The dry winter months are harsh on the skin and lips! This DIY lip scrub is the perfect addition to your beauty routine. It exfoliates winter lips, scrubbing away dead skin and leaving smoother, healthy lips.

After use, apply your favorite lip balm (I love this homemade lip balm recipe) or lipstick. Here’s how to make the best homemade lip balm with just 2 natural ingredients.

Homemade lip scrub in a bowl with sugar.

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Key Takeaways

  • Natural Ingredients – No more buying that expensive lip scrub at the store. This natural lip scrub only takes 2 minutes and is made with simple ingredients: cane sugar (or brown sugar), honey, and oil (olive oil or coconut oil). 
  • Smoother Skin – Exfoliation is the key to keeping healthy, smooth lips during winter. Exfoliating weekly scrubs away dead skin cells living behind softer, kissable lips.  
  • How Much This Recipe Makes – This recipe makes 4 ounces of lip balm. You can divide this between four 1-ounce lip balm containers or make one 4-ounce jar. 
  • Flavor Options – Why not make a lip scrub that also tastes amazing? Add cinnamon, vanilla extract, or peppermint essential oil for a delicious and natural flavoring. 
  • Shelf Life – This simple recipe makes a minimal amount of scrub. Make small batches (per the recipe) or a larger batch (tripling the recipe) and store at room temperature in a small container for up to 3 months. 
Ingredients to make lip scrub: sugar and oil.
Just 2 ingredients: sugar (brown or cane sugar) and oil.

Before you get started: What You’ll Need

  • 1 teaspoon cane sugar or brown sugar Sugar is the perfect natural scrub texture for lips, dry hands, or body scrub. Brown sugar is super soft, perfect for sensitive skin, and easier to apply as a scrub. Cane sugar is coarser (than brown sugar) and is fantastic for exfoliation. 
  • 1/4 teaspoon honey – Honey is a natural nourishing agent that hydrates the skin and exfoliates. Honey contains antioxidants and natural healing properties and may help repair chapped lips and stressed-out skin (source). I also use honey to make a soothing lip balm. 
  • 1/4 teaspoon carrier oil – Oil is used as a moisturizing and main ingredient to make the product scrubbable. Use organic coconut oil (in the cooking section), jojoba, sweet almond, or olive oil. 

Optional Extras for Flavoring

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 2 drops pure vanilla extract
  • 1 drop peppermint or lavender essential oil

How to make a DIY Lip Scrub Recipe

  • Step 1 Combine Ingredients – Stir the sugar, honey, oil, and desired flavorings in a small bowl. At first, it’ll seem like there’s not enough moisture to get everything to combine, but keep mashing—you’ll end up with a thick paste. If you’re using coconut oil, melt it first in the microwave so it’s liquid. 
  • Step 2 Apply on Lips or Store – The scrub is ready to use as soon it’s made. Use it immediately (my recipe makes enough for 1 application). Or triple the recipe and spoon into an airtight container. Store at room temperature and use once a week. 

How to Use This Natural Lip Scrub for Soft Lips 

Now that you have a homemade lip scrub, it’s time to use it. Here’s how to use this lip exfoliator to create the healthiest, softest lips.

  • Step 1 Spoon on Fingers – Take a small amount of the scrub onto your finger. While leaning over a sink (to catch the fall out), massage the sugary mixture into your lips, buffing off any dry skin.
  • Step 2 Rinse – Once your lips feel sufficiently scrubbed, rinse away the scrub remnants with some warm water. 
  • Step 3 Moisturize – Follow up with some lip balm (like this shea butter lip balm, easy-to-customize lip balm, honey lip balm, or lanolin lip balm) and enjoy your freshly polished lips!

What to Avoid Doing

  • Don’t Over Exfoliate – While this recipe is popular during the cooler months, you may also use it in the warmer months. Just be careful not to overuse it. 1-2 times a week is a great way to keep lips healthy and smooth.
  • Don’t Use Coarse Sugar – Choose a soft sugar, like granulated sugar, brown sugar, or cane sugar. Do NOT use coarse sugar granules like Sugar in the Raw or coconut sugar.
  • Don’t Use on Broken Skin – If your lips are severely chapped with broken skin, don’t use this easy recipe. This will only cause pain and can cause more damage to your dry lips. Allow your lips to heal before using sugar scrubs or any exfoliator. 
Holding jars of homemade lip scrub.

