As someone who has suffered from severe acne for most of her life, I know a thing or two about what works and what doesn't. In fact, my very first pimple came on my 5th grade graduation ceremony day right on the center of my chin. It was big and red and I should've known then that I was screwed.
I've tried just about every topical you can think of, both drugstore and high end. The "all in one" face washes, the 3 step routines, spot treatments, prayer. Haha Plus, my skin doesn't fall into one catergory. I have sensitive skin, acne prone skin, oily in some areas, dry in other areas, and the seasonal changes in weather heavily affect my skin too. Again, I'm screwed. Because of this, there's no one product line that "works" for me. I have to switch up the products I use every few weeks to keep my skin guessing. Also, if I use exfoliants too much, I get a ton of excess oil coming through my skin. Same thing with "ultra moisterizing" stuff. Dry and patchy. Oh, and most of these things are too harsh for my "sensitive" skin. I can't win.
More like I couldn't win. Through trial and error (and a dermatologist) I've learned that my skin needs natural ingredients sometimes. A break from chemicals. It worked for Cleopatra, it can work for me! So today I'm gonna share one of my go-to masks for when I have acne flare-ups or the texture of my skin starts to become uneven.
4 ingredients in this mask that are all probably in your kitchen already:
-3 tbsp honey
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
A quick overview of why these ingredients are fantastic for your skin. The honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg all have anti-inflammatory properties in them. A.K.A. It helps with swelling of the skin/tightening of your pores. They also have anti-bacterial properties in them as well which helps a great deal with the formation of acne/clogged pores. No more bumps! Now, the lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent. Very mild, don't worry. But this helps with redness and acne scarring. It helps so much to even out the overall tone in your skin. This mask is a miracle worker for you.
Note: Of course, if you have allergies to any of these ingredients, don't use this mask. Haha Pretty simple but I felt like I needed to mention it.
Now for how to put this stuff on your face!
1. Mix the ingredients until smooth.
2. Grab a washcloth and run in under warm water, wring it out and press it on your face for 5min. This opens up your pores to help the mask get right into your skin and work it's magic.
3. Dip your fingers into the mask mix and spread it out evenly onto your face, avoiding your eye area. This is a little messy so do a little at a time. You'll notice the cinnamon and nutmeg feel like little exfoliating beads. Take advantage of that and rub your face in small circles for a few min.
4. Let the mask sit on your skin for up to 20min. You should feel a warm tingling sensation from the cinnamon. That's ok. But if it becomes irritating, immediately take the mask off. But you should be fine. Butch up! Haha
5. After 20min, grab that wet washcloth and start wiping the mask off. I wouldn't advise anyone to just splash water on their face and rinse it off because it can get in your eyes. It's be like getting soap in yours eyes but like 10x worse. No good.
6. Once you've gotten all the mask off, grab a face wash and wash your face like normal. I use Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser.
7. Probably the most important part is to use a moisterizer afterwards to lock it all in! I use Clinique Dramatically Different Moisterizing Lotion. This is the best lotion I've tried. Ever. Works for every skin type.
I hope this helps anyone dealing with acne, scarring, uneven skin tone, etc. I use this mask 3-4 times per month. And, right now with the seasonal change, my skin needs it!
Here's to clear skin!
R.
Twitter: @maplebaconrae
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