Have you ever exfoliated your lips? Well, ladies (and gents), today is the day to raid the kitchen for a simple DIY sugar lip scrub. In under 5 minutes, you can exfoliate dry skin and enjoy soft, kissable lips all day.
A honey and sugar lip scrub combines exfoliation with much-needed moisture to keep lips softer for longer, even in cold winter weather. So get on the lip scrub wagon with these homemade recipes and follow with a homemade lip balm.
There are endless ways to make a tasty sugar lip scrub. Just grab yourself a small bowl, a spoon, and any ingredients you’ve got hanging out in your pantry like skin-soothing oils, moisturizing honey, and nourishing add-ins like cocoa powder and strawberries.
If you’d like to get fancy, keep reading, and we’ll show you how to make a lip scrub using our no-fail customizable formula to keep your lips soft, smooth, and healthy.
No-Fail Sugar Lip Scrub Recipe
Homemade sugar lip scrubs are super easy to whip up and require just a few ingredients. But this recipe is a classic!
A little honey combined with sugar and almond oil is all you need to moisturize and slough off dead skin.
The main ingredient is sugar, which serves as an exfoliant to remove dead skin cells from your lips.
You’ll also need a moisturizing agent, such as honey, coconut oil, or shea butter, to help keep your lips soft and supple.
Finally, you can add some extras, like a few drops of lip-loving essential oils or other flavorings to give your lip scrub a delicious scent. You can also add vanilla extract for added sweetness.
You can make things even simpler by leaving out the oil and going with a honey lip scrub. While you can use any kind of honey you like, the raw stuff has nutrients and antioxidants that nourish skin and encourage healing [source].
Ingredients
Here’s our foolproof sugar and honey lip scrub recipe:Â
How To Make A Sugar Honey Lip Scrub
Combine your chosen ingredients in a small bowl. You’ll want a consistency that’s gritty enough to exfoliate but not too dry. You’ll be tempted to eat the mixture because it tastes pretty darn good!
Step 1: Add 1 teaspoon honey
Honey is the ultimate lip medicine. It soothes dry, chapped lips by drawing moisture from the air and depositing it into the skin.
It also has tons of antioxidants and can bring relief to irritated lips because of a mild antiseptic effect that speeds up the healing of small cuts or burns.
You can use any one of the following to make your scrub:
Can I make a lip scrub without honey?
Absolutely! If you prefer not to use honey or are vegan, you can substitute it with other moisturizing ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, or agave syrup.
Step 2: Add 2 teaspoons sugar
Sugar in your beauty routine isn’t a no-no like in your diet. Sugar body scrubs are cheap and easy to make because the ingredients are probably in your pantry already.
Plus, sugar is gentle enough to polish sensitive areas like the face and lips.
Fine granulated sugar is usually the best choice for lip scrubs because its small crystals are gentle on the delicate skin of the lips. Brown sugar, being softer and finer, is also a good option for extra-sensitive skin.
Step 3: Add 1 teaspoon carrier oil
Add a bit of carrier oil to add moisture to your scrub and hydrate your lips. Any oil that stays liquid at room temperature will work.
A study assessing the use of coconut and olive oil on lips showed good penetration of the surface skin and measured over 6 hours of moisturizing ability [source]. I love jojoba, grapeseed, argan, and rosehip oils because of their ability to repair the skin barrier and regenerative properties [source].
You only need a tiny amount, so stick with one of the basic oils you’ve already got on hand.
Step 4: Add optional extras
You can’t go wrong sticking with just sugar and honey for your lips, but sometimes you want to get experimental in the beauty test kitchen.
Here are a few add-in ideas to take your scrub to the next level of awesomeness.
Plump Lips:
Add a dash of cinnamon or cayenne if you want to plump your lips naturally. Start with a tiny, tiny amount because it’s easy to overdo it and wind up with irritated lips, which sort of defeats the purpose.
Add a teaspoon of coffee (or a pinch of coffee grounds for extra exfoliation) for a caffeine boost, which can help with circulation and plumping.
A drop of peppermint oil can plump lips and give a cooling sensation, perfect for refreshing tired lips.
Hydrate Dry Lips:
If your lips are starting to get cracked and painful, open up a vitamin E capsule and add it to the scrub. The vitamin E oil adds extra nourishment, helping to heal and protect the lips.
Add 1-2 drops of an essential oil for chapped lips to add skin-repairing benefits and aromatherapy.
Instead of oil, use a butter like cocoa, shea, or mango butter, which are rich in vitamins A and E to deeply moisturize.
Tackle Lip Lines:
Add a dash of cocoa powder for nourishing antioxidants [source] and a bit of chocolate flavor.
Add brewed green tea leaves or matcha powder for an antioxidant boost.
Lighten Dark Lips:
Mash a strawberry in there, and the natural citric acid will help polish lips along with sugar. Plus, you’ll get a dose of vitamin C to help combat signs of aging on the skin around your mouth [source]—not recommended if you have cracks in your lips, as the citric acid will burn.
Use lemon or orange zest for a citrus blast, enriching your scrub with vitamin C. This can help brighten and clear the lips.
Add Extra Exfoliation:
The crushed dried rose petals or lavender buds not only provide gentle exfoliation but also lend a beautiful natural fragrance.
Make It Taste Even Better:
Sprinkle in a ¼–½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice if your PSL craving has gotten out of hand.
Make your scrub super edible with a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Yum!
You can also try freeze-dried raspberry powder. The raspberry powder not only adds a fruity scent but also contains antioxidants and leaves a slight tint on your lips for a natural blush.
How To Use a Sugar Scrub for Your Lips
I like to exfoliate my lips before applying my makeup in the morning. But if they happen to be especially dry, I exfoliate again in the evening and apply lip balm to hydrate while I sleep.
Over-exfoliating can make lip dryness worse so I only use a DIY lip scrub a couple of times a week.
Cleanse your lips to remove any lingering makeup.
Using your fingers, scoop a bit of scrub from the container. Apply scrub to your lips using short, gentle strokes.
Continue massaging into your lips using circular strokes, focusing on rough spots or flakey areas.
Rinse off the scrub and apply lip balm or overnight lip mask to lock in moisture.
Avoid using scrub if your lips are sunburned, extremely chapped, or cracked.
While you’re making lip scrubs, try making tinted lip balm—perfect for repairing winter-ravaged chapped lips!
Storage
Place your scrub in a small, airtight container. Most homemade lip scrubs can be stored for up to two weeks. Adding vitamin E oil can extend their shelf life due to its natural preservative properties.
If you add any fresh ingredients, store the scrub in the refrigerator and use it within 3-5 days. If the honey crystallizes in the refrigerator, just run the scrub under warm running water until it softens.
FAQ
What is the best type of sugar to use for a lip scrub? Fine granulated sugar is usually the best choice for lip scrubs because its small crystals are gentle on the delicate skin of the lips. Brown sugar, being softer and finer, is also a good option for extra-sensitive skin. Is it okay to taste my lip scrub? Since sugar and honey lip scrubs are made from edible ingredients, they are safe to taste. However, it’s best not to intentionally eat them as they may contain essential oils or other ingredients that are best used topically. How long do you leave lip scrub on your lips? 1–2 minutes should be long enough. If you’d prefer to do a deep moisturizing treatment to nourish lips, you can try a lip mask. Why did my lip scrub harden in the container? Lip scrubs can harden if they contain coconut oil or other ingredients that solidify at cooler temperatures. Simply let the scrub sit at room temperature for a few minutes or gently warm it in your hands before use. Does DIY sugar lip scrub need to be refrigerated? No, not if you plan to use it within a week or two. Any longer, and you might want to keep it in the fridge to be safe.
Want more ways to take care of your lips? You might like these posts:
DIY Sugar Lip Scrub with Honey Recipe
This DIY sugar lip scrub exfoliates and moisturizes in one fell swoop. Add in your own ingredients to create a custom scrub that’s perfect for your pout.
Active Time5 minutes minsTotal Time5 minutes mins
Course: Natural BeautyCuisine: DIYKeyword: honey, lip scrub, sugar scrub
Yield: 2 ounces
Author: Stephanie Gerber
Cost: $3
Materials1 teaspoon honey raw, manuka2 teaspoons sugar brown, coconut, sucanat1 teaspoon oil almond, olive, coconut, jojoba
NotesOptional add-ins
A dash of cinnamon or cayenne for a plumping effect
A vitamin E capsule to soothe irritation
A dash of cocoa powder for nourishing antioxidants and a bit of flavor
A mashed strawberry for vitamin C and some polishing action
¼–½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for flavor
Apply to lips with fingertips and massage it in to gently slough off dry, dead skin cells. You’ll be tempted to eat the mixture because it tastes pretty darn good! Rinse with warm water and follow with lip balm.
This post was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Haley, a board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience in medical, cosmetic, and surgical dermatology. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice, and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.720