Honey, Cinnamon, Nutmeg Mask

     

      What do honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, and lemons have in common? Well, not much unless you are talking about skin care! These four ingredients make a little thing I like to call the Honey - Cinni Mask! This stuff is amazing! This mask is great for correcting uneven skin tones, lightening scars, getting rid of acne, and smoothing skin and it can all be found in your kitchen! So how does mixing these various ingredients help your skin?

            ·        Cinnamon – stimulates blood vessels to bring more blood to the surface of your skin which increases the amount of nutrients being brought to your cells. It also has anti-bacterial properties which is great for getting rid of acne! Cinnamon is also considered one of the top 7 anti-oxidants in the world which helps prevent destruction of healthy cells.

            ·        Honey – is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, full of anti-oxidants, and great for opening up pores making them easy to unclog and kill bacteