Body scrubs and moisturisers made from yoghurt work for the same reason yoghurt works on the face: lactic acid provides gentle exfoliation, protein provides temporary smoothing, and fat provides moisture. For a body treatment, you can be more generous with quantities and slightly more aggressive with the exfoliant component, since body skin is generally tougher than facial skin. Here are three recipes that are genuinely worth making.
How Yoghurt Works as a Body Treatment
The lactic acid in yoghurt works as a mild AHA exfoliant that dissolves the bonds between dead skin cells and encourages them to shed. On the body, this is particularly useful for rough areas like elbows, knees, feet, and the backs of arms, where skin tends to accumulate dead cells and become rough or bumpy. Regular use leaves these areas noticeably softer and smoother.
For body treatments, full-fat plain yoghurt is significantly more effective than low-fat versions. The fat content contributes to the moisturising effect and helps the scrub adhere to the skin rather than running off immediately. Greek yoghurt is ideal because of its thickness.
Sugar and Yoghurt Scrub (General Purpose)
Mix three tablespoons of plain full-fat yoghurt with two tablespoons of white or brown sugar. White sugar provides a finer, more even exfoliation; brown sugar is slightly coarser and more suitable for rough areas like feet and heels. Add a teaspoon of olive oil for extra moisture if your skin is very dry.
Apply in the shower to damp skin, massage in circular motions for two to three minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Follow with your regular body moisturiser while skin is still slightly damp for best results. Use two to three times a week on rough areas and once a week on the rest of the body.
Oat and Yoghurt Scrub (For Sensitive Skin)
Blend three tablespoons of rolled oats into a rough powder (not too fine – you want some texture). Mix with three tablespoons of yoghurt and one teaspoon of honey. This is a gentler scrub than the sugar version, suitable for sensitive skin or for people who find sugar scrubs too abrasive. The oats provide a soft physical exfoliation while the lactic acid works chemically underneath.
Apply to damp skin, massage very gently, and leave on for five minutes before rinsing. The oats expand slightly when wet, which means the scrub becomes slightly thicker and more moisturising as you apply it. This works particularly well on dry arms and legs in winter when skin becomes tight and flaky.
Honey and Yoghurt Body Mask (For Dry Winter Skin)
Mix four tablespoons of yoghurt with two tablespoons of raw honey and one tablespoon of sweet almond or jojoba oil. This mixture is more of a mask than a scrub – apply it to dry skin (not in the shower), leave for 15-20 minutes, then rinse in a warm shower. The combination of honey’s humectant properties, yoghurt’s lactic acid, and the oil’s emollient effect makes this excellent for very dry or dehydrated winter skin.
A word on practicality: this is messy. Wear old clothes or nothing, put down towels, and do this in the bathroom rather than anywhere you care about the floor. The payoff in skin feel is worth it, but going in unprepared makes it less enjoyable than it should be.
Storage and Hygiene
Make these scrubs fresh each time rather than storing them. Yoghurt-based scrubs that contain water (or are used in the shower) will go off quickly and can develop mould or harmful bacteria within a day or two. The five minutes it takes to mix a batch is worth doing rather than making a large quantity and risking contamination. If you add any fresh juice or fresh fruit to a scrub, use it immediately and discard any remainder.
