If you are familiar with a wonderful yet pricey personal care product called Salt Rub by Origins, you may know that for some very odd reason it has been discontinued. I know. How could they do this?

In its place, Origins now offers some kind of ginger scrub concoction that contains sugar and spice. I think it is just awful, which makes me even happier that I know how to make my own version of the salt rub. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? This may be the perfect gift you've been searching for — one you can make yourself for many people on your holiday gift list, or your any-time-of-year gift list, for that matter. It is so easy that you could make it today and gift it tomorrow.

Authentic salt rub is a mixture of salt and oil that resembles wet, slushy snow. Unlike bath salts that are used in a bathtub, salt scrubs are used in the shower. So you have a better idea, here is an example of the instruction you would print on a tag for a finished salt scrub:

"After cleansing the skin, turn off the shower water. Scoop a small handful of salt scrub, and rub in a circular motion all over your skin. Rinse with water. You can wash again if you desire, but you will enjoy the greatest benefit if you simply towel dry without soaping up again. If used every time you take a shower, dry skin will be a distant memory. The salt helps get rid of all those dead skin cells, and the oil seals in the moisture."

It is so easy to make your own version of the Origins Salt Rub. The main ingredient is Epsom salt, which is available online and in any drugstore or supermarket. It's cheap! Another option, because of it healing properties, is non-food grade sea salt.

The other ingredient is oil. You can use sweet almond oil to emulate our favorite Origins product, or unscented baby oil.

Both Epsom salt and sweet almond oil have natural relaxing and soothing properties, so this is not just about exfoliation and fragrance.

Pour Epsom salt into a bowl or large container. Slowly pour in your oil of choice while stirring. Keep adding oil until it looks and feels like very wet snow. While it's not necessary, you can stir in a few drops of an essential oil, such as lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint or spearmint, to add fragrance and aroma. Want to color your product to match its fragrance or add a unique signature? Add several drops of soap colorant, which is available online or in craft stores.

As you select your containers for presentation, keep in mind this gift is meant to be used in the shower, so glass may not be the wisest choice! There are plenty of plastic and acrylic options.

For links to the ingredients I used for this recipe, visit everydaycheapskate.com/spainajar. It's a gift you can give with confidence because it is so excellent.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.