Dry, dull skin doesn’t need a pricey jar with a fancy label to get back in line. This homemade Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub uses plain pantry ingredients to buff away flaky buildup and leave skin feeling smoother with a warm fall scent that actually smells like pumpkin pie instead of a candle aisle gone rogue (a small but real victory).
A similar seasonal sugar scrub from the store often runs far more per jar than a simple homemade batch made with sugar, oil, pumpkin puree, and spices. Making your own also lets you control the scent, choose pumpkin seed oil or olive oil, and skip the extras that don’t help the scrub do its actual job.
You only need 7 ingredients for this scrub: sugar, pumpkin seed oil or olive oil, pumpkin puree, and five warm spices. Grab a small bowl and something to stir with, because the mixture comes together as one thick paste batch and doesn’t need any special equipment.
- 🧰 Materials You'll Need
- 🔧 Tools/Equipment
- 🛠️ How to Make Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub
- 🛠️ How to Use It
- 🎨 Customization Ideas
- 🛡️ Safety and Care
- 📦 Storage
- 💸 Estimated Cost
- 🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- 🛠️ How to Use a Sugar Scrub:
- 🔗 How often should you exfoliate?
- 🔗 Additional Sugar Scrub Recipes
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub
- 📌 Love this Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub
Sugar scrubs are formulated with granules of sugar that physically remove dead skin cell buildup that naturally occurs. This process is known as exfoliation. This pumpkin pie sugar scrub offers a gentle exfoliating process that gives the appearance of smoother, glowing skin.
Materials You’ll Need
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seed oil, or olive oil instead
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- A pinch of ground cloves
- A pinch of cinnamon
- A pinch of ground allspice
- A pinch of nutmeg
- A pinch of ground ginger
Tools/Equipment
- Small bowl
- Spoon or stirrer
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub
- Combine the sugar and spices in a small bowl, mixing well.
- Drizzle in the pumpkin seed oil or olive oil and stir.
- Add the pumpkin puree and mix until the scrub forms a thick paste.
- Use immediately, or transfer it to a clean container if you plan to use it over a short period.
The pumpkin scrub should be the consistency of a thick paste when it’s ready to use.
How to Use It
- Sit on the edge of a tub and moisten the area you wish to scrub.
- Place about a tablespoon of scrub in your palm and gently work each area for approximately 1 minute.
- If you work too quickly, you won’t properly exfoliate.
- Scour gently for just a few minutes.
- Rinse with warm water.
- For baby smooth skin, exfoliate up to twice weekly.
During the late fall and winter months, this scrub feels especially invigorating and moisturizing. If your skin tends to get touchy with scrubs, go gently and pay attention to how it responds instead of scrubbing like you’re refinishing deck boards.
Customization Ideas
- Use pumpkin seed oil for the original version, or swap in olive oil if that’s what you already have.
- Adjust the spice blend slightly to suit your preference, keeping the same warm pumpkin pie profile of cloves, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.
- For a themed home spa gift, pair it with Budget101’s Pumpkin Foot Scrub or Gingerbread Sugar Scrub.
- If you want to build your own spice blend from scratch, Budget101’s Pumpkin Pie Spice is a handy match for the same flavor profile.
Safety and Care
Use clean hands or a clean scoop each time you dip into the scrub. Keep the container tightly closed when not in use, and avoid getting the scrub into your eyes or onto irritated or broken skin. For general cosmetic handling, the FDA recommends keeping containers clean and tightly closed and washing your hands before applying products from a jar-style container in its guidance on using cosmetics safely.
Storage
Because this version contains pumpkin puree, store it in a clean, tightly closed container and use it promptly. Keep water out of the container as much as possible during use so you don’t thin the scrub or shorten its shelf life faster than necessary.
Estimated Cost
A reasonable estimate for one batch is about $1.70, depending on the oil you use and local prices. Based on currently available retail pricing, 1 cup of sugar from a 4-pound bag at $2.97 works out to about $0.37, and 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin from a 15-ounce can priced around $2.42 adds about $0.32. The oil is the biggest variable, so this estimate assumes a modest per-batch cost for 1/4 cup from a bottle you already have on hand.
🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- Great Value Pure Granulated Sugar, 4 lbs
- Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin, 15 oz
- Pumpkin seed oil
- Ground baking spices
- Budget101 Pumpkin Pie Spice
How to Use a Sugar Scrub:
- Sit on the edge of a tub and moisten the area you wish to scrub.
- Place a tablespoon or so of the body scrub in the palm and gently work each area for approximately 1 minute. If you work too quickly you won’t properly exfoliate.
- Scour gently for just a few minutes.
- Rinse with warm water.
- For baby smooth skin, exfoliate up to twice weekly.
How often should you exfoliate?
Typically, the average person needs to exfoliate about twice per week using a topical sugar scrub such as this pumpkin pie sugar scrub recipe we shared above. You’ll find that during the late fall and winter months, this scrub is invigorating and moisturizing as well.
Additional Sugar Scrub Recipes
Here are several additional sugar scrub recipes that you may also enjoy for your home spa experience or to give as gifts to friends and family.- Chocolate Silk Coffee Scrub
- Gingerbread Sugar Scrub
- Lavender & Rosewood Sugar Scrub
- Brown Sugar Body Scrub
- Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Scrub
- Pumpkin Foot Scrub
Frequently Asked Questions about Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub
Yes. The original directions specifically allow olive oil instead of pumpkin seed oil. Pumpkin seed oil keeps the theme on point, but olive oil will still give you the thick paste texture this scrub needs.
Use it up to twice weekly. That gives you regular exfoliation without turning a simple scrub into a wrestling match with your skin.
It should be a thick paste. If it seems too dry, make sure the oil and pumpkin puree are fully stirred in. If it gets too loose, add a bit more sugar until the texture comes back together.
No. Gentle pressure works better here. The sugar provides the physical exfoliation, so pressing harder usually just annoys your skin without doing a better job.
Yes. Moisten the area first, then work about a tablespoon of scrub over the skin for around 1 minute before rinsing with warm water.
Pumpkin puree is part of the original formula and helps create the soft, spoonable paste texture along with the oil and sugar. It also gives the scrub its pumpkin look and seasonal feel.
Yes, but keep the storage needs in mind because it contains pumpkin puree. It works best as a short-term homemade gift paired with other spa-style items rather than something meant to sit around for ages.
Use it on the area you wish to scrub, as directed, while avoiding your eyes and any irritated or broken skin. Arms, legs, elbows, and feet are the most practical places to start.
You won’t exfoliate as effectively. Slowing down and gently working each area for about a minute gives the sugar time to do the actual buffing instead of just sliding past the job.
📌 Love this Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub? Pin it!
Did you try this scrub? Tell us whether you used pumpkin seed oil or olive oil, or which spice note you loved most.
🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / Elenathewise
Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub
Equipment
Materials
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup pumpkin seed oil
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground allspice
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground ginger
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and spices in a small bowl, mixing well.
- Drizzle in the pumpkin seed oil or olive oil and stir.
- Add the pumpkin puree and mix until the scrub forms a thick paste.
- Use immediately, or transfer it to a clean container if you plan to use it over a short period.
- https://www.budget101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/pumpkin-pie-sugar-scrub-.jpeg
- https://www.budget101.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/b101-pumpkin-pie-sugar-scrub.jpg
- https://www.budget101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/b101-home-spa.jpg
- Use gentle pressure when scrubbing.
- Avoid the eyes and irritated or broken skin.
- Because the scrub contains pumpkin puree, store it in a clean tightly closed container and use it promptly.
- Estimated cost is based on consumable materials only and will vary by brand and location.
gonna make this today. and am then gonna try to use it, and not eat it! sounds awesome.
will let you know my results!
ok, this was my first attempt (and second) at making a home “beauty” product. i left the first batch on my kitchen counter… and sure enough, my teenage grand-daughter ate half of it.
she loved it, so i had to hide batch #2 in my bedroom for myself. I used olive oil since it was on hand, and I love the results. Thanks for sharing RowansGarden.
definitely am going to try this! two questions – does it need to be refrigerated and does it expire??
this is amazing stuff i love how soft my skin was after i used it. i didnt have to run and put anything on right after. made a bunch up for my friends to try also waiting to here back from them as well.
:purr:
Just made a jar of this and my whole bathroom smells like Thanksgiving! 🍂 I added a drop of vitamin E oil and it left my skin so smooth. Great for last-minute gifts too—made 3 more for coworkers!