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You are here: Home / Gardening / DIY Lemon and Rosemary Gardener’s Hand Scrub

DIY Lemon and Rosemary Gardener’s Hand Scrub

June 12, 2018 by Jody 33 Comments

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This DIY Lemon and Rosemary Gardener’s Hand Scrub recipe is perfect for getting all of the dirt from gardening off your hands!

DIY lemon and rosemary gardener's hand scrub recipe made with fresh rosemary and real lemon and stored in a mason jar

When I get outdoors and garden, I want to garden. By that I mean really digging my hands into that amazing smelling dark soil. No gloves, just me, my spade, and some dirt. I know, I’m weird, right?  That comes from only speaking to little people all day long.  However, if you are like me you know what that means… dirt-stained hands.  So I keep a jar of this Lemon & Rosemary Gardener’s Hand Scrub at the sink to help when liquid soap just won’t quite do the job.

To begin with, the Lemon and Rosemary Gardener’s Hand Scrub smells fabulous, second only to my fresh turned earth.  And each ingredient does its own thing to improve your hands.  Sugar is a fabulous exfoliate and helps remove stains and rough skin.  Olive oil is great for moisturizing, relieving itchy skin, and fights aging- making skin look young and supple.  Lemon zest and juice- first you get the energizing aromatherapy benefits while scrubbing and lemon cleanses, brightens, removes dead skin and promotes new skin growth. Finally, Rosemary. Again you are getting wonderful aromatherapy as you scrub while it increases blood flow to the skin and it also has disinfectant and antibiotic properties.

Lemon and Rosemary Gardener’s Hand Scrub Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup granulated Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 sprigs Rosemary

 Ingredients for Lemon & Rosemary Gardener's Hand Scrub

Directions:

Pour sugar into a medium-sized bowl, grate the zest of lemon into sugar.

Frugal, Homemade Lemon & Rosemary Gardener's Hand Scrub

Pull the rosemary leaves off the stem, rip or chop them into smaller pieces. I normally do them much smaller, as you can see I had little hands “helping” me with the process. One of my favorite things? This rosemary is picked fresh right out of my garden.

DIY Lemon & Rosemary Gardener's Hand Scrub

Stir in sugar, olive oil, and lemon juice until all ingredients are well combined. Scoop mixture into a jar with a wide opening so your hands will fit in.  Store your gardener’s hand scrub in a lidded container next to your sink.

Hubby likes to use this on his hands too when he comes in from working on cars or other manly things and the grease is more than the dish soap can handle.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

More DIY Recipes:

  • How to Make Sugar Scrubs for Face, Feet, and Body
  • How to Make Your Own Facial Cleansers and Masks
  • How to Make Your Own Body Lotion
  • How to Make Your Own Body Wash
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Comments

  1. Tricia Kenny says

    November 25, 2021 at 3:38 am

    How long will it last unrefrigerated?

    Reply
  2. Michelle says

    July 27, 2021 at 4:39 pm

    I am finding the oil, lemon and rosemary are separating from the sugar. Have you had this issue?

    Reply
    • Alea Milham says

      July 29, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      No, I haven’t this issue. However, if it is warm enough there could be some separation. If this happens, just stir it before using.

      Reply
  3. Linda says

    August 10, 2018 at 12:21 pm

    What would you use to grow pole beans on. Also my tomatoes are falling over with the cages. Can you make a scrub with out lemon. Everything from garden

    Reply
  4. Ella says

    January 7, 2018 at 11:31 am

    My friends and I go to the nail salon and they have a scrub similar to this, but this one doesn’t have the yucky chemicals!! We will definitely be trying this on one of our girls days! Does coconut oil give the same moisturizing effects? And how would the texture change?

    Reply
  5. Gloria says

    May 7, 2017 at 5:33 pm

    I made this for the nurses I work with for Nurses Week. As much as they wash their hands the moisturing properties will be thoroughly enjoyed as much as the fresh smell. I used coconut oil and it is very nice.

    Reply
  6. Candace Bishop says

    December 9, 2016 at 10:55 am

    Do you notice any stinging from the lemon juice if you have cuts on your hand?

    Reply
  7. Debbie says

    January 28, 2016 at 1:53 pm

    What vitamin do you add?

    Reply
    • Jody says

      March 9, 2016 at 12:54 pm

      Debbie I use a Vitamin E capsule!

