Growing up in the mountains of San Diego makes me miss the smell of resinous and uplifting confers. The scent of sun warmed pine sap, needles, and bark has always reminded me of home and the coming winter months. It fills me with positive emotions, an uplifted mood, boosted energy, and a sense of feeling grounded during this crazy time of year. Isn't it neat that nature offers us the perfect remedy at the perfect time?

Balsam Fir Sugar Scrub for Restoring Energy and Recharging the Mind

Since many of us are in the mood for gift giving, what better gift than bestowing friends and family with the gift of balsam fir?

In case you're wondering why it's such an amazing gift, here are a few benefits of balsam fir essential oil:

• Soothes pain
• It's antiseptic
• It's detoxifying
• It uplifts the mood
• It treats seasonal affective disorder
• It's great for coughs, cold and flu, and sore throat
• It clears the sinuses
• It reduces inflammation
• It combats fatigue
• It soothes sciatica, scoliosis, and lumbago pain
• It stimulates and clarifies the mind

And guess what else? It's usually you're Christmas tree! Doesn't that make you happy in and of itself? Balsam fir is pretty great!

If you're looking for more on conifer essential oils, please read my post on the topic 🙂

Balsam Fir Sugar Scrub Recipe

I wanted to give you all a gift idea that keeps on giving and it's perfect for the men in your life who secretly use your sugar scrubs or even for those woodsy girls you know and love (I'm definitely one of those!).

This scrub has the perfect fluffy texture with just the right amount of nourishing body oil to keep your skin supple all day. I love using it on dry hands and heels to scrub away dead skin and ease aching feet and sore muscles.

The balsam fir essential oil in this scrub warms, soothes, and increases healthy circulation. When used, the shower will be filled with a snapshot of balsam fir forests that stimulates the senses and eases stress, fatigue, and negativity. I love using this scrub in the bath as well for an intense moisturizing experience.

Keep in mind when using this scrub that your shower or bathtub will become slippery. Take a care not to slip when using it and think ahead before giving it to elderly friends and family. We don't want anyone to break anything!

Balsam Fir Sugar Scrub

Here's what you're going to need:

• A wide mouth pint-sized jar
• A scant two cups of sugar (I used organic sugar which is why it's light brown color)
• 30-40 drops balsam fir essential oil
• ⅓ cup of body oil (I used sweet almond, but you can use olive, grapeseed, fractionated coconut, etc.)
• A bowl for mixing

Loving Preparation - Balsam Fir Sugar Scrub

1. Add the sugar to the bowl
2. Next, measure out the body oil of choice and add the essential oils
3. Mix the oil thoroughly and pour it over the sugar
4. Use a spoon to mix the sugar and oil mixture together until thoroughly combined (the scrub will have a fluffy texture and might seem to dry, it isn't, but you can add more body oil if you like)
5. Take a nickel size amount and test it out on your hands over the sink with a small amount of water. If you like the consistency and the aroma, spoon the scrub into the pint-sized jar and cap closed. Be sure to label it!
6. If you feel like the scrub needs more body oil or more essential oil, now it the time! I recommend add 1TB of body oil at a time until you reach your desired consistency. For essential oils, add 5-10 drops at a time. Testing the scrub is the best way to determine if you've reached the desired oiliness and scent you're looking for.

If you use 1TB per shower, you will get 32 uses out of this recipe. In my experience, 1TB of this scrub is enough for my whole body so you can certainly use less or even half the recipe to give as a smaller gift. It's best to use this recipe within a month once any water gets into it otherwise it can last for 2-3 months.

I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what your favorite sugar scrubs are and if you try this one out in the comments below!

For more homemade gift ideas, check out my posts below!

All Natural Bath Bomb Recipe
Blissful Body Oil Recipe
Magnesium Bath Bomb Recipe for Sore Muscles
How to Make Four Thieves Foaming Hand Soap