How to Use Fresh Strawberries as an Eco-Friendly Face and Body Exfoliate

Containing loads of antioxidants, rich in folic acid and Vitamins A, B, K and C, strawberries are not only a nutritious summer fruit, but an esthetically useful one as well. With just a few easy to find ingredients, strawberries can replace expensive, chemical-laden body scrubs. This quick and easy exfoliate can be used from head to toe, is cheap, eco-friendly and smells...well, downright delicious.

Things You'll Need:

* 10-12 fresh strawberries
* 2.5 tablespoons of extra light olive oil
* 1.5 tablespoons of salt (sea salt or coarse salt is best)
* bowl to mix and mash ingredients
* small container to hold your exfoliate (optional)
* large pestle and mortar OR fork OR small holed potato masher

Instructions :

1. Wash the strawberries thoroughly and pat dry.
2. If you'd prefer an "all red" exfoliate, remove the leaves and stems from the berries. Leaving the leaves on is another option to add color and textural variation.
3. Place your strawberries into the mixing bowl and mash them completely into pulp. A pestle and mortar works best for this, but a fork or potato masher can be used as well.
4. Stir in the olive oil until the mixture is uniform.
5. Add the sea salts (or coarse salt) and mix together evenly.
6. You've now got a great -all natural and eco-friendly!- exfoliate that you can use as a face, hand, foot or full body scrub.
   

Tips & Warnings

• Use the exfoliate within a couple of days, preferably right away for full benefits.
• There are a huge variety of sea salts available. Experiment with different aromas and grains to further personalize your exfoliate.
• If you've ever experienced an allergy to fruit or strawberries in particular, or if you have extremely sensitive skin, do a skin test on a small area before applying to the face or body.
  

-Anne Edwards