As the body’s largest organ, the role of your skin is to protect your organs on the inside, to keep you warm when you are cold, to cool you off when you are hot, and to keep infections out of your body. It’s a big job, thus our skin is worth taking care of. It can be a challenge to keep your skin looking its best, especially for those who do not have much spare time or money. Skin care professionals recommend that all-over exfoliation be incorporated as a regular part of the skin care routine. Doing so helps remove dulling old skin cells and encourages the production of new ones. While we all understand the necessity of exfoliation, many of us do not do so as we should because we cannot afford to. One could easily pay twenty dollars for only a month’s supply of commercially available body scrub. What few people realize is that equally effective body scrub can be made at home for about a quarter per serving. If you want to have smooth skin and save money at the same time, try out this recipe for homemade body scrub.

Exfoliate ingredients include sea salt, epsom salt, white sugar, brown sugar, cornmeal and oatmeal. The wet ingredient is either an oil or vegetable butter or liquid soap. A cream face mask is a moisturizing mask that revitalizes and hydrates the skin. It may contain organic skin care exfoliation agents to help cleanse skin pores, remove waste and toxins and fight free radicals leaving the skin more velvety and luminous. Organic facial masks may contain generous amounts of botanical freshener like rose floral water and calming sea algae to double act as toner. Scrubs work by removing deeply ingrained dirt and grime to leave skin soft and clear. The good ones are made up with the grinded core of the peach fruit or almonds. The natural granules remove dead skin cell and blackheads.

How to Make a Bath Salt Scrub

The basic recipe for a salt scrub is easy.

* One cup salt

* One cup oil

* A few drops of scent

For a firmer, less runny scrub, try two parts salt to one part oil, and then add oil to reach the consistency you want. Don't be surprised if the salt and oil separate. Just stir them back together before you use the scrub.

You only need four or five drops of scented essential oil. Too much will irritate your skin. You can mix and match scents, if you want. Try citrus and mint, ginger and lime, apricot and almond, or whatever sounds good to you.

Scrubs are a great, inexpensive and effective way of thoroughly cleansing your entire body while providing it with an overall skin care treatment. Some body scrubs use small beads, which work to gently remove dead skin without causing harm or irritation. If your skin is oily this is the ideal homemade scrub. Take 4 table­spoons of chickpea powder. Add to this, half tablespoons of turmeric power, a few drops of rose water and milk to make a thick paste. Rub it all over the body. Apply baking soda on wet face using circular motions. Make a mixture of 1 tsp walnut powder,1/2 tsp honey, 1 tsp lemon juice and scrub your face with it. Other scrubs mash a piece of papaya, then add 1/2 tsp brown sugar and rub your face with it. Leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse well.

Using Your Salt Scrub

To use your scrub, simply rub it gently onto your skin before you shower. It should feel rough, but not painful. Don't scrub too hard or too long: you just want to rub away the dead skin cells, not the entire top layer of skin.

Be careful in the tub, because the oil will make your bathtub slippery. After you're finished, shower as usual, then apply a gentle moisturizer. Your skin should feel soft and fresh, with a hint of the fragrance you chose.