Lemon & Peppermint Antibacterial Hand Scrub

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Not only is this lemon & peppermint antibacterial hand scrub practical, but it is also beautiful, exfoliating and leaves your hands feeling silky smooth. Plus it comes together in about 5 minutes!

Making my own homemade gifts or something just for myself, always makes me smile. After all you save serious money by doing it yourself and you have the enjoyment of knowing exactly what goes into the finished product.

If you like DIY, Homemade gifts, I know you will love making this tasty Homemade Golden Milk Mix, or Homemade Vanilla Extract (one of my most popular posts), or maybe just this simple everyday Carrabba’s seasoning.

With all of the hand-washing going on these days, my hands are parched, like dried, cracking, rough parched.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve battled dry skin and eczema* my whole life and wintertime in a dry climate is always hard on them. But with a little extra hand-washing, they are perpetually parched!

Enter, this beautiful, all-natural, cleansing antibacterial hand scrub!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• fine sea salt | cleanses, heals and nourishes skin. Kosher or coarser salts are a bit harsh on the delicate skin of hands, in fact, you may even want to use brown sugar if your hands are extra sensitive.
• sweet almond oil | sweet almond oil keeps your skin cells healthy, protects your skin from UV radiation damage, and helps your skin look smooth, soft, and free of fine lines, thanks to the Vitamin E in the oil. The fatty acids help your skin retain moisture and can heal chapped and irritated skin.
• pure coconut oil |“benefits for skin, including reducing inflammation, keeping skin moisturized and helping heal wounds. The medium-chain fatty acids found in coconut oil also possess antimicrobial properties that can help treat acne and protect the skin from harmful bacteria.”
• Jojoba oil |“Jojoba oil contains oodles of vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, but what sets it apart from the others is that it’s technically not an oil, but a wax ester. What does this mean for your skin? “Jojoba oil has a similar molecular structure and composition to sebum, which the skin naturally produces for moisturization“

• Tea Tree Oil | Tea tree oil contains a number of compounds, including terpinen-4-ol, that have been shown to kill certain bacteria, viruses and fungi (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source). Terpinen-4-ol also appears to increase the activity of your white blood cells, which help fight germs and other foreign invaders (3Trusted Source). These germ-fighting properties make tea tree oil a valued natural remedy for treating bacterial and fungal skin conditions, preventing infection and promoting healing. I highly recommend reading more about this powerhouse of essential oils!
• Peppermint essential oil | Besides smelling fabulous, peppermint oil may have some antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. (Optional)
• Lemon Essential oil and fresh lemon zest | Another “smells marvelous” ingredient, but some people swear by lemon essential oil as an ingredient that fights exhaustion, helps with depression, clears your skin, kills harmful viruses and bacteria, and reduces inflammation. (Optional). Peppermint and Lemon are optional, you might also try Rosemary & Sweet Orange. Or Lavender is always a big hit, be creative.
• Liquid Castille Soap | this ingredient is optional, but ads additional gentle cleansing notes.

This is a fabulous starter kit for essential oils.

DISCLAIMER | I am not a physician or specialist; I have done my own research and using natural products like this have worked for my family. As always consult your medical provider, if you have concerns.

How to DIY Antibacterial Hand Scrub

1. Measure ingredients. To evenly distribute oils, put drops into one of the carrier oils (almond, jojoba work great), then add everything in a small mixing bowl (or double, triple or quadruple if making as gifts).
2. Mix well to combine. Scoop into container with a lid and provide a small scoop or spoon. Ta-da! Takes all of 5 minutes!

*Eczema Warning | I have battled eczema since childhood and my hands are the worst; however, tea tree oil can be harsh with eczema. Use sparingly and with caution. I personally use this scrub once daily and it leaves my hands soft and nourished.

How to Gift Homemade Hand Scrubs

You all know I love great homemade gifts, and this one is no different! In fact, I love the way my friend Lynn, from Nourish and Nestle puts it, Homemade Gifts that Don’t Scream DIY!

