Every girl should know: How to make body scrubs at home

Just like your face, your body also needs exfoliation. Dead epithelial cells form a layer over your healthy skin. To bring out a beautiful looking skin, it is ­important to scrub it before taking a shower. It also improves blood circulation. Here are some simple recipes for making body scrubs at home with natural, easy-to-find ingredients.

For all skin types

1. Lemon juice and sugar make a good scrub, especially for arms and legs. Mix sugar and some ajwain with lemon juice. Apply, rub gently on the skin and wash off with water. This scrub also helps to remove tan.

2. Mix wheat bran (choker), gram flour (besan), curd or cream (malai) and a pinch of turmeric (haldi) and apply on the body about 20 minutes before ­bathing. It helps to clear away the dead cells and make the skin clean, soft and smooth.

For acne prone skin

If you suffer from acne ­outbreaks on any parts of your body, do not use grainy scrubs on those regions. These areas are sensitive and require gentler, ­non-grainy scrubs.

1. Oatmeal soothes the skin and reduces redness on acne-prone skin. Mix oats with yogurt and a little ­turmeric. Apply on affected areas. Wash off with water after 15 minutes.

2. For excessive black heads and acne, mix bitter gourd (karela) with grated ­cucumber. Use it twice a week to see marked ­reduction in ­blackheads or pimples. Karela is anti inflammatory and prevents skin from infection and also comes with benefits of ­vitamins and minerals. This controls skin’s oil balance and can also be used as a facial scrub.

For dry skin

1. Make a powder of green tea leaves and mix it with curd and aloe vera gel in equal quantities. Apply on body and leave on for a few minutes. Rub gently and wash off with water.

2. Mix granulated moong dal, barley, crushed almond and rice with honey and curd or milk for dry and itchy body and face. Make a paste and keep it for 15-20 ­minutes. Apply on the face and body and massage in circular motions. Adding 2 drops of either ­jasmine oil or ­sandalwood oil helps rejuvenate the skin further.

For oily skin

1. Mix 3 parts rice powder with 2 parts gram flour. Add curd and a little ­turmeric to mix into a paste. Apply on exposed areas of the body. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rub gently on the skin and wash off with water.

2. Mix dried orange peel powder with rose petal powder, sandalwood and small quantity of jaiphal and barley shall helps reduce oiliness, fight acne. Make a paste with double toned milk or curd, add small quantity of honey and keep aside for 15-20 ­minutes. Massage gently. Let it dry and rinse off.