I've never thought the beach had anything to offer me — until I realized the skin benefits of sand and how awesome of a DIY foot scrub the stuff could make. If you've ever noticed how great the sand feels underneath your feet, you won't be surprised to know that sand has health benefits. According to sources at Livestrong, simply walking on sand barefoot can strengthen our bodies by using muscles that aren't required when we wear shoes. Anyone who's ever been to the beach knows that afterwards there is sand literally everywhere when you empty out your beach bag. It can be a nuisance to clean, but that sand can also keep your feet ridiculously soft.
For many people, the beach provides endless entertaining or a calming atmosphere with a nice sea breeze. For me, the ocean has always seemed terrifying and unsanitary. The only ocean experience I had as a child was at co-ed outing where I was around boys for the first time. As I cautiously stood up in the water, a boy came over to me, exclaimed, "Haha, you're standing in my pee," and swam away. I figured I was done with the sea for good after that. Recently, however, I realized I couldn't let my unfounded ocean fears get in the way of me having access to fresh sand that was so good for my skin. Eventually, I knew I would have to go there myself and collect my own sand to give my feet a soothing, exfoliating scrub that they deserved.
Here's how I made my own sand scrub.
1. Collect Your Sand
If getting to a beach isn't feasible, but try your local craft store. Of course, the benefit of collecting your own sand is that it's free and you can be sure that your product is completely natural, but the storebought stuff will do as well.
2. Clean Your Sand
I had to do a lot of weeding through my sand before it was ready for a beauty DIY. You can pick out bigger pieces by hand, then run your sand through a colander just to be sure it's free of nasty stuff. Check for shells, litter, and rocks in your sand before you use it, since they can result in cuts. Ouch!
3. Add Your Favorite Carrier Oils
Obviously, using straight sand on your bod is not going to give you the best results. Choose a carrier oil with extra benefits to soften up your sand for use. I used one tablespoon of sesame oil and a quarter cup of sunflower oil. Then, I added half a cup of sand in a medium sized mixing bowl.
4. Add Some Essential Oils
To get my sand smelling like a bouquet of loveliness, I added some of my favorite essential oils (juniper berry, vetiver, and clary sage) that are excellent on dry skin and antiseptic by nature.
5. Mix All Your Ingredients Together
I mixed everything together with a wooden spoon and then put my new scrub in a sealable container. You could use a blender to make it smoother, but since this scrub is for the tough skin on your feet, you shouldn't have to worry as much about a little roughness.
6. Get Your Feet Wet
Soak or rinse your feet in warm to hot water prior to exfoliating. This will let your feet soak up the water and retain moisture during and after exfoliation.
7. Experience the Sand Scrub
Gently exfoliate your feet with your new sand scrub, working your way between your toes and focusing on any rough patches. I did this for about five minutes and my feet felt super soft the entire day. This is an excellent evening scrub that you can use a few times each week, even after the weather starts getting cooler.
Image: Kristin Collins Jackson
