’s a really good reason to apply a body scrub, also on a weekly basis. Not only do body scrubs exfoliate and “polish” your skin, but they also remove the kind of dead skin build-up that can make it challenging for your skin to absorb moisture (like carrier oils and lotions). Plus, they can make your skin look and feel a lot smoother too.

Just make sure that you apply them to clean and damp skin, that you gently rub the scrub in a circular motion for a couple of minutes, and that you thoroughly rinse the scrub off with warm water, then cool, to close up your pores afterward. That’s how you can get the most out of pretty much any scrub — head to toe.

Try This: Homemade Coffee Sugar Scrub

2. Lip Scrub

If you’ve ever kissed someone who had chapped or feathering lips (you know, when there are pieces of dead skin on them) before, you know how truly unpleasant that is. Just so you’re not the person someone else is referring to here, make sure to apply a lip scrub to your lips — twice a week should do it. The texture of sugar will help to remove dead skin layers, help to fade any hyperpigmentation that you may have, give your lips a really smooth and sexy feel and, it can even make them appear a bit fuller as well.

Try This: Natural Homemade Lip Scrub

3. Scalp Scrub

If you didn’t get a chance to check out my article, “10 Things Your Scalp Has BEEN Waiting For You To Do,” please make sure that you do at some point. You know, now that the FDA is seriously considering banning certain relaxers, I can’t say that I’m mad about that. Aside from the cancer risks that come with many hair straighteners, back when I was “detoxing” from texturizers, it took my scalp almost a year to recover (because, yes, the chemicals in them can be just that traumatizing).

Something that helped was scalp exfoliants (and I didn’t do them then nearly as much as I do now). Listen, just like the pores on your face can clog up and cause issues, so can the hair follicles on your scalp (and you have roughly 100,000 of those!). Anyway, if you have an itchy scalp, product build-up on your scalp, dry scalp that could use a moisture boost, dandruff flakes or you simply want to stimulate your hair follicles so that you can get stronger and healthier hair — a homemade sugar scalp scrub can do the trick.

You’ll be amazed by how soothed your scalp feels after giving yourself one (personally, I do a scrub before shampooing my hair on wash days).

Try This: Scalp Scrub and Scalp Clarifier

4. Hair (Conditioner) Scrub

If you want to make a brown sugar hair scrub or if you want to put a tablespoon of brown sugar into your hair conditioner, I’m not gonna stand in your way. Something else that the granules of sugar can do is move product build-up from your tresses so that your hair ends up looking shinier. And again, since sugar is a humectant (which means that it pulls moisture from the air into your hair and onto your skin and scalp) — it will make your hair conditioner that much more effective.

Try This: Brown Sugar Hair Scrub

5. Facials

Did you know that glycolic acid literally comes from sugarcane? It’s good for your skin because it removes dead skin cells, helps to reverse sun damage to the skin, evens out hyperpigmentation, and can even soften the appearance of acne scars (over time). In fact, it’s a type of acid that’s good at reducing breakouts overall. That said, because the skin on your face tends to be more fragile, go with brown sugar if you want to do a facial scrub as a part of your at-home spa day. Another approach that you can take is adding some brown sugar to an already-made facial. You’ll get the properties of sugar’s benefits either way.

Try This: Brown Honey Sugar Scrub

6. Hair Removal

When my waxer was in the process of leaving a company to start her own business, I found a salon that did sugaring. Although I found my waxer to be way more precise when it came to hair removal, what I did like about the sugaring process is (at least for me) that it was less painful, the ingredients were all-natural and it helped permanently remove unwanted body hair a helluva lot faster than wax does. I’m such a fan that I’m currently trying to talk my waxer into adding sugaring to her list of services.

Anyway, if you want to learn more about sugaring and all that it entails, a few years back, someone wrote about her experience for our platform: “I Got A Sugar Wax & The Results Had Me Shook.” Real Simple also addresses a lot of additional questions that you may have here. And yes, I know a few people who do it themselves from home (because again, it’s all-natural). I’m just putting the option out there if you’re currently looking for a hair removal alternative to what you’re currently doing/using.

Try This: Homemade Sugar Wax

7. Cuticle Treatment

It seems like the older I get, the more my cuticles want to be problematic as all get out. More than anything, they stay dry which can lead to hangnails and raggedy-looking cuticles, in general. I have to admit that although I get pedicures consistently, ever since the pandemic, I haven’t made my hands as much of a priority as they deserve. Whenever I do get professional manicures, though, that helps with the whole cuticle drama. When I’m at home, so does applying cuticle oil (or even a carrier oil like sweet almond or grapeseed) and using some sugar on them. Yep — just like the rest of your body needs dead skin cells removed from it, so do your cuticles. Try it and thank me later.

Try This: Cuticle Oil and Sugar Scrub

8. Foot Scrub/Soak

I’m not sure why so many of us are programmed to think that manis and pedis are pampering. Personally, I think they are a form of self-maintenance — and no, those are not one and the same (check out “5 Reasons You Should Unapologetically Pamper Yourself”). Self-maintenance is preventative care. Pampering is over-indulgence. That said, doing what will help to keep foot odor and fungus at bay, doing what will remove callouses and keep your feet soft and smooth, doing what will ease stress and reduce muscular discomfort (in your feet) — it’s an act of maintenance and foot scrubs and soaks will do that for you.

All you need is a foot basin, a foot scrub, or soak recipe and about 30-45 minutes. Listen, even though I get a pedicure no less than once a month, sometimes I will still scrub my heels in between appointments with some sugar. I never have any regrets; my feet feel divine every single time.

Try This: A Listerine Vinegar Sugar Scrub

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So, y’all — whether you choose to dress up this Halloween, leave the porch light on for the kiddies or you’re gonna sit this one out, don’t let this month leave without adding some sugar to your beauty care regimen. That’s one way that you’ll never have to worry about sugar being a problem. Pretty much…ever.

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