I’ve got margaritas on the brain these days, and oddly enough, it’s not because I’m drinking them. It’s because of Jimmy Buffett. Most people are pretty surprised to hear that Jimmy Buffett is one of my all-time favourite musical artists. Now, before you revise your mental image of me to include a closet full of khaki shorts, Hawaiian print shirts, and a pet parrot, let me explain! My dad loves Jimmy Buffett, so I grew up with him, and he sounds like summer and nostalgia and happiness to me. And, while his more popular calypso-style hits never fail to make me smile (I may or may not be listening to Margaritaville as I type this), most of my Jimmy Buffett favourites are songs that have never received any radio play, like Savannah Fare You Well and his cover of Bruce Cockburn’s Pacing the Cage (give them a listen!). Anywho, it has long been a dream of mine to see him in concert with my dad, and guys—it’s happening!!! I’ll be joining my family to see him live in Vancouver in October and I don’t know if I can adequately express how excited I am! Ever since I found out I’ve been listening to my Jimmy Faves playlist a whole lot, and counting the days (64!). So, basically, Jimmy Buffett inspired this sugar scrub, and we can all be grateful I took inspiration from Margaritaville for this scrub and not Cheeseburger in Paradise!
I can’t say I find the word “emulsified” to be so sexy that I love it in project names, but I think it’s important to include because emulsified scrubs are superior to non-emulsified scrubs for one simple, but oh-so-important reason: they self-emulsify with your bathwater. This is awesome because not only do they turn into lotion on your skin as they emulsify with your bath water, which is obviously all kinds of awesome for your skin, but also because getting out of your tub does not require having your last rites read to you. That’s because the oils in the scrub emulsify with your bath water, heavily diluting them and allowing them to rinse down your drain rather than lurking in your tub, planning to ruin the effects of your relaxing soak. Woo!
I used Polawax as my complete emulsifying wax, though Emulsifying Wax NF or Ritamulse would also do the trick. I’d stay away from BTMS-50; not because it won’t work (it will), but because it’s two to three times the price of Polawax or Emulsifying Wax NF, and we’re basically just washing it straight down the drain.
If your orange wax is wax oranger than this, use less!
Our oil base is mostly virgin coconut oil as that seemed very fitting for something Jimmy Buffett inspired! There’s also some safflower oil, and stearic acid to thicken. You can’t leave out the stearic acid! It’s what gives this scrub enough structure to whip up—it is not another emulsifier. You also can’t use wax instead of stearic acid—wax is sticky and waxy, and it’ll stay behind on your skin and leave you feeling tacky and gross. You can learn more about stearic acid here.
For scrubby bits I’ve gone with a blend of sugar and salt; pink Himalayan salt gives some lovely colour, while plain ol’ white sugar does the bulk of the scrubbing. I love the inclusion of pink Himalayan salt for purely aesthetic reasons (it was a straight-up impulse purchase at Windy Point due to the oooooh, pretty factor); if you don’t have it, feel free to use a different medium grain salt or sugar instead!
The cheery yellow tint and citrus scent of this scrub comes from the inclusion of some incredibly juicy-smelling orange wax. Mine is very thin (like water) and orange, though not crazy orange. I’ve heard from some readers that theirs is thicker and/or significantly oranger than mine—to the point of tinting skin at low concentrations! If that’s your orange wax, I recommend dropping the orange wax amount to two or three grams and making up that extra amount with more coconut oil or safflower oil—unless you’re going for that infamous Jersey Shore/Oompa Loompa look, of course!
All we’re doing to make this scrub is measuring, melting, cooling, and whipping, so it’s pretty darn easy, and comes together quickly (assuming you’re not waiting with baited breath by the fridge door as it cools, that is!). I’m loving how my skin feels after a bath with some Summer Margarita Emulsified Scrub, and I think you will, too!
Summer Margarita Emulsified Scrub
20g | 0.7oz complete emulsifying wax (not beeswax!)
9g | 0.32oz stearic acid (USA / Canada / UK)
42g | 1.48oz virgin coconut oil
17g | 0.6oz safflower oil
5g | 0.17oz orange wax
0.5g | 0.017oz Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)15g | 0.53oz medium-grain pink Himalayan salt (USA / Canada)
35g | 1.23oz white sugar (USA / Canada)Prepare a water bath by bringing about 3cm/1″ of water to a bare simmer over low to medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
Weigh the emulsifying wax, stearic acid, coconut oil, safflower oil, orange wax, and vitamin E into a small, deep mixing bowl that is heat resistant—glass, metal, or ceramic are good choices. Place the mixing bowl in your prepared water bath to melt everything through.
Once everything has melted, remove the mixing bowl from the heat and dry the outside of it off with a dish towel. Weigh our the salt and sugar, and add them to the mixture. Leave it to solidify; I left mine in the fridge for about an hour.
When the base has solidified, use electric beaters or a stand mixture to beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy, like when you’re creaming butter and sugar together at the start of a cookie recipe.
Lightly spoon the whipped scrub into a 250mL/8oz tin. To use, portion out a small amount of scrub into a shower-safe container, and take that container into the shower or bath with you. Massage small amounts of the scrub into damp skin and rinse off (avoid broken skin—salt stings on broken skin!). Enjoy your lovely soft, exfoliated epidermis!
