The Uma Anti-aging scrub dupe

I love the Uma anti-ageing scrub, as it leaves your skin beautifully smooth and soft. And it smells inoffensive: if you are a regular reader, you’ll know I place a premium on products that smell lovely (but not synthetic). 

I digress. The UMA anti-ageing scrub costs US$ 45 for 5 oz (142 g). A medium or large person using this scrub regularly will get through one tub each week or at best each fortnight.

In my bones, it just does not feel right that I ask anybody, including Lady Gaga, to spend over US$ 200 per month on a scrub. It profoundly upsets me.

So, I made an exfoliating scrub using the base ingredients of Uma’s anti-ageing scrub. It is not the same user-experience of gliding on beautifully, but the result is similar if not the same. Critically the product does not stink or cost US$45.

As with all at home exfoliating scrubs, I would suggest you use the product on the day itself as there is no preservative.

As I was experimenting, I bought everything from my local supermarket. I have already placed an order for the organic, cold-pressed versions of each of the ingredients.

Ingredients

• Honey
• Himalayan pink salt
• Table salt
• Desiccated coconut powder
• Coconut sugar
• Olive oil or Almond oil

Method

Start with equal quantities of each product: I started with two spoons or about 10-15g of each ingredient. Use a pestle and mortar to grind down the salt with the coconut powder – but not too fine. Combine all the dry ingredients, followed by the honey. The scrub is ready to use as is…

Can I use the scrub without the oil? The product does not spread easily?

• You may not wish to use the olive oil – that is fine – I managed to take off a lot of superficial hair at this stage, as the scrub is essentially a body polisher at this stage. The scrub will be difficult to spread without the oil, so you’ll need to use small portions on wet skin.

How much oil can I add?

• The scrub does need the oil – you can add a maximum of 4 teaspoons as the product will separate.
• When you use the scrub, take a quarter teaspoon at a time and add to wet skin. The water will cause the product to spread out evenly. Gently scrub and remember to moisturise at the end.

The mixture is too coarse. Can I use an electrical contraption to mix everything?

No.

Use a rolling pin or pestle and mortar to grind down the salts and coconut powder to achieve a finer texture.

What the product should look like…

Obligatory photos

I would love to hear feedback on how you get along – what you loved and hated. Drop me a line at email@happyskindays.com if you have any queries.

You may also be interested in the following:

• At home exfoliator using chickpea flour (besan)
• IZIL almond scrub
• Forest Essentials’ cane sugar polisher
• UMA anti-ageing scrub