Winter is coming (I’m Northern Hemisphere-bigoted), which means chapped, flaky skin. Here are a couple of super-easy homemade scrubs to help give you a rosy glow. Or, y’know, a doomed pallor. But a healthy doomed pallor.

A couple of notes:

• You can use any kind of mild oil in these recipes: Sweet almond, olive, avocado, macadamia, untoasted sesame, grapeseed, rice bran, jojoba, coconut, or a mixture. Coconut oil can be a bit harsh, so I wouldn’t recommend using it by itself.
• Make sure that fragrance oils are meant for use on the body, not as scents for candles or potpourri.
• Certain spice essential oils (like cinnamon and ginger) can irritate skin, so add them sparingly and avoid using scrubs that contain them on your face.
• Don’t use salt scrubs on cuts (duh).

Sugar and Spice Body Scrub
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup oil
A few drops each ginger, cinnamon, and clove bud essential oil

If the brown sugar has any hard lumps, whirl it briefly in a food processor or blender. Combine sugar with oil in a bowl and mix well. Add the essential oils a few drops at a time, mixing them in and giving the scrub a good sniff before adding more.

For a Halloween variation, substitute canned pumpkin for half the oil. (This mixture won’t be shelf-stable, so use within a couple of days or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.)

Witches Brew Salt Scrub
2 cups coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
3/4 cup – 1 cup oil
5 drops patchouli fragrance oil
10 drops sandalwood fragrance oil
10 drops sweet orange essential oil
3 drops cinnamon essential oil

Mix the salt and 3/4 cup oil in a bowl, adding a bit more oil if the salt seems too dry. Mix in the fragrance oils.

Mocha Scrub
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or 2 Tbsp freeze-dried coffee crystals
1/2 cup oil
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Mix sugar, salt, and cocoa in a bowl. Stir vanilla extract into oil, then pour over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Pack any of these scrubs into a wide-mouthed receptacle, preferably something that won’t shatter if you drop it in the bathtub. (Recycled cosmetics jars work well.)

These make a nice gift, too. Tuck a jar of scrub into a little basket with a scented candle and a pretty washcloth, and you’ve got a quick and easy “pamper me” gift for someone special. And hey…you’re someone special. Go run a hot bath.