Cinnamon scrub- A homemade skincare miracle!

by Wasifa Ahmad HasanJanuary 12, 2013

January 12, 2013

Hello readers! The article’s name above may sound a little unorthodox, but bear with me! Today’s DIY hack is for those who are looking for a budget friendly solution to make a face or body scrub, with cinnamon. Why would you make a cinnamon scrub? Read below to find out!

CINNAMON AND OUR BODY:

Cinnamon, known for its distinct aroma, is a spice that is not only useful for cooking but also remarkable for health benefits.

Here are some of the benefits of cinnamon on our health:

Increases the blood flow
Has anti-microbial property
Lowers cholesterol
Increases collagen production
It’s a great anti-oxidant.

Researchers have found that, cinnamon increases the production of collagen on skin. You will not get miraculous result overnight, but regular intake of cinnamon specially topicalusage(using directly on the skin) shows improvement in skin quality.

Many well known companies are making & marketing cinnamon scrubs and facial creams. The main ingredient of these products is lying on your kitchen counters, Cinnamon.

Knowing all the good properties of Cinnamon, I got curious. What if I could use this in my skin care ritual? and voila! I discovered something amazing, Cinnamon Scrub.

I like Cinnamon scrub as a weekly home-made organic scrub. Many people use Sugar for scrubbing their face. But I have always found it too harsh. After all, I am using it on my face, not on my floor! I need my scrubs to be suited for my skin.

WHAT WILL IT DO:

Gets rid of flaky skin.
Gets rid of blackhead/whiteheads.
It can be used as a lip-exfoliator!
Gets rid of acne.
It can also be used as a body scrub for glowing and smoother skin.

What will you need for Cinnamon Scrub:

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Oatmeal (or Flour if you don’t have oatmeal)

Cinnamon powder.
(If you don’t have powdered cinnamon, then just take some cinnamon sticks and grind into fine powder with your blender or food processor.)
Warm water

Procedure:

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1.

Take 1 teaspoon of oatmeal or flour. I am using flour.

2.

Take 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder. For the first-timers, use half a teaspoon of Cinnamon.

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3.

Mix these 2 ingredients with warm water. Mix well.

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4.

You don’t want the mixture to be runny. It should be thick so that when you apply it to your face it does not drip.

(If it has become runny, then add more flour, butnot cinnamon. )

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5.

Apply this scrub gently with your fingertips in a circular motion. Scrub from inside to the outside of your face & neck.

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6.

Scrub for 30 sec to 1 minute, around your nose and chin, and then wash with cold water.
If you are using this scrub for your body, then mix some body wash into the scrub. If you are using a soap bar, then just use the soap 1^st, then take the scrub mixture and massage it on your body.

Read more about exfoliation on:How to Exfoliate: A Doctor’s Insights

Caution: What should you know before using Cinnamon Scrub:

Cinnamon causes a tingling sensation when applied on the skin. So when you are using this scrub for 1^st time, take a small amount of the mixture in your fingertips, dilute it with water and gently apply on the face. When you get accustomed with the sensation, take more mixture and scrub as usual.

If the tingling sensation is bothering you too much, don’t panic! Just wash your face with clean water and the tingling will be gone.

If you use too much cinnamon in the scrub mixture, it will cause more tingling. The very first time I used it, it felt like my skin is burning. That’s because Ididn’tmeasure the cinnamon and kind of “poured” it onto the bowl. So that’s why it is important to measure the ingredients while making the scrub. Take 1/4 tsp if your skin is sensitive.

Avoid using near the eye area and on any active acne area.

The skin will look a little red after using this. That’s because cinnamon increases the blood flow, and the scrubbing+massaging skin will also increase blood flow. This will minimize after 10-15 minutes. If it’s too red or pink, just splash cold water.

Here are the pictures to prove the result.

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Immediately after using the scrub. Can you see the redness?

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After 10 minutes, redness is diminished.

UPDATE:

This is updated in 2021 and I do not use this scrub anymore for my face. I only use this scrub for my elbow or knees or any other tough parts of my body. It takes off the dead cells and leaves skin silky smooth.
There are many affordable and gentle physical face scrubs available, that are not as harsh as a cinnamon scrub. Some recommendations are shown below:

Comment below or let me know if you have any question regarding my Cinnamon Scrub recipe.

To see how to do an at-home facial, have a look at my previous article.