Whipped Foot Scrub With Lactic Acid

Whipped Foot Scrub With Lactic Acid

Juliette van der Meer

I've been wanting to make a foaming foot scrub for a while now, but formulating a good recipe has actually been quite the challenge.

What is in a Scrub?

Typical DIY scrubs are made with oils, butters and sugar or salt for the exfoliation. You'd think making a foaming version would be a simple matter of adding in a surfactant, but it wasn't quite that easy. Because of the high oil content, my earlier formulations overwhelmed the surfactant and it ended up separating and not foaming at all. Not ideal! I had to lower the oil content considerably and find other ways to make up the bulk of the scrub.

We end up with a scrub made with the surfactants SCI and cocamidopropyl betaine for foaming and cleaning action, some stearic acid to help bulk it out and firm it up, and I included some lactic acid to help exfoliate and soften feet. Jojoba beads make up the physical exfoliant and a little mica and essential oil make it fun! We whip it up to make it soft and fluffy. The end result has a gentle cleansing, bubbly exfoliating action. It will be sure to please and even makes a great gift!

Whipped Foot Scrub With Lactic Acid

Ingredients:

Heated Phase 1

Heated Phase 2

Cool Down

Options:

  • Mica for colour! You could even make a fun multi colored scrub, or match your colour to your chosen scent.
  • Essential oils for scent. Try refreshing peppermint or lemongrass.

Method:

  1. Powder your SCI for ease of use. SCI has a very high melting point so we powder it and combine it with a liquid surfactant to make a paste and then melt that. The cocamidopropyl betaine also adds some gentleness to the formula.
  2. Melt heated phase 1 together.
  3. Melt heated phase 2 together and then add 1 to 2. You may need to reheat the combined phases to get the SCI to fully melt. Stir well with a spatula in between melting to mix everything together.
  4. Start adding the water and blend well to combine. As the mixture cools it may thicken up so you may need to add in a little extra water.
  5. Whip with the electric beater until fluffy, about 3 mins.
  6. Add the preservative, lactic acid, essential oil and mica (if using).
  7. Whip to combine then add in the jojoba scrub beads to make it scrubby.
  8. Decant into a tin or jar and use as required.
1 6

Essentially Natural

Essentially Natural Jojoba Scrub Beads

R 89.00
R 89.00
Liquid error (snippets/price line 157): divided by 0 Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
View full details

Exfoliants

1 4
View all

Related Reads

1

Juliette van der Meer

Fascinated with all things Nature, Science, Chemistry and Cosmetic Formulation; slave to four cats; my sweet tooth fuels my sweet nature.

I like to constantly learn new things. I also love crime series, which is totally not a red flag :)

I graduated from Rhodes University with a Degree in Geology but later switched to Cosmetic Science and haven't looked back - proof that flipping your life around can lead to much happiness.

BSc Hons, Adv. Dip. Cosmetic Science


Back to the Essentially Natural blog

4 comments

Hi Gail, it depends on how scrubby and exfoliating you want it to be. There isn’t a set amount :)

Juliette

How much jojoba beads do u add to this scrub and can I substitute with apricot kernel scrub?

Gail

Hi Eloise, we are exclusively online :)

Juliette

Good Day do you have a shop where a person can come and purchase. Thanks

Eloise

Leave a comment.

Kindly note that comments require approval before being published.

Disclaimers

We love sharing DIY recipes, natural tips, and wellness inspiration with you! The content on the Essentially Natural Blog is here to inform and inspire, but it’s important to keep the following in mind as you explore:

Product Use & Medical Guidance

Unless specifically stated otherwise, our products and recipes are intended for external use only. Always follow usage instructions carefully, use ingredients mindfully, and patch test first whenever trying an ingredient/formulation for the first time. The content on our blog is shared for informational and educational purposes and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication, or managing a health condition, please consult a qualified healthcare provider before using new ingredients or remedies.

Results May Vary

Natural ingredients can do wonderful things—but they’re not one-size-fits-all. What works beautifully for one person may not have the same effect for another. Your skin type, health, and lifestyle all play a role in how your body responds, so please keep that in mind. We also can’t guarantee the shelf life or stability of DIY formulations. For longer-term storage or commercial use, professional testing is always recommended

Content Accuracy

We put a lot of love and effort into making sure our content is accurate and up to date. That said, things change, and honest mistakes can happen. Please use your own good judgment and cross-check information if needed.

Third-Party Content

From time to time, we may share advice, resources, or links from third parties we trust. While we select these thoughtfully, we can’t take responsibility for their accuracy or practices—so please explore with care.

Copyright & Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise noted, all content, images, and recipes on this blog are the property of Essentially Natural. We’re always happy when our community shares and spreads the word—just please do so responsibly and with proper credit.

If you’d like more information on any ingredient or topic, feel free to reach out to us—we’re always happy to help. Alternatively, click here to view our full Terms of Service.


Thank you for being part of our natural DIY formulation community ♡