Chamomile Mint Sugar Scrub Bars

Self-care becomes Chamomile-care

Angela Ferrara is the Communications Director at The Barista League in Baltimore, Maryland. Her creativity with coffee and tea extend far beyond your mug.

Using our organic, direct-trade Chamomile Mint Tea, she’ll show you how to make decadent sugar scrub bars — perfect for pampering your favorite mama this month or for stepping up your self-care routine. Enjoy, ya’ll!

THE BABE

I live in Baltimore, Maryland, and I’m the Communications Director at The Barista League, an international coffee events company. Since the pandemic, we have shifted from hosting physical coffee competitions to creating digital events and content.

TEA IS THE STAR OF THE SHOW, YA’LL

I love these scrub bars because they’re made with three ingredients that I always have in my pantry. This recipe can be made with any blend of tea — so choose your favorite! Using this bar is a great way to exfoliate and moisturize dry winter hands and brighten up your day with some quick self-care.

The first time I steeped a sachet of Big Heart Tea, I knew I wanted to find a recipe that shows off the beautiful colors and textures of the different blends. I chose Chamomile Mint for this recipe because I wanted to feature the beautiful, golden chamomile buds. They remind me of spring time!

THE RECIPE

This recipe makes 1 scrub bar, but can be easily batched: use 3 sachets of tea to make 3 bars.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1 sachet Big Heart Tea Chamomile Mint
85 grams (or 1/2 cup) caster sugar
60 grams (or 1.5 tsp) coconut oil, liquid but not hot

Mesh strainer or sieve
Microwave or sauce pan for stovetop
Small mixing bowl
Spoon or spatula
Silicon mold, ice cube tray, or cookie cutter
Aluminum foil
Food processor (optional)

1. Start by sifting the contents of the tea sachet through a mesh strainer. Separate the large chamomile buds and reserve for later use. Discard other large pieces of tea — if left in your scrub bar, these could clog your drain.

2. This step is optional, but I like to put the tea fines (the pieces that fell through the mesh strainer) into a food processor for a few pulses. Smaller tea fines will create a smoother bar texture. This step also makes the tea more fragrant.

3. If your coconut oil is solid, warm it in the microwave (or on your stovetop) until just melted. You want the oil to be completely liquid, but not hot. Hot oil will melt your sugar. If your oil gets too hot, simply set it aside until it’s cooled off.

4. Mix sugar and tea fines.

5. Add coconut oil. Mix well. Your mixture should look like wet sand.

6. Prepare your mold: I used a silicon chocolate mold, but anything that you can press the mixture into works just fine! If using silicone, don’t worry about lining the mold. If using a cookie cutter or hard plastic ice cube tray, line with aluminum foil for easy removal.

7. Place your reserved large chamomile buds at the bottom of your mold. This will ensure that you see those beautiful buds once you remove the bar from the mold.

8. Pour contents of sugar tea mixture on top of chamomile buds in your mold and press until well compacted.

9. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Find Angela on Instagram: @missnobodyofnowhere (personal) and @tinnedfishstix (a new food and drinks IG I’m working on!)