How to Use a Sugar Scrub (and How Often)

Last Sunday I was measuring sugar for a meringue, a full cup of it, scooping and leveling and pouring it into the bowl a little at a time while the whites whipped. When I wiped my hands on my apron afterward, they felt different. Smoother. Like someone had buffed them. That's the whole idea behind a body scrub, just with less egg and a lot less cleanup.

So, the quick version. To use a sugar scrub, wet your skin in the shower, scoop a small amount with dry fingers or a spoon, and rub it over your arms, legs and body in slow circles with light pressure. Rinse it off with warm water, pat dry and put on a moisturizer. Most people only need to do this once or twice a week. Oily or rough skin can go up to three times; sensitive or very dry skin is happier with once a week or less.

How to use a sugar scrub, step by step

Think of this like a recipe. The order matters more than the brand, and nobody needs to scrub like they're scraping a sheet pan.

1. Get your skin wet and warm. Let the shower run over you for a few minutes first. Warm water softens the top layer of skin so the sugar glides instead of drags. If you're washing too, you can do that now.
2. Scoop with dry hands or a spoon. This is the step everyone skips. Wet fingers in the jar drip water onto the sugar, and water melts sugar. A small spoon or a dry fingertip keeps the rest of the jar fresh. About a tablespoon covers both legs; less for arms.
3. Rub in slow circles. Start at your feet and work up: ankles, calves, knees, thighs, then arms, elbows and anywhere else that feels rough. Spend about 30 seconds to a minute on each area.
4. Keep the pressure light. Let the sugar do the work. You want the pressure you'd use to fold whipped cream, not to knead bread. Give a bit more attention to rough spots like knees, elbows and heels, but don't grind.
5. Rinse with warm water. Rinse until the grains are gone. With an oil-based scrub, your skin will still feel soft and a little slick. That's the point, so don't scrub it off with soap again.
6. Pat dry. Press the towel on instead of rubbing. Freshly exfoliated skin doesn't need another round of friction.
7. Moisturize while skin is still a little damp. This is the frosting on the cake. A cream or whipped moisturizer right after scrubbing helps lock in softness, and it tends to spread more easily on smoothed skin.

How often to use a sugar scrub

Scrubbing too often is the most common mistake I see. Your skin sheds dead cells on its own; a scrub just helps the process along. Over-scrubbing leaves skin tight, pink or stingy, which is the opposite of what you came for. Use this table as a starting point, then watch how your skin reacts.

Why the seasonal shift? Summer usually means more sweat, sunscreen and self-tanner, so a little more exfoliation can feel good. In winter, dry indoor air and hot showers already strip skin, so ease off and lean harder on moisturizer. Our winter body care routine walks through the full cold-weather plan.

A good rule of thumb: if your skin feels raw, sore or looks red after scrubbing, cut back. Smooth and soft means you've got it right.

Using a body scrub before or after shaving

Scrub before you shave, not after. Here's the general idea:

• Before shaving: Scrubbing first clears away dead skin that can clog a razor, so the blade glides more smoothly. Scrub, rinse, then shave in the same shower, or scrub the day before.
• Right after shaving: Skip it. Freshly shaved skin is more sensitive, and sugar on top can sting. Wait a day or two before scrubbing that area again.
• Freshly waxed: Same idea. Give waxed skin a couple of days before you exfoliate it.

If you shave with an oil, a few drops of something like my Sugar Shave Oil Serum after you've rinsed the scrub off helps the razor move smoothly. Every bottle is handmade in Nashville, TN, same as my scrub. For other ways to exfoliate, from washcloths to gentle body washes, see our guide to exfoliating your body.

Where not to use a body scrub

Every baker has a list of things that never go in the oven. Here's mine for scrubs:

• Your face. Body scrubs are made for thicker skin on your body. The grains are usually too rough for facial skin, so use a face-specific product there.
• Broken, cut or scraped skin. Sugar on an open spot hurts, and you don't want to irritate it further.
• Sunburn. Burned skin needs cool water and gentle care, not exfoliation. Wait until it has fully healed.
• Active rashes or flare-ups. If you have eczema, a rash that keeps coming back, or skin that stings and reddens every time you exfoliate, see a dermatologist if it doesn't settle down, and skip scrubbing those areas in the meantime.
• Freshly shaved or waxed skin, as above.

Safety tip: oil-based scrubs make floors slippery

This one's not glamorous, but it matters. Most jarred scrubs, mine included, mix sugar into oil. That oil rinses off your skin and onto the tub or shower floor, which can get as slick as a buttered baking sheet.

• Stand on a textured bath mat if you have one.
• Rinse the floor with hot water before you step out.
• Wipe the tub every so often with a little dish soap to cut the oil buildup.
• Take it slow getting out. Grab the towel bar, not your phone.

How to store your scrub

Treat your scrub like a canister of sugar in the pantry: dry, sealed and away from splashes.

• Keep water out. Water dissolves the sugar and can change how the scrub looks, smells and feels. Use a dry spoon or dry fingers every time.
• Close the lid tight. Put it back on as soon as you've scooped.
• Keep it out of the spray. A shelf or ledge outside the direct shower stream is ideal.
• Stir if it separates. Oil can rise to the top over time. Give it a quick stir with a clean, dry spoon.
• Toss it if it changes. If it smells sour, looks off or has spots, it's time for a new jar.

My picks for your scrub routine

Here's what sits on my own shower shelf. Everything comes in my scent, Confectionary Cutie: fresh doughnuts, vanilla extract and fresh cream.

• Sugar Magical Sugar Scrub ($25, 4 oz). Sugar in safflower seed oil with rice bran, rosemary and sunflower extracts and vitamin E. It's oil-based, so mind that floor.
• Sugar Body Frosting ($25, 4 oz). A whipped moisturizer with cocoa butter, shea butter, glycerin, aloe and vitamin E for step seven.
• Sugar Polish & Pamper Duo ($45). The scrub and the frosting together, which also makes a sweet present. More ideas in our gift sets for women roundup.
• Sugar Shave Oil Serum ($27, 2 oz). For shave day, right after you rinse the scrub.

FAQ

Out of the oven

I finished that meringue, by the way. Crisp outside, soft in the middle, a little like good skin after a scrub. And every time I measure out a cup of sugar now, I think of my hands that day. Wet skin, a dry spoon, gentle circles, then frosting. It's really that simple.

Every beauty has a story.

— Sugar

Keep reading in The Princess's Vanity

• How to exfoliate your body
• Winter skin care routine for your body
• Gift sets for women