The Best Lemon and Rosemary Hand Scrub

Working on the farm or doing renovations inside the farmhouse means my hands get very grubby. Recently, Gavin pruned our rosemary bushes and never one to let something go to waste I decided to use it to make a scrub. After much Googling I found a Lemon and Rosemary Hand Scrub recipe to clean and nourish my hands. It works so well I thought I’d share it with you. My version uses no added perfumes or essential oils. It’s simply items you have in the pantry or garden.

I could have, of course, stuck to the traditional liquid soap I have beside the sink but I wanted to give this natural alternative a try. It uses up my extra herbs, has no chemicals in the ingredients and is easily made. Honestly? I couldn’t be happier with the results. This scrub is great for getting rid of dirt and grime. I usually wear gloves to work outside but my hands still feel gross after, so this scrub is perfect.

Give it a try! You will love how clean your hands feel afterwards.

The Benefits of Using Lemon and Rosemary Hand Scrub

I love the scent of both lemon and rosemary so this Lemon and Rosemary Hand Scrub is a winner in my book. When you begin to scrub the scent is released. It makes my hands smell very fresh and clean.

Not only that but each of the ingredients has a unique way to improve the health and look of your hands. 

Sugar is an exfoliate. (I’m thinking I might try this scrub on my legs in the shower!) It helps remove stains and rough skin so is perfect as the base for this scrub. 

Olive oil is a wonderful moisturiser. In fact, I often use it on my face. It also relieves itchy skin and fights ageing making our skin look younger and plumper.  Lemon, both the zest and juice, have energising aromatherapy benefits while scrubbing. Plus, lemon cleanses, brightens, removes dead skin and promotes new skin growth. The last ingredient is rosemary. Here you get aromatherapy benefits as you scrub but rosemary also has disinfectant and antibiotic properties. (Not to mention the smell. I LOVE the smell of rosemary!)

The Ingredients

There are a number of ways and variations on ingredients to make this scrub. This one is the one I use.

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 sprigs Rosemary

What to Do

Empty the sugar into a bowl

Grate the lemon rind on top of the sugar. I use both the course side of the grater and the medium side. The amount you add is up to you but I used the entire zest. The smell is wonderful.

Remove the leaves from the stalks of rosemary and chop them roughly.

Add the oil, lemon juice and rosemary to the bowl and mix all the ingredients until the sugar is well coated with oil and juice. It should remain in granules.

Now put the scrub into a pretty screw top jar and sit it next to your sink. I’ve put a spoon next to ours so that dirty fingers are not scooping out. The scrub should last for a few months, but I can’t attest to this as I’m onto my second jar already.