Insanely easy DIY exfoliating scrubs your skin will thank you for

Out of all the awesome to awful things you can make from Pinterest pins (repurposed flower pots made out of old Crocs, anyone?), the DIY face scrub trend is by far one of the best. First, making a homemade exfoliating scrub is so easy-peasy that you are highly unlikely to screw it up — we promise. And second and third, a homemade face scrub is super-affordable, while also being really good for your skin.

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Not only does exfoliating slough away dead skin cells, but it also unclogs the oil and dirt that lives in your pores and causes breakouts. Most store-bought exfoliating products contain harsh chemicals and dozens of questionable ingredients that have unknown benefits — another reason to make your own. As with any other exfoliating treatments, these should be used two to three times a week, not every day. And keep in mind that when trying a new skin-care product (or in this case, recipe), test it out before you go to bed. That way, if you have an adverse reaction, you can give your skin time to recover while you sleep.

To keep things cheap and easy (and totally pinnable), we've put together four of our favorite natural exfoliators you can make at home.

1. Basic baking soda scrub

The range of what baking soda can do just seems to be getting wider and wider. It can freshen the air, remove stains, clean showers and sinks and trigger explosions in science fair volcanoes. Oh, yes, we can use it to bake too. But there is one more non-food-related use to add to baking soda’s resume: face exfoliant. The grains in baking soda are just the right size to act as a gentle exfoliant, and many claim that it has helped clear up acne.

Ingredients:

• Baking soda
• Facial cleanser
• Water

Directions:

1. Mix baking soda with your facial cleanser to make it an exfoliating cleanser. (You can also make a paste of just baking soda and water.)
2. Gently rub it onto your skin and leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing off.

Next Up: Nourishing sugar scrub