The Must-Have Sugar Scrubs For Your Body Care Routine
Since Halloween is literally just moments away (generally speaking), I thought it would be a good idea to address sugar use from a far more beneficial angle than consuming it. What I mean by that is — when’s the last time you’ve actually applied either white (its granules are coarser and can be a great exfoliant) or brown (it is gentler and also a pretty potent humectant) sugar to your skin?
If your answer is “never,” I’d really like you to consider doing so. Sugar can add moisture to your skin. Sugar can bring radiance to skin that appears dry and dull. Sugar can make it easier to apply your make-up (because it helps to “smooth out” your skin). Sugar can help to prevent sebum build-up without drying out your skin in the process. The glycolic acid in sugar can even prolong the aging process of your skin.
If all of this sounds like something you’d like to get in on, I’m going to take out a sec to provide eight different ways that sugar can benefit your body — from the outside. I’ve even provided some DIY recipes, so that you can get to using sugar, in this way, as soon as you click off of this article. Let’s do this.
1. Body Scrub
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Imma tell you what — if hearing things like we all lose a whopping 200,000,000 skin cells per hour (PER HOUR) isn’t enough to make you want to change your bedding, like clockwork, on a weekly basis, I don’t know what will! And when it comes to your skin’s health and well-being, specifically, if you don’t want some of those dead cells to clog up some of your pores (which can lead to breakouts), that’s a really good reason to apply a body scrub, also on a weekly basis. Not only do body scrubs exfoliate and “polish” your skin, but they also remove the kind of dead skin build-up that can make it challenging for your skin to absorb moisture (like carrier oils and lotions). Plus, they can make your skin look and feel a lot smoother too.
Just make sure that you apply them to clean and damp skin, that you gently rub the scrub in a circular motion for a couple of minutes, and that you thoroughly rinse the scrub off with warm water, then cool, to close up your pores afterward. That’s how you can get the most out of pretty much any scrub — head to toe.
Try This: Homemade Coffee Sugar Scrub
2. Lip Scrub
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If you’ve ever kissed someone who had chapped or feathering lips (you know, when there are pieces of dead skin on them) before, you know how truly unpleasant that is. Just so you’re not the person someone else is referring to here, make sure to apply a lip scrub to your lips — twice a week should do it. The texture of sugar will help to remove dead skin layers, help to fade any hyperpigmentation that you may have, give your lips a really smooth and sexy feel and, it can even make them appear a bit fuller as well.
Try This: Natural Homemade Lip Scrub
3. Scalp Scrub
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If you didn’t get a chance to check out my article, “10 Things Your Scalp Has BEEN Waiting For You To Do,” please make sure that you do at some point. You know, now that the FDA is seriously considering banning certain relaxers, I can’t say that I’m mad about that. Aside from the cancer risks that come with many hair straighteners, back when I was “detoxing” from texturizers, it took my scalp almost a year to recover (because, yes, the chemicals in them can be just that traumatizing).
Something that helped was scalp exfoliants (and I didn’t do them then nearly as much as I do now). Listen, just like the pores on your face can clog up and cause issues, so can the hair follicles on your scalp (and you have roughly 100,000 of those!). Anyway, if you have an itchy scalp, product build-up on your scalp, dry scalp that could use a moisture boost, dandruff flakes or you simply want to stimulate your hair follicles so that you can get stronger and healthier hair — a homemade sugar scalp scrub can do the trick.
You’ll be amazed by how soothed your scalp feels after giving yourself one (personally, I do a scrub before shampooing my hair on wash days).
Try This: Scalp Scrub and Scalp Clarifier
4. Hair (Conditioner) Scrub
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If you want to make a brown sugar hair scrub or if you want to put a tablespoon of brown sugar into your hair conditioner, I’m not gonna stand in your way. Something else that the granules of sugar can do is move product build-up from your tresses so that your hair ends up looking shinier. And again, since sugar is a humectant (which means that it pulls moisture from the air into your hair and onto your skin and scalp) — it will make your hair conditioner that much more effective.
