Scrubby Time!

Alright, so I don't even have a picture to go with this post because the results aren't all that photogenic. I've had a tub of jasmine rice lurking in the back of the fridge for about a year at this point. I couldn't bring myself to throw it out (that whole, you know, wasting food thing) but I also have no intention of eating it. The other day, my partner was complaining that my adzuki bean-short grain rice face scrub was too harsh, and so I was struck by a moment of inspiration.

And I turned at least some of that rice into an awesome face scrub (but you could certainly use it for your body, as well).

The recipe? Well, it's one of those very adaptable things. Take some rice--I used about 1/2 cup of jasmine rice, but any variety will do. Heat up a steel skillet (you can do it with nonstick if you really want, but don't do it with cast iron) over medium heat for a couple minutes, then add in your rice. Stir it around gently until the grains turn translucent, but you don't really want them to toast or burn. You're basically just cooking off any moisture in the grains.

Leave in the pan to cool, then move to a grinder (I have a dedicated spice grinder, one of those cheapie coffee grinders that I'd never let near my actual beans because my conical burr grinder would divorce me). Add a couple tablespoons of ground coffee, tea leaves, cocoa powder, chamomile or lavender blossoms... basically anything you'd like that's skin safe and smells good. I used rice and a bit of coffee this time (we're both coffee fiends) and pulsed it until the mixture was soft and resembled flour. Grind to your personal preference, then mix about 1/2 tsp honey or yogurt (or face wash, if that's your thing) with about 1/2 tsp home-made scrub and you're ready to go.

Enjoy! :D