Sugar & Salt Scrub Calculator
Work out a sugar or salt scrub by weight: the standard 2:1 exfoliant to oil ratio, adjustable texture, essential oil per jar and cost per jar.
Weigh one filled jar. The weight won't match the fl oz on the jar's label.
Use the skin-safe rate your supplier gives for rinse-off products. The calculator splits it per jar.
Optional. Enter what you pay per pound for each ingredient.
Your recipe
- White sugar2 parts21.33 oz5.33 oz
- Carrier oil1 part10.67 oz2.67 oz
- Total batch32.00 oz4 jars
The 2:1 scrub ratio
A sugar or salt scrub is two ingredients: an exfoliant and a carrier oil. The standard is 2 parts sugar or salt to 1 part oil by weight.
Sugar or salt = batch weight × 2/3
Oil = batch weight × 1/3
Example: 12 oz batch = 8 oz sugar + 4 oz oil
| Batch or jar | Sugar or salt | Oil |
|---|---|---|
| 4 oz | 2.67 oz | 1.33 oz |
| 8 oz | 5.33 oz | 2.67 oz |
| 16 oz | 10.67 oz | 5.33 oz |
| 300 g | 200 g | 100 g |
Measure by weight rather than by the cup. Sugar, salt and oil all weigh different amounts per cup, and coarse salt packs differently from fine, so a recipe written in cups changes with every bag.
Adjusting the texture
More oil gives a softer, more moisturizing scrub that leaves more oil on the skin. Less oil gives a grittier, drier scrub with more scrubbing action. Here is how a 12 oz batch changes across the slider:
| Ratio | Sugar or salt | Oil | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 : 1 | 7.2 oz | 4.8 oz | Softer, more moisturizing |
| 2 : 1 | 8 oz | 4 oz | Standard |
| 2.5 : 1 | 8.57 oz | 3.43 oz | Grittier |
| 3 : 1 | 9 oz | 3 oz | Grittiest, driest |
Oil settles in a scrub that sits for a while, whatever the ratio. Stir the batch before filling each jar, and tell customers to stir before use.
Sugar vs salt
Both work at the same 2:1 ratio. The difference is on the skin: salt is more abrasive than sugar. Keep salt scrubs off the face and off freshly shaved skin. Fine salt is gentler than coarse salt, so choose the grain for where the scrub will be used.
White and brown sugar both work. The calculator treats every exfoliant the same way by weight; the choice only changes the notes and the name on your recipe.
Choosing an oil
Any carrier oil that stays liquid at room temperature works. Sweet almond, jojoba, grapeseed, sunflower and fractionated coconut oil are common choices. Regular coconut oil is solid in a cool room, so a scrub made with it firms up in the jar and softens again when it warms.
Rinse-clean scrubs: adding an emulsifier
A plain sugar and oil scrub leaves a film of oil on the skin and on the shower floor. An emulsifier lets that oil mix with water and rinse away, so the scrub leaves less residue and the floor is less slippery. Emulsifying wax and polysorbate 80 are common choices. Use it at the rate your supplier gives. It's optional, and a plain 2:1 scrub works without it.
Do scrubs need a preservative?
Not as made. Sugar or salt and oil contain no water, which makes the scrub anhydrous, and bacteria and mold need water to grow.
Water getting in changes that, for example from wet fingers scooping from the jar in the shower. Adding any water-based ingredient, such as aloe or a hydrosol, does the same. If either is likely, add a broad-spectrum preservative at the rate your supplier gives, and suggest customers use a dry spoon.
How to scale a batch
Work from your jars. On the By Jars tab, enter how many jars and what one filled jar weighs. Weigh a filled jar rather than going by its label: jars are sold by fluid ounces, and a scrub's weight won't match that figure. The price fields cover the exfoliant and the oil; the candle pricing calculator covers turning a unit cost into a retail price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ratio of sugar to oil in a sugar scrub?
2 parts sugar to 1 part carrier oil by weight is the standard. For a 12 oz batch that is 8 oz of sugar and 4 oz of oil. Add more oil for a softer, more moisturizing scrub, or less for a grittier one.
What is the ratio for a salt scrub?
The same 2 parts salt to 1 part oil by weight. Salt is more abrasive than sugar, so keep salt scrubs off the face and off freshly shaved skin.
Why is my sugar scrub too oily?
There is more oil than the sugar can hold. Move toward 2:1 or a little past it, for example 2.5 parts sugar to 1 part oil. Some oil will still rise to the top of a jar that sits for a while, so stir before use.
Can I use a salt scrub on my face?
No. Salt is more abrasive than sugar, so keep salt scrubs for the body, and off freshly shaved skin as well.
Does a sugar scrub need a preservative?
Not as made. Sugar or salt and oil contain no water, so there is nothing for bacteria or mold to grow in. Water getting into the jar changes that, whether from a water-based ingredient or from wet fingers in the shower. If either is likely, add a broad-spectrum preservative at the rate your supplier gives.
How much essential oil goes in a sugar scrub?
Use the skin-safe rate your supplier gives for rinse-off products, taken from the oil's IFRA certificate, since the limit differs from one oil to the next. Enter the total drops for the batch in the calculator and it splits them per jar.