Spring Invigoration with Wild Raspberry & Grapefruit (DIY Scrub Recipe Included!)

“Sweet May hath come to love us, Flowers, tress, their blossoms don; And through the blue heavens above us The very clouds move on” – Heinrich Heine

 

Spring is about regrowth, renewal and rebirth. In the Northern hemisphere, this is when the world explodes with new life and colour. Coming soon is Mother’s Day, where we celebrate the maternal figures in our lives: this is a time for gratitude and fresh beginnings. Enjoy Spring Invigoration with Wild Raspberry & Grapefruit – our spring DIY recipe is all about colour, liveliness, and renewal. Mindfully-selected botanical ingredients are brought together to create an oh-so-delicious body scrub. This may be a gift for a beloved maternal figure in your life, a friend, or just for yourself. It is to be used in the bath or shower to gently and effectively wash away the sleepiness of winter. This blend is rich, fluffy, and invigorating: it sloughs away the surface layer of dehydrated skin, revealing a bright and revitalized you.

 

The base is a mix of fine sea salt and dendritic salts, though you may swap in sugar if you wish. Dendritic salt is star-like: it is simply salt that has been crystalized into a star-shaped molecular structure. This prevents clumping and creates a greater surface area for added fragrances to latch on to, ensuring the overall formula smells fresh and divine from concoction to consumption. For colour, we add beet root powder. This is completely optional, but adds a delicate touch of pink to enhance our springtime and motherhood theme.

 

Avocado, coconut, and shea butter bring everything into a rich and creamy consistency. Avocado oil is an emollient, meaning it softens the surface of the skin. In vivo research demonstrates anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties, likely due to its high linoleic acid content, making it beneficial for dry, cracked, or flaky skin—particularly useful after a long, arduous winter. Similarly, unrefined shea butter is beautiful in cases of dry or irritated skin, and may soothe inflammation associated with seasonal allergies. We owe this to its rich unsaponifiable matter content, which denotes high efficacy when applied topically. In other words, it’s a skin-loving, moisturizing powerhouse. Coconut oil is a classic favourite due its incredible cosmetic value. We use it as an emollient to further improve skin hydration: its small molecular mass and high lauric acid value makes it permeable to our skin and hair, meaning it penetrates our skin more deeply than avocado or shea, and moisturizes thoroughly.

 

Pink grapefruit essential oil adds a fresh, citrus-sweet sparkle. When used on the skin it is cooling, refreshing, and stimulating. Its mild astringency stimulates lifeless skin and jaded senses, and may aid in easing low mood and stress: just what we need to pull us from our winter funk and into spring. The uplifting fragrance is complementary to our star ingredient, raspberry. We’ve chosen Medicine Flower Wild Raspberry flavour oil to make this scrub seriously scrumptious. Our flavour oils are derived from purely botanical sources. While they are most often used in cooking, they also have a wonderful fruity-fresh aroma. This is especially useful when we desire scents that aren’t normally available as essential oils, such as stone fruits and berries. In art, raspberries often symbolizes kindness and selflessness. To the Victorians, it represented “sweetness in both life and character.” Rasberry’s red colour is thought to evoke the energy of the heart: love, nurturing, and kindness. While this has no direct cosmetic effect, we think of it as a pleasant reminder to be gentle, loving, and patient.

 

 

The salt content of this scrub may cause some brief discomfort when applied to freshly-shaved or broken skin, so it is best to apply before or in lieu of shaving. Alternatively, you may swap in sugar. To maintain freshness, avoid getting water inside the jar. Grapefruit oil contains bergaptene, which is a low-risk photosensitizer. This means it may increase sensitivity to the sun for up to twelve hours after application. However, as it is added in very low amounts and is a rinse-off product, the risk is minimal. You may omit it or swap in your favourite non-photosensitizing essential oil, such as lavender or rose. Always wear sun-protection!

This Wild Raspberry & Grapefruit Body Scrub is made with love. As we welcome spring, express gratitude for the nurturing figures present in our lives, and appreciate this time of reinvigoration and renewal. Try this recipe for yourself or make multiples as a gift. The best part: it smells just like raspberries!

Enjoy our recipe:

 

Wild Raspberry & Grapefruit Body Scrub

Servings: 1 250 mL glass jar

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp shea butter
• ¼ tsp beet root powder
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 3/4 cup fine sea salt
• ¼ cup dendritic salt
• 30 drops wild raspberry flavour extract
• 30 drops pink grapefruit essential oil

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together coconut oil, shea butter and beet root powder.
2. Press the ingredients into the side of the bowl to break down any lumps.
3. Add avocado oil, salts and essential oils.
4. Mix thoroughly, dispense into a jar, seal and label.

Recipe Notes:

While in the bath or shower, scoop out a desired amount of scrub and gently massage onto the body. Rinse off with warm water.

Be aware that the oil may make the floor of the shower or tub slippery.

* Also, just like fresh food, use within a few weeks.

 

Find the ingredients in-stores or online and make it at home!