Five Uses for Sugar in Your Beauty Routine

//1// AS AN EXFOLIANT. Sugar makes a great natural exfoliant. Rubbing sugar on your arms, back, and legs while in the shower will schlep off dead skin cells and leave your skin super smooth. Mix sugar with almond oil for a smooth, dewy finish. Mix a cup of brown sugar with a mashed banana to create a moisturizing body scrub that smells sweet and leaves your skin super soft.

//2// TO SOFTEN YOUR LIPS. Make your own lip scrub with two packets of raw sugar and a dime-sized portion of honey. Gently scrub the mixture on your mouth in a circular motion for 30 seconds and then wash it off. The sugar will removed dead skin and the honey will nourish the skin. The smooth surface will help lip color stay on longer.

//3// DIY HAIR DETOX. Mix a teaspoon of granulated sugar into your squeeze of shampoo and rub it into your scalp. The sugar gently exfoliates the scalp getting rid of dirt and product residue. The scalp is the base to great hair!

//4// SUGAR SPRAY TO TEXTURIZE HAIR. Overusing salt spray can eventually dry out your hair. Sugar spray is a great new way to get that beachy texture without the dryness. The key to sugar spray is sugar cane extract. Afford sugar sprays include Keratin Complex Sweet Definition Texturizing Sugar Mist ($17), Tigi Bed Head Sugar Shock Hair Bodifying Sugar Spray ($15.95 at Target!), and Wella EIMI Lift Sugar Spray for Voluminous Texture ($19 at Ulta).

//5// SUGARING. You can use sugar to remove unwanted body hair. 'Sugaring'  employs all natural ingredients including sugar, water, and lemon juice to remove excess hair. Sugaring is much like waxing in that the hair out from the root. It's main draw is that its said to only remove the hair - not the top layer of your skin. Waxing leaves which is what leaves your skin inflamed and irritated, whereas sugaring is gentler on the skin. Frequent sugaring can cause the hair follicle to become damaged, stopping hair growth.