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this scrub does not contain any water, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Be sure to keep it dry to ensure it lasts as long as possible—don’t let any water get into the container and it should easily last a year. If you are not adding a preservative you must portion out the amount you want to use into a small shower-safe container for use so you are never taking the master batch into the bath/shower, where it is very likely to become contaminated with water as you’ll be dipping into it with wet hands. If you plan on giving this scrub away or taking it into the shower/bath with you, please include 1% phenonip (USA | Canada)—phenonip is an oil-soluble broad spectrum preservative, so it will work to protect this 100% oil-based concoction.
Substitutions
- You can use babassu oil instead of coconut oil
- You absolutely cannot use any kind of wax instead of the stearic acid, and I wouldn’t recommend cetyl alcohol, either
- You can substitute another lightweight oil like sweet almond, grapeseed, or sunflower seed for the safflower oil
- If your orange wax is suuuuuper orange (see the photos to see what mine is like, use less (perhaps 2–3g) and replace the missing amount with more safflower oil
- You can use a non-Himalayan medium grain salt or sugar instead of the pink Himalayan salt
Thank you for this wonderful tutorial!
I wonder how it would be if I added some shredded CP soap?
Try it and let me know 🙂
Mmm, I love citrus scented scrubs!! Hey, what are your thoughts on oil based broad spectrum preservatives? I’ve read on a forum that it won’t work effectively because if it’s oil based, it won’t be able to preserve the WATER that’s contaminating the product. Wondering your thoughts!
I’ve read a lot of discussion on this, and it seems fairly hard to find a consensus. When I was in Susan’s class and we were making a scrub I believe she used Optiphen Plus in her scrubs.
I noticed there is no essential oil added in this formulation. Does the orange wax provide the only scent here? thank you!
Until Marie gets back from Manitoba, I’ll answer.
Yes! Orange wax is strong and juicy citrus scented. Soapgoods.com sells it. It’s the only site I know that does in US.
And Amazon!
Yup! Orange wax smells AMAZING 🙂
Hi Marie
I just Made the Summer Margarita Scrub and came out very oily, can be the type of Coconut oil that I used, or because I did not added any Orange wax?
It is pretty oily, that’s just the recipe. Coconut oil is really oily, regardless of type used, which is why I tend to prefer it in wash-off concoctions when used in high concentrations 🙂 (I don’t understand why people like applying it neat to their skin lol)
This should make Penny happy, you know, orange wax 🙂
Not a huge fan of Buffet, but when we moved from a corn field in Michigan, to Savannah Georgia,all up and down River street and in City Market blared Changes In Latitudes…
And it’s true. So we’d sing Cheeseburger In Paradise in the car and my son in the back seat would hit the high repeat notes. Memories.
I’ll make this scrub and remember Good times, thanks Marie!
I bet Marie has a bunch of Hawaiian print shirts.
Oh Christie, you know me well! As soon as I began reading this my brain started running away at how much orange wax is in my fridge and approximately how much orange wax will I need for the next year and can I safely use it to make this as I love that colour yellow. It’s actually my favourite colour. Such a happy colour. But I mean, Marie must have had me on the brain while making this recipe. It’s got orange wax, salt… orange wax, salt. I know!
I was playing around with some stearic acid and cetyl alcohol the other day thinking of adding cetyl alcohol to my scrub to help with the thickness. I know I could probably just google to see if someone has done it, but I’ve spent way too much time at the computer so I’ll play mad scientist!
My orange wax is dark deep orange, almost brown. So it makes a darker product that I love. Used to dislike yellow and oranges but now my eyes adore them. Something about tastes changing every seven years I think.
Do you have annatto seed? If you love yellow, you’ll love annatto. Infuse some in an oil until desired yellow or orange. Holds up beautifully in CP soaps, too.
Do get yourself some if you don’t already! There’s always room for more stuff in the diy cupboards, drawers and cabinets, right?
Silly lady. I just got 200 various size tubes and bottles and pots that I have to find a place for. I think I might be at the point where I can honestly say… I think I might be out of room.
I’ve been looking for annatto seeds but they elude me! I’ve never worked with them before.
My orange wax is orangey brown, but I’ve found mixed with coconut oils I can get that buttery yellow shade, but if I am heavy handed… I get baby poo. What’s this about tastes changing every seven years? I’ve loved yellow forever!
I’m always happy to help inspire some happy Jimmy Buffett memories! 😀
I got a delivery from New Directions today which included 1 kilo of orange wax. I emailed them prior saying I’d happily pay the full price but would they please send me just half of it as I will never use all of this in my lifetime. So I’ve been googling trying to find ways to use this stuff. This scrub is very timely but will hardly make a dent in it. I think I’m going to be making a lot of citrusy things this fall/winter. It is somewhat photo sensitive so I’ll limit it to more indoor items.
I know the feeling, haha, I did the same thing and have a colossal amount of orange wax left from my original purchase of it in 2013. Eeep, haha. Perhaps I should do a soap using it, soap tends to motor through ingredients!