FAQS

  • Can I use any oil to make this recipe? ​Yes, just about. Any skin-friendly oil will work. If the oil is solid, like coconut oil, melt it before mixing it with sugar. 
  • Can I double or triple this recipe? Yes, you can. This recipe makes a tiny batch, enough for one use. If you’d like to make a larger batch and store it, triple or even quadruple the recipe. Store in an airtight container. 
  • How long does this recipe last? It is up to 3 months at room temperature in an airtight container. Always be safe and avoid if the scrub develops a funky odor or shows signs of mold growth. Learn how to make homemade beauty products safely. 
  • Can I add essential oils? Yes, you can. You’ll need a drop. Peppermint and lavender are my favorite essential oils. Remember, some oils may be more irritating when applied to the skin. Always research before adding an essential oil to your skincare products, particularly something that comes in contact with your mouth. 
Combine the sugar and oil in a bowl.
5 from 4 votes

Exfoliating DIY Homemade Lip Scrub

This delightful lip scrub combines two simple ingredients to make an exfoliating scrub for soft, hydrated lips.
Kristin Marr
Prep Time2 minutes
Total Time2 minutes
Course DIY
Cuisine Body
Servings 1 tablespoon (double or triple recipe if desired)
Cost: $1

Equipment

  • 1 small bowl for mixing the scrub
  • 1 small airtight container only if storing for later

Ingredients

Extra Flavor Ideas

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 2 drops pure vanilla extract
  • 1 drop essential oil such as: peppermint or lavender essential oil

Instructions

  • Combine Ingredients – Stir the sugar, honey, oil, and any flavorings desired in a small bowl. At first it'll seem like there's not enough moisture to get everything to combine, but keep mashing—you'll end up with a thick paste. If you're using coconut oil, melt it first in the microwave so it's liquid. 
  • Apply on Lips or Store – The scrub is ready to use as soon it's made. Use it immeadiately (my recipe makes enough for 1 application). Or triple the recipe and spoon into an airtight container. Store at room temperature and use once a week. The recipe will keep for up to 3 months.

How to Use:

  • Take a small amount of the scrub onto your finger. While leaning over a sink (to catch the fall out), massage the sugary mixture into your lips, buffing off any dry skin. Once your lips feel sufficiently scrubbed, rinse away the scrub remnants with some warm water. 
  • Follow up with some lip balm (like this shea butter lip balm, easy-to-customize lip balm, honey lip balm, or lanolin lip balm) and enjoy your freshly polished lips.

Notes

Sugar Note: Choose a soft sugar, like granulated sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar. Do NOT use a coarse sugar granules like Sugar in the Raw or coconut sugar.
This recipe makes enough for a one-time use. You may also double or triple the recipe and store in a container for up to 3 months if desired. 
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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14 Comments

  1. Hi there,
    Can I use olive oil instead of sweet almond oil in this recipe (as per your note on making last longer)?
    Thanks!

  2. Since discovering your amazing blog I’ve tried making several of you beauty, home and food recipes. You are amazing! All of them met or exceeded my expectations! I made this lip scrub last week and just used it again this morning and I just had to thank you. It is so much more satisfying to use a product you made at home with ingredients you feel good about. The fact that it “tastes” amazing and leaves my lips soft makes it all the better.

  3. 5 stars
    I love your blog and your natural way of living. Thanks for sharing your insight as well as recipes! I, like you am a visual person. I don’t mean this as a negative thing but helpful I hope! When looking through boards on pinterest (even my own) it bothers me to see duplicate pins. I edit my boards often and I am very thankful for pinterests new message that lets you know if you have already pinned it! Time is important to me so when looking on a board only to find multiple pins of one thing uses some of that up. The board I found this recipe on is one of those, the black face scrub is on there like 6 times. Again, I hope this is helpful and not negative. I know…my own issue, LOL. Thanks for listening. Love, Love, Love all that you do!!

  4. I have just come across your blog and I am SO enjoying it!! Your way of ‘doing life’ is very appealing and I am looking forward to trying some of your recipes!

    Having said all that…where do you buy your glass/plastic containers for your diy beauty products?

    1. Hey Christina,

      Thank you so much, and welcome to Live Simply!

      I have a “thing” for little containers ;). The jars pictured in this post are Weck Jars. They’re my favorite glass jars and come in a variety of sizes. I purchase Weck Jars from Amazon and Crate and Barrel (sold in the physical stores). For the other containers, I shop at HomeGoods and Target. You can find a link to the Weck Jars and other DIY essentials that I love, here: https://livesimply.me/diy-essentials/.