Tastefully Tuesday - Allergy-free Body Scrub

Everyone knows that if you shouldn't put something in your body, then you shouldn't put it on your body either. Allergies are becoming more common with each passing day, and in the summer of 2011 my body started reacting to two of my favorite food ingredients -- chocolate and cinnamon. The good news is, I can live without those in my diet. The bad news is, it really stinks.

With that in mind, today's recipe is totally edible, but also works as an exfoliating body scrub. Last weekend a severe thunderstorm knocked power out in most of the state where I live. By Sunday night I'd had enough and headed to a hotel. In my haste I grabbed my laptop, a fresh change of clothes, my swimsuit and beach towel (The hotel had a pool, and well, you never know!), some unpopped microwave popcorn and bottled water.

After checking in and bouncing around on the memory foam mattresses with my teenage sons, they headed to the pool while I grabbed a shower. Sadly, I forgot my body scrub and shampoo. Rinsing off with plain water was okay for that night, and I begrudgingly used the hotel shampoo. However, I wanted more before I ventured home -- especially because it could be another week or more crews from the power company restored service in my area.

The next morning I woke up earlier than my family and headed down to the lobby for coffee. In my bleary-eyed state it dawned on me that quite a few items offered in the hotel's continental breakfast were also ingredients in my gourmet body scrub. After preparing a tray, I went back to my room and quietly slipped into the bathroom as to not wake up anyone else. I used the ice bucket as a bowl and my hands to mix everything. Before I knew it, I had a healthy amount of makeshift body scrub that not only smelled great and exfoliated my skin, but was also edible and guaranteed not to cause a reaction!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup coffee grounds
• 1 banana
• 2 tablespoons of honey (or a couple of single-serving packets)
• coffee creamer packets (at least 3 - 4 single-serving size)
  OR 1/2 container of vanilla or plain yogurt

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix oatmeal and coffee grounds first.
2. Add in banana and mush well.
3. Add in honey and creamer or yogurt.

And that's it! Just apply to your skin just like you would any other body scrub. It saved me from making an unnecessary trip to Wal-Mart, not to mention saved me the money I would have spent to buy extra bath products. My skin was soft and clean, and I was ready to go home and face the aftermath of the storm again.

If you find yourself in a hotel without your favorite bath products, don't go without. Instead go to the continental breakfast area and fix up a nice exfoliating scrub! One of the primary benefits is that you know exactly what items are going into the scrub so you won't have to worry about your skin breaking out from using cheap products provided by the hotel.

Have you ever tried making your own body products? Did you have any success? If so what products did you try and what were the ingredients? I'd love to hear all about them!