If I am adding the phenonip, when should I add it? I’m going to try adding after the scrub has cooled, but before I whip it. Is that right?
Yup, exactly right!
Hi Marie! I love your recipes and enjoy your videos so much! You’re so fun to watch 🙂
I just made this scrub, and while I loved it, I found that it left a bit of a waxy feeling on my skin after rinsing off (maybe just the kind of e-wax I used)….anyway, I added 4 g of SLSA to your recipe and it’s awesome! Not enough to give any bubbles, but it just rinses off SO nice. Try a powdered surfactant in your next scrub!
AWESOME idea! I love this! I do actually have plans for another emulsified scrub and I think this idea (and credit to you, of course!) may well make an appearance 😀
HOw about carnauba wax instead of orange? I know I won’t get the lovely scent but….
oooh good question, I don’t want to buy orange wax just for this recipe but i do have carnauba wax too
I’ve answered this question above 🙂
That’s a huge no—orange wax is completely liquid and incredibly lightweight. You can see it in a close up ^^. It’s a super thin orange liquid. If you use carnauba wax instead of it you’ll make a solid lump, and it won’t smell like orange.
Hello..I really need your suggestion. I made emulsifying salt scrub,and did not add any preservative as it does not contain any water in it. but after few days it became little thin and there was little liquid formation in a corner of it..I don’t know what is that.is it water or oil??does salt get dissolved in scrub and leave water?? Please do help me..
Honestly, it just sounds like it melted a bit—no need to panic. Feel the liquid—what does it feel like? I’m guessing oil. Oil + salt absolutely cannot ever result in water. If there’s water in there, it was introduced/added.
Ok I must admit I’ve been seriously addicted to your blog for months now. I binge read it daily. I really enjoy it! I have a ton of respect for you and I’m eternally grateful for you sharing all of your knowledge with us. So here’s a great big Thank You! But let me just say after stumbling onto this recipe and reading your profound love of Jimmy Buffet I now see you in a whole different light! I now have mad respect for you and just love you on a whole different level! I too absolutely love Jimmy Buffet! I also seen him live recently. He’s always been a top favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. And you are definitely my favorite DIY Queen! Thank you so much for all you do!
Oh my goodness—another DIY parrot head! YAY! I rarely meet other parrot heads, let alone ones who also love my rather obscure hobby so this is pretty exciting 😀 I sure hope I get to see him alive at least one more time—I’ll almost definitely have to travel for it as I really can’t see him ever coming to Calgary, so I’m thinking I should see him somewhere tropical because it just doesn’t make sense to see him in the midwest haha. Jimmy must have palm trees! Maybe I’ll run into you at a concert someday… I probably won’t be wearing a stuffed cheeseburger on my head, but who knows LOL! Fins up!
Haha oh my gosh my ultimate plan has alway been to see him live on the beach! I’ve been telling my husband that forever. What can I say I’m from Florida and it’s Jimmy Buffet for crying out loud!! So if you’re up to traveling to see him and want palm trees you should plan on Florida and I’d definitely join you. I’ve never know of a younger parrot head like myself! We could concoct island themed goodies and have a blast! Sounds like a business trip for you. Are concert tickets a tax write off lol? A cheeseburger on your head isn’t mandatory. But you can get lost in a sea of Hawaiian print shirts at his concerts! And I seen more tailgating than at any football game. If I see him coming to a Florida beach I’ll for sure let you know!
That would be amazing! A bee/parrot head night out with Jimmy 😀 I think they call us parakeets, which I’m ok with 😛 The concert tickets would probably be pushing it, but if I had a meetup while I was travelling I think the plane tickets would probably qualify LOL! Fingers crossed for some Jimmy-appropriate concert destinations soon… he seems to love Paris, and for as much as I love “He Went to Paris” I really don’t feel like croissants and Jimmy pair particularly well LOL.
Is this scrub for body or face?
Definitely body—never scrub your face with something as aggressive as sugar or salt! When it comes to physical exfoliation for the face something as fine as a soft clay is typically enough 🙂
Hi Marie.
Thank you for this lovely recipe. Please, I’m inquiring if there’s any substitution to Orange wax/butter because I couldn’t find it in Australia thereby I don’t have enough information about it? Besides, Can I use Glyceral Cocoate instead of Potassium Cocoate in a body/face scrub concoctions? Thank you.
Greetings Joumana!
That, is the saddest thing that I’ve heard all day! You can’t find orange wax! It’s an easy swap, check out the HumbleBee&Me encyclopedia on orange wax. As for swapping potassium cocoate for glyceral cocoate (commonly known as PEG 7), I would say yes! Potassium Cocoate is a liquid surfactant, and PEG 7 is more of an emulsifier. I have used a lot of the cleansing balm formulas that request Polysorbate 80 and swapped it for the PEG 7 with great success. Let us know what you end up creating with it!
Hello
Lovely formula!
Can I use Geoguard 221? in its MSDS it states it can be used in ‘anhydrous’ formulas…
Many thanks
Zora
I’m afraid I’ve not worked with that preservative, so you will need to make that determination yourself 🙂 Happy making!