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This whipped foaming sugar soap is a rich and luxurious body scrub. A cross between a silky bath butter and a classic sugar scrub, this recipe will exfoliate, cleanse, and moisturize. Try three different colors and scent options!
Sugar scrubs are some of the most beginner-friendly, fun recipes on my blog!
I love making whipped lavender sugar scrub, sugar scrub bars, and lemon hand scrub regularly, and I often gift them to friends and family.
But I was recently introduced to whipped foaming sugar soap, and I think I love it even more.
Foaming sugar soap scrub combines the best parts of classic homemade sugar scrub and DIY whipped soap for an incredibly unique body scrub.
The result is a gentle exfoliant that cleanses the skin with a silky-smooth, foaming lather that is just wonderful to use.
I made three different colors and scent options, and the possibilities for more are endless! This is such a simple, fun recipe that makes a great homemade gift and a must-have body care product.
Why You’ll Love It
- Foaming sugar soap is such a delight to use. It has a silky lather, fun foaming action, and it’s beautifully nourishing to the skin. With a bright and cheery color and a lovely scent, what’s not to love?!
- This foaming sugar scrub is all-natural and very affordable compared to anything you can buy at the store! DIY is always an excellent way to save money on natural products (read 21 products I stopped buying and started making instead for more ideas!).
- This sugar scrub makes a lovely homemade gift! Put it in a cute jar and attach a label to it, and you have a thoughtful, homemade gift that your friends and family will love using.
- One of the great things about making your own skincare is you get complete control over what’s in it! For this recipe, you can choose your oil, colors, and fragrance to make a truly one-of-a-kind product.
Materials Needed
- Soap base: I used Crystal OPC Foaming Bath Butter Base. It keeps this recipe simple to make and creates the most luxurious lather and wonderful foaming action in the sugar soap!
- Grapeseed oil: I chose grapeseed oil for this recipe because it is lightweight yet moisturizing and extremely beneficial for the skin. You can use another liquid carrier oil.
- Mica powder: This is a natural colorant to give your soap a pop of color (otherwise, it’ll be a white/off-white color). Make sure to do your research and choose a good brand for your mica, as many mica powders are unethically sourced. I use Mad Micas.
- Essential oils: For a wonderful, soothing, natural fragrance. I have scent recommendations in the recipe, but you are welcome to use your favorite essential oils or keep them unscented.
Find the full recipe with instructions and measurements at the bottom of this post!
How to Make Whipped Foaming Sugar Soap
Step 1. Scoop the soap base into the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand.
Step 2. Mix with the paddle attachment or hand mixer until the base starts to lighten and fluff up.
Step 3. Add your grapeseed oil and sugar, then continue to whip for about 3–4 minutes, or until well combined and the mixture is fluffy and smooth.
Step 4. Divide the whipped base evenly into 3 separate bowls.
Step 5. To each bowl, add the corresponding mica powder and essential oil. Start with ⅛ tsp mica and add more, a tiny pinch at a time, until you reach your desired color depth. Mix each portion well by hand or with a spatula until the color and scent are fully incorporated.
Step 6. Transfer to individual airtight containers.
Step 7. Allow to set at room temperature for 24 hours before sealing lids.
How to Use Foaming Sugar Scrub
You can use your foaming sugar scrub at the sink or in the shower. Sugar soap is great for your arms, legs, chest, back, feet, and hands.
Here’s how to use it:
- Wet your skin with warm water.
- Scoop a small amount of sugar soap out of the jar and spread it over your skin.
- Massage it into the skin with circular motions. The soap will foam and lather as you rub it in.
- Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
Expert Tips
- Essential oils are used at approximately 1% of total batch weight here, which is within the safe wash-off product range. Do not exceed 3% total essential oil in any wash-off product.
- Always verify that your chosen essential oils are safe for skin use before adding them to any product, especially if you have sensitivities or allergies.
- Mica powders are skin-safe and mix smoothly into this base — start with less than you think you need, as the color deepens as it sets. I use Mad Micas as they use ethically sourced mica powders.
- I used wheat straw double-wall jars from Bulk Apothecary for packaging, infused with 30% straw. They have a beautiful natural tan/earthy look that’s perfect for gifting and are a great eco-friendly option.
- Store finished jars in a cool, dry place away from direct heat.
Recipe FAQs
While both use sugar to offer gentle exfoliation, they are different products. Regular sugar scrub focuses entirely on exfoliation, while foaming sugar soap has a soap base that creates a silky lather and removes dirt, sweat, and grime build-up as it exfoliates.
Not necessarily! While I do recommend moisturizing after using a regular homemade sugar scrub, this whipped foaming sugar soap is made with hydrating soap base and grapeseed oil to nourish your skin as you use it. That said, if you notice dryness or sensitivity after using it, some lotion or body butter is always a good idea.
