Lockdown boredom has truly set in. Week two and I'm finally resigned to making a start on all those household jobs I've been putting off for the past two years. No excuses not to get them done now eh!  

The kitchen cupboards desperately needed clearing, which was not only cathartic, but actually quite useful in terms of seeing what food I have in the house. So many packets of red lentils, risotto rice and flaxseeds hidden behind tins of butter beans and sweetcorn.

I also found a few out of date packets and put them to one side. A bag of muscavado sugar which had not been opened, a packet of sunflower seeds I bought on a retreat in Croatia two years ago, a jar of cacao nibs, a box of quinoa .. how middle-class do my kitchen cupboards sound!!!  

Anyway, since I won't be eating them, I figured I'd try the next best thing .. slathering them on my skin. I raided the cupboards a little more, dug out a jar of coconut oil and my essential oils set and created these delicious body scrubs. 

I've made each recipe using melted coconut oil, but you can use any of the following carrier oils, depending upon your skin type;

• Hemp Seed
• Argan
• Jojoba
• Apricot Kernel
• Avocado
• Olive

In terms of essential oils, each oil offers different properties and benefits, so it's important to choose one that rights for you. My person favourites are frankincense, ylang ylang and geranium - but you might have your own preference. If you don't have any in the house, Amazon usually have plenty. Essential oils are not totally necessary to make these recipes, but they do add a delicious scent and extra beneficial properties.

The Invigorator

Perfect for use on the skin and for treating scalp psoriasis, the nutrients in rosemary can help protect our skin cells from damage caused by the sun and free radicals. Since rosemary has natural antiseptic properties, it's a fantastic disinfectant for our skin and hair. In fact, this natural herb is known to promote a healthy, moisturised scalp and has even been said to reverse premature greying.

NOTE: If you struggle with cuts or open skin, this one might sting. 

• 100g Sea Salt (use dead sea or epsom salts for max benefit)
• 10g Rose Petals
• 1 tsp Dry Rosemary 
• Juice of 1/2 Fresh Lemon
• 100ml Coconut Oil (melted) 
• 5-10 drops of essential oil 

Add the dry ingredients to a nutribullet or ninja cup. This is essential to blend everything extra fine. An electric coffee grinder would work too. Blitz together until fine

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl a bit at a time, pour in the coconut oil and some fresh lemon juice and stir well. Keep adding dry mix then oil until you achieve the desired consistency. Now add 5-10 drops of your favourite essential oil. Give it a stir and spoon it into a clean jar

Store out of direct sunlight and use within a fortnight

Bright Sunflower Flax

This soft and gentle scrub is perfect for use on the face or on babies bottoms! Flaxseeds can control the production of sebum which often leads to acne. It also helps to strengthen hair and prevents breakage. Calendula meanwhile has anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties that might make it useful in healing wounds, soothing eczema, and relieving nappy rash. It's also used as a natural antiseptic.

• 75g Flax Seeds
• 75g Sunflower Seeds
• 10g Calendula Petals
• 100ml Coconut Oil (melted) 
• 5-10 drops of essential oil 

Add the dry ingredients to a nutribullet or ninja cup. This is essential to blend everything extra fine. An electric coffee grinder would work too. Blitz together until fine

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl a bit at a time, pour in the coconut oil and stir well. Keep adding dry mix then oil until you achieve the desired consistency. Now add 5-10 drops of your favourite essential oil. Give it a stir and spoon it into a clean jar

Store out of direct sunlight and use within a fortnight

Quinoa & Cacao Nibs

If you're struggling with dark scarring or age spots, this is the scrub for you. Vitamin B found in quinoa may help to reduce the dark melanin deposits that lead to age spots and other skin pigment-related conditions. According to a 2015 study, quinoa contains tyrosinase inhibitors, which are enzymes that decrease pigmentation therefore brightening the skin. Cacao is another super skin ingredient. The high levels of antioxidants in cacao nibs protect and repair the skin from environmental damage and premature ageing.

• 100g Quinoa
• 5g Cacao Nibs
• 50g Muscavado Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 100ml Coconut Oil (melted) 
• 5-10 drops of essential oil 

Add the dry ingredients to a nutribullet or ninja cup. This is essential to blend everything extra fine. An electric coffee grinder would work too. Blitz together until fine

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl a bit at a time, pour in the coconut oil and stir well. Keep adding dry mix then oil until you achieve the desired consistency. Now add 5-10 drops of your favourite essential oil. Give it a stir and spoon it into a clean jar

Store out of direct sunlight and use within a fortnight

Sugar and Oat Soak

If you struggle with sore skin that craves something extra soothing, this is the recipe for you. Perfect for eczema, psoriasis and rosacea, oats act as a soft & gentle cleanser. They also contain compounds called saponins, which naturally remove the dirt and oil that clog the pores and they gently exfoliate the skin.

• 100g Sugar
• 75g Rolled Oats
• 10g Rose petals
• 100ml Coconut Oil (melted) 
• 5-10 drops of essential oil 

Add the dry ingredients to a nutribullet or ninja cup. This is essential to blend everything extra fine. An electric coffee grinder would work too. Blitz together until fine

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl a bit at a time, pour in the coconut oil and stir well. Keep adding dry mix then oil until you achieve the desired consistency. Now add 5-10 drops of your favourite essential oil. Give it a stir and spoon it into a clean jar

Store out of direct sunlight and use within a fortnight