Since I wanted this gift to look beautiful, like it was from a specialty store; I chose my favorite 12.5 oz tulip shaped Weck jar — they are a bit pricey, but so pretty. These ball jars work great too! Note that the recipe makes about 1 cup (8 oz) so it didn’t quite fill up the above 12 oz jar.

Tie some bakers twine or jute around it, secure a cute wooden scoop to the jar, tie on a dried slice of lemon. Also try a sprig of fresh rosemary, lavender, a cinnamon stick or fresh thyme!

FREE PRINTABLE LABELS

A label makes all the difference, I created these pretty labels for you to print and punch out to either tie or glue onto the jar’s. Simply click the link below for the free printable antibacterial hand scrub labels.

There are two designs, one specifically for Lemon & Eucalyptus and the second a generic Antibacterial Hand Scrub label that you can fill in the scents.

Typically, I use 65# white or kraft paper for most my gift tags, they hold up well and punch well. I have a couple of punches to make tags easier not requiring me to use a whole sheet of labels; this 1 1/2 inch punch and 3 inch punch are great!

That’s about it! Check out the DIY “recipe” below, and be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom; I have gathered a few of my own and other bloggers fabulous “non-sucky” homemade gifts for you to peruse.

Think Mother’s Day, birthday gifts, hostess gifts, teacher appreciation gifts, get well gifts, just because, new neighbor gifts, Easter, Holiday and Christmas…oh, you get the idea!

More homemade gift ideas:

• Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract | so amazing, especially in this Kentucky Butter Cake!
• Rocky Mountain Barbecue Sauce | thick, rich, amazing!
• Homemade Teriyaki Sauce | Use for anything that needs teriyaki sauce, like this Grilled Pork Loin.
• Cookie Dough Gifts | yes, it’s a thing!
• DIY Pumpkin Spice Mix | great around the holidays, especially with a warm Pumpkin Spice cake!

Recipe heavily adapted from Hello Glow.

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5 from 9 votes

Antibacterial Hand Scrub

Make your own easy DIY antibacterial hand scrub that promotes healthy, clean, soft skin.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: Hostess Gifts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: antibacterial hand oil, antibacterial hand scrub, DIY, hand scrub, Homemade, Hostess Gifts, salt scrub, tea tree oil

Yield: 8 ounces

Author: Kathleen Pope

Cost: $8

Equipment

• Ball Wide Mouth Half Pin Mason Pint Jars-8oz 8 jars 
• 6 Mini Tulip Jelly Jar with Glass Lids 6 Rings and 12 Clamps

Materials

• 1 cup fine sea salt or pulse kosher salt in food processor until fine
• 3-4 tablespoons Sweet almond oil
• 3-4 tablespoons pure coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon Jojoba oil optional
• 1 tablespoons liquid Castille soap (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon Tea Tree Oil
• 10-15 drops Peppermint essential oil optional
• 5-10 drops Lemon essential oil optional
• Lemon zest optional

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in small mixing bowl, mix to combine well. Spoon into desired jar or storage container with lid.
• If making as gifts, place in desired lidded jar(s), apply label (see post for free printable), small scoop and tie with jute or twine.
• Scoop small amount into palm of hand, gently rub all over hands for 20 seconds, then rinse with warm water. Use once or twice daily. Avoid introducing water into the scrub.
• Makes about 1 cup (8 oz), easily double, triple or more the recipe for multiple gift options.

Notes

Shelf Life: to avoid oils turning rancid, always keep the lid on the container, most salt scrubs will last about 6 months, if it starts smelling rancid, then it’s time to throw out.

I love to tie some bakers twine or jute around it, securing a cute wooden scoop to the jar and if you want, tie on a dried slice of lemon, but a sprig of fresh rosemary, lavender, a cinnamon stick or thyme would work great too!

*Eczema Warning | I have battled eczema forever and it’s always the worst on my hands; however, tea tree oil can be harsh with eczema, so use sparingly and with caution. I personally just use this hand scrub once or twice daily.

Recipe heavily adapted from HelloGlow.

About Kathleen Pope

Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer

Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.