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Are you looking for a gentle exfoliant that won’t compromise the integrity of your skin? Then let me introduce you to my DIY bamboo jasmine body scrub. It gently removes dead skin cells, leaving you with smoother and more supple skin. It is easy to prepare, too!
Table of Contents
- What is Bamboo Powder?
- Why is Bamboo Powder Great for Exfoliating?
- About Exfoliating Bamboo Jasmine Body Scrub
- How to Use the Scrub
- DIY Exfoliating Bamboo Jasmine Body Scrub Recipe
- Substitutes
- FAQs
What is Bamboo Powder?
Bamboo powder is a safe, gentle microdermabrasion-grade exfoliant obtained from the stems of the bamboo plant and used in personal care to polish and buff the skin.
The bamboo powder is prepared by extracting thick liquid from the bamboo stems and allowed to harden and crystalise at room temperature. It is then ground into smooth beads, gentle enough to use in facial and body scrubs.
Why is Bamboo Powder Great for Exfoliating?
Smooth round bamboo beads are incredibly gentle to the skin and offer deep exfoliation without scratching or damaging the skin. Massaging bamboo powder into the skin helps:
- Lift impurities and clear dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, revealing a smoother, more radiant complexion
- Unclog pores
- Buffs the skin without causing microscopic tears
- Stimulate blood circulation
- Enhance the effectiveness of other active ingredients
About Exfoliating Bamboo Jasmine Body Scrub
Even though your body naturally sheds dead skin cells, sometimes it needs extra help to get them off the surface. DIY Bamboo Jasmine Body Scrub is a lotion-based body scrub that does precisely that. It gently exfoliates and smoothes the skin while moisturising it in one go.
The sensual smell of jasmine absolute turns this relatively simple scrub into a spa-like concoction. The scrubbing action of the bamboo beads gently buffs off dead skin cells and polishes the skin. Incorporating nourishing cocoa butter and coconut oil helps moisturise and soften the skin.
How to Use the Scrub
Using body scrub once to twice a week can help stimulate healthy cell turnover, prevent dry skin from building up, keeping your skin soft. To apply:
STEP 1: Begin with a warm shower and allow water to run over your skin for five to ten minutes, opening up your pores and preparing it for cleansing.
Step 2: Warm the scrub between the palms of your hands and gently apply to the skin in circular motions, focusing on areas with dry skin. Do not over-exfoliate. It will leave your skin red and irritated.
Step 3: Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
DIY Exfoliating Bamboo Jasmine Body Scrub Recipe
DIY Exfoliating Bamboo Jasmine Scrub Recipe
Difficulty: Intermediate Formulator100
grams10
minutes30
minutes40
minutesReady to reveal a more radiant, smoother complexion? Then this scrub is just what the doctor ordered. DIY bamboo jasmine scrub helps moisturise and gently slough off dead skin cells, leaving you with softer, smoother skin.
Ingredients
- Phase A
9.00g coconut oil
4.00g cocoa butter
4.00g emulsifier olivem1000
2.00g cupuacu butter
1.00g berry wax
- Phase B
67.50g distilled water
3.00g vegetable glycerin
0.50g xanthan gum
- Phase C
1.00g vitamin E
0.70g jasmine absolute
0.20g lime essential oil
- Phase D
1.00g preservative ECO
- Phase E
6.00g bamboo powder
Directions
- Bring 2-3 cm of water to a simmer over low heat in a saucepan.
- Weigh out the cocoa butter, coconut oil and Olivem1000 (phase A ingredients) in a heat resistant glass beaker and place it into the water bath to melt the ingredients.
- Weigh distilled water (phase B) in the second glass beaker and place it into the hot water bath.
- Mix xanthan gum and glycerine in a third beaker and set aside.
- Once the oil phase in the first beaker and the water phase in the second beaker reach 70°C, slowly pour the oil mixture into the water phase, stirring continually. Remove from hot water bath and add glycerin and xanthan gum mix.
- When your emulsion cools down to under 40°C, add vitamin E and essential oils (phase C ingredients).
- Check the pH of the lotion is between 4.5 to 5.5. If it’s over 5.5 or below 4.5, adjust before moving to step 8. You can check it by diluting 10% of the emulsion in distilled water (10% emulsion/90% distilled water). Suppose the pH of the emulsion is over 5.5. In that case, you can lower it using a drop or two of citric acid solution( 10% citric acid to 90% distilled water). Subsequently, you can increase pH by adding a drop or two sodium bicarbonate solution (10% sodium bicarbonate to 90% distilled water).
- Add the Preservative Eco and recheck the ph. Adjust if needed, just like described in step 7.
- Stir in bamboo powder.
- You can transfer body scrub into a jar allowing it to set. The emulsion will thicken overnight.
How-to Video
Skin Patch Test
- Carry out a skin patch test before incorporating DIY body scrub into your skincare regimen. Although ingredients used may be well-tolerated by most people, some may be sensitive or even allergic to them. Apply a small amount of the product onto a clear patch of skin and leave it for 24-48 hours. If your skin turns red, itchy, or you experience any irritations, discontinue using the product.
Shelf life and storage
If stored well, bamboo jasmine body scrub should keep well for six to twelve months. Keep the jar away from direct sunlight in a dry, cool room or a draw. If the product changes colour, smell or texture, dispose of them and prepare a new batch.
Equipment
Substitutes
Please remember that swapping the ingredients in the formula will alter the final product. Consider how the ingredient you switch will affect the final product’s texture and smell when making changes.
Emmolients: There are many kinds of oil and butter on the market you can choose from. For instance, you could swap cocoa butter with tucuma butter, shea, mango or sal butter. Coconut oil, on the other hand, will be harder to replace as it is unique. You could try babassu oil, though.
Emulsifier: Olivem1000 is one of the most beginner-friendly emulsifiers out there. If you can’t find it, try PolyAquol™ 2W instead.
Distilled water helps hydrate the skin. If you’d like to improve the skin’s moisture levels, use FSS Bamboo Water or aloe vera juice instead.
Exfoliants: Bamboo powder is one of the most sought-after exfoliants due to its gentle nature. You can replace it with jojoba beads, which are also safe to apply to the skin.
Essential oils: Jasmine absolute can be very expensive as it requires many flowers to prepare the oil. You can swap it for tuberose or ho wood essential oil. You can learn more about essential oils that blend well with coconut oil here. Before switching essential oils, be aware some can cause sensitisation. You can find out more about the safe use of fragrance ingredients by visiting https://ifrafragrance.org.
FAQs
Is bamboo powder safe for the face?
Many skincare products use exfoliating scrubs and bamboo powder masks to reveal a smoother, more radiant complexion. Fine bamboo powder is excellent for sloughing off dead skin cells from the face. If you’d like to use this body scrub for your face, reduce bamboo powder to anywhere between 1% to 5% in the formula. Adjust distilled water percentage in the formula accordingly.
Will this formula turn my skin red with regular use?
Bamboo powder is a gentle exfoliant. If your skin feels red and irritated, try reducing the bamboo powder in the formula. Alternatively, you can swap bamboo powder for jojoba beads instead or opt for hydroxy acids, or liquid exfoliants.
