How to use a sugar body scrub in a small rented bathroom

A sugar scrub is oil and sugar crystals, and it works best with a little method. Here is the order that keeps the tub from going slick and the jar from going bad.

What is in the jar

A sugar scrub is sugar crystals held in oil, usually coconut oil with some fragrance. Sugar dissolves in water, which is why it counts as a gentler grit than salt or ground shells, and why it rinses out of a rented tub without much trouble. The oil is the part to plan around. It makes enamel slippery, so set a cotton towel on the floor outside the tub and keep the jar on a stool or shelf where the spray cannot reach it.

The steps

1. Wash as usual first. A scrub is not a cleanser, and it does its job on skin that is already damp and warm.
2. Step out of the stream or turn the water off. Running water melts the sugar before it has done anything.
3. Take about a tablespoon with a dry spoon or dry fingers. Water in the jar is what spoils it, and a spoon keeps it out.
4. Work in slow circles with light pressure on the arms, legs, elbows and heels. The crystals do the work, so pressing harder adds nothing.
5. Leave out your face, and leave out skin that is freshly shaved, sunburned or broken.
6. Rinse for longer than seems necessary, then rinse the tub floor with warm water, because the oil leaves a film.
7. Pat dry with the towel and wipe the jar rim before the lid goes back on.

How often, and what is only taste

Body exfoliation is commonly kept to once or twice a week. Stop if anything stings. At a tablespoon a time, an 18 ounce tub lasts for months, so there is no reason to scoop more.

The scent is a matter of taste, not measurement. Coconut with pineapple reads as a holiday to some people and as sunscreen to others. If the smell is not for you, an unscented sugar and oil mix works the same way.