It’s best to limit exfoliating products to 2-3 times a week. If you notice any skin irritation when using it, cut back the frequency and apply a nice body lotion after use (I really like homemade tallow lotion or DIY mango body butter).
Nope! I chose mica powder because it is a natural option for coloring skincare products. You are welcome to use any skin-safe cosmetic colorant or skip it altogether and leave your soap its natural white color.
Related Recipes
- Simple Dead Sea Salt Scrub Recipe
- Green Tea Matcha Scrub
- Homemade Shower Gel
- Homemade Coffee Scrub
- Homemade Natural Body Wash
If you tried these Whipped Foaming Sugar Soaps or any other tutorial on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
DIY Whipped Foaming Sugar Soap
Equipment
- Stand mixer optional – you can whip by hand
- 4 oz storage jars see notes*
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 454 g (16 oz / 1 lb) Crystal OPC Foaming Bath Butter Base
- 20 g (0.7 oz) grapeseed oil (0.7 oz per lb of base)
- 70 g (2.5 oz) fine white sugar (sugar is optional but helps with scrubbing texture; reduce or omit entirely if preferred)
Color 1 — Lavender
Color 2 — Pink/Rose
- ⅛ tsp pink or rose mica powder
- 5 g (0.17 oz) rose geranium or ylang ylang essential oil
Color 3 — Rosemary Green
- ⅛ tsp green mica powder
- 5 g (0.17 oz) rosemary
Instructions
- Scoop the soap base into the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand.
- Mix with the paddle attachment or hand mixer until the base starts to lighten and fluff up.
- Add your grapeseed oil and sugar, then continue to whip for about 3–4 minutes, or until well combined and the mixture is fluffy and smooth.
- Divide the whipped base evenly into 3 separate bowls.
- To each bowl, add the corresponding mica powder and essential oil. Start with ⅛ tsp mica and add more a tiny pinch at a time until you reach your desired color depth. Mix each portion well by hand or with a spatula until the color and scent are fully incorporated.
- Transfer to individual airtight containers.
- Allow to set at room temperature for 24 hours before sealing lids.
Video
Notes
- Essential oils are used at approximately 1% of total batch weight here, which is within the safe wash-off product range. Do not exceed 3% total essential oil in any wash-off product.
- Always verify that your chosen essential oils are safe for skin use before adding them to any product, especially if you have sensitivities or allergies.
- Mica powders are skin-safe and mix smoothly into this base — start with less than you think you need, as the color deepens as it sets. I use Mad Micas as they use ethically sourced mica powders.
- *I used wheat straw double-wall jars from Bulk Apothecary for packaging, infused with 30% straw. They have a beautiful natural tan/earthy look that’s perfect for gifting and are a great eco-friendly option.
- Store finished jars in a cool, dry place away from direct heat.
Why do you say yo leave these uncovered for 24 hours before sealing? Is this necessary if you do not use mica??
Hi Patty! The 24-hour rest lets the soap firm up and any residual moisture evaporate before sealing, so the whipped texture holds and no condensation forms inside the container. It’s not related to the mica, so the rest is important either way.
So do you have a mixer that you use specifically for body care projects. Because some recipes are made with completely food safe ingredients and I would be willing to use my normal mixer for but something like this I don’t necessarily want to use my mixer for or do you just wash it really well afterwards?
Hi Ashley! I do keep a dedicated set of beaters and bowls for body care projects, especially anything with beeswax, clay, or mica (mica in particular can stain). If you’re only doing body care occasionally, a thorough wash with hot soapy water afterward works fine since the ingredients themselves are all skin-safe. A cheap hand mixer just for body care can be found for under $20 on Amazon if you’d rather keep one dedicated.
I would LOVE to make this, however, all of the foaming soap bases including the one you link to have several undesirable ingredients that I do NOT want on my body. Skin is the largest area of the body, and things put ON it DO soak INTO the body. Either propylene glycol (anti-freeze) or tetrasodium etidronate (organ system toxicity) or SLS (bad for the environment)
Also, The TE is from formaldehyde…..again, not something I want on my skin or in my body.
I even purchased the micas, before reading the ingredients for the soap bases. So sad.
Is there ANY other replacement for this soap base…?
Hi Carol! I hear you — the foaming bath butter bases do contain surfactants and preservatives that not everyone is comfortable with. Unfortunately, there isn’t a truly clean drop-in replacement, since the fluffy foaming texture comes specifically from those surfactants. If you’d like something similar in spirit, I’d point you to my whipped lavender sugar scrub or my homemade sugar scrub — both are made with just coconut oil, sugar, and essential oils, with no soap base at all. You can still put your micas to good use in those!
You mention in the blog post that this product is all natural – but it contains a non-natural surfactant and preservative in the base.
These are going to make perfect gifts!
Yes, they will love them!