      Reply
  8. Donna Mack says

    December 24, 2015 at 2:44 pm

    I LOVE this! I needed a quick gift, and luckily this is the first year our tree produced lemons. In Las Vegas, rosemary grows very well, so I can happily give an organic gift that is a fabulous product – better than store bought!! I also added coconut oil too.

    Reply
    • Luc says

      January 15, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      I was going to suggest coconut oil, works even better than olive oil

      Reply
  9. Smith says

    June 23, 2015 at 11:16 am

    Is this effective for cleaning even though there is no soap in it? Can you explain to me how? This looks great!

    Reply
    • Jody says

      March 9, 2016 at 12:55 pm

      Lemon and rosemary both have cleansing properties, if you feel like it needs more you can add a bit of castile soap to the mix.

      Reply
  10. Annie says

    October 24, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    How long would this last w/ o spoiling? Thinking of a gift for my son who works on cars?

    Reply
  11. Karen P says

    June 2, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    Can it be used as a facial scrub?

    Reply
    • Jody says

      June 2, 2014 at 3:13 pm

      Yes I believe it can, I would add a little more oil and a little less sugar, then apply gentle pressure. maybe try a small area at first. The skin on our face is much more sensitive than our body.

      Reply
  12. Christina says

    June 2, 2014 at 1:46 pm

    Wonderful! I Will try this. Where did you buy the jar? I can’t find jars like that anywhere.

    Reply
    • Jody says

      June 2, 2014 at 3:21 pm

      Christina, this is actually a ball canning jar, I love them for scrubs! http://www.amazon.com/Jarden-Home-Brands-1440061162-Platinum/dp/B000V5KVDU/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1401747547&sr=8-20&keywords=ball+jar

      Reply
      • Christina says

        June 2, 2014 at 11:15 pm

        Excellent! Thanks!

        Reply
  13. Darlene says

    May 19, 2014 at 2:33 pm

    What vitamin do you put in the scrub to make it last longer?

    Reply
  14. Jody says

    April 3, 2014 at 5:34 pm

    Truthfully, I use mine up in a month or two and it has been fine. Refrigerating it will make it last longer, and adding a capsule or two of vitamin E will help preserve the scrub- I would say for 4-6 months tops.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      March 8, 2016 at 2:00 pm

      You said you add a capsule or two of vitamin to help preserve it…Vitamin what? 🙂 Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Janette says

        April 24, 2017 at 8:41 am

        She said vitamin E x

        Reply
  15. Chantal Pearson says

    April 3, 2014 at 3:25 pm

    I can’t wait to try this, How long would this last for in a jar?

    Reply
  16. Rebecca | LettersFromSunnybrook says

    March 27, 2014 at 5:34 pm

    Oh, that looks wonderful!! I can imagine the scent! I grow herbs in my garden and am looking forward to making more body products this year while they are fresh. I have jars of dried from the past couple years, but fresh is so much nicer.

    Reply
  17. Jody says

    March 27, 2014 at 5:03 pm

    oops, with the sugar and lemon juice! I’ll edit now, thanks!

    Reply
  18. Phyllis says

    March 27, 2014 at 5:00 pm

    When do you add the oil?

    Reply
    • sharon brentlinger says

      December 3, 2016 at 12:44 pm

      I bet it would make a soothing foot scrub also~

      Reply
  19. Jody says

    March 27, 2014 at 11:33 am

    Theresa, it would be great paint or glue as well! It is really strong and effective for a lot of messes on your hands, but the olive oil is so moisturizing its like a mini spa treatment at the same time.

    Reply
    • Sandy says

      March 16, 2015 at 9:36 am

      Jody, you can find the jars at Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart, Big Lots, & Michaels. come grocery stores carry them.

      Reply
    • Jennifer C says

      August 4, 2017 at 2:06 pm

      Cwn I use coconut oil instead? Can I use raw sugar?

      Reply
      • Alea Milham says

        August 4, 2017 at 10:43 pm

        Yes, you can substitute coconut oil and raw sugar.

        Reply
  20. Theresa Scholtz says

    March 27, 2014 at 9:33 am

    This looks great, I love the combination of lemon and rosemary. Makes me want to go do something grubby just so I’ll need some today! I bet it would work great for paint or glue on your hands too. I’ll definitely be making this, I like to get my hands dirty with all different kinds of projects.

    Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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