Try This: Brown Sugar Hair Scrub
5. Facials
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Did you know that glycolic acid literally comes from sugarcane? It’s good for your skin because it removes dead skin cells, helps to reverse sun damage to the skin, evens out hyperpigmentation, and can even soften the appearance of acne scars (over time). In fact, it’s a type of acid that’s good at reducing breakouts overall. That said, because the skin on your face tends to be more fragile, go with brown sugar if you want to do a facial scrub as a part of your at-home spa day. Another approach that you can take is adding some brown sugar to an already-made facial. You’ll get the properties of sugar’s benefits either way.
Try This: Brown Honey Sugar Scrub
6. Hair Removal
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When my waxer was in the process of leaving a company to start her own business, I found a salon that did sugaring. Although I found my waxer to be way more precise when it came to hair removal, what I did like about the sugaring process is (at least for me) that it was less painful, the ingredients were all-natural and it helped permanently remove unwanted body hair a helluva lot faster than wax does. I’m such a fan that I’m currently trying to talk my waxer into adding sugaring to her list of services.
Anyway, if you want to learn more about sugaring and all that it entails, a few years back, someone wrote about her experience for our platform: “I Got A Sugar Wax & The Results Had Me Shook.” Real Simple also addresses a lot of additional questions that you may have here. And yes, I know a few people who do it themselves from home (because again, it’s all-natural). I’m just putting the option out there if you’re currently looking for a hair removal alternative to what you’re currently doing/using.
Try This: Homemade Sugar Wax
7. Cuticle Treatment
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It seems like the older I get, the more my cuticles want to be problematic as all get out. More than anything, they stay dry which can lead to hangnails and raggedy-looking cuticles, in general. I have to admit that although I get pedicures consistently, ever since the pandemic, I haven’t made my hands as much of a priority as they deserve. Whenever I do get professional manicures, though, that helps with the whole cuticle drama. When I’m at home, so does applying cuticle oil (or even a carrier oil like sweet almond or grapeseed) and using some sugar on them. Yep — just like the rest of your body needs dead skin cells removed from it, so do your cuticles. Try it and thank me later.
Try This: Cuticle Oil and Sugar Scrub
8. Foot Scrub/Soak
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I’m not sure why so many of us are programmed to think that manis and pedis are pampering. Personally, I think they are a form of self-maintenance — and no, those are not one and the same (check out “5 Reasons You Should Unapologetically Pamper Yourself”). Self-maintenance is preventative care. Pampering is over-indulgence. That said, doing what will help to keep foot odor and fungus at bay, doing what will remove callouses and keep your feet soft and smooth, doing what will ease stress and reduce muscular discomfort (in your feet) — it’s an act of maintenance and foot scrubs and soaks will do that for you.
All you need is a foot basin, a foot scrub, or soak recipe and about 30-45 minutes. Listen, even though I get a pedicure no less than once a month, sometimes I will still scrub my heels in between appointments with some sugar. I never have any regrets; my feet feel divine every single time.
Try This: A Listerine Vinegar Sugar Scrub
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So, y’all — whether you choose to dress up this Halloween, leave the porch light on for the kiddies or you’re gonna sit this one out, don’t let this month leave without adding some sugar to your beauty care regimen. That’s one way that you’ll never have to worry about sugar being a problem. Pretty much…ever.
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Featured image by mocker_bat/Getty Images
Different puzzle pieces are creating bigger pictures these days. 2024 will mark a milestone on a few different levels, including the release of my third book next June (yay!).
I am also a Professional Certified Coach. My main mission for attaining that particular goal is to use my formal credentials to help people navigate through the sometimes tumultuous waters, both on and offline, when it comes to information about marriage, sex and relationships that is oftentimes misinformation (because "coach" is a word that gets thrown around a lot, oftentimes quite poorly).
I am also still super devoted to helping to bring life into this world as a doula, marriage life coaching will always be my first love (next to writing, of course), a platform that advocates for good Black men is currently in the works and my keystrokes continue to be devoted to HEALTHY over HAPPY in the areas of holistic intimacy, spiritual evolution, purpose manifestation and self-love...because maturity teaches that it's impossible to be happy all of the time when it comes to reaching goals yet healthy is a choice that can be made on a daily basis (amen?).
If you have any PERSONAL QUESTIONS (please do not contact me with any story pitches; that is an *editorial* need), feel free to reach out at missnosipho@gmail.com. A sistah will certainly do what she can. ;)
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
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Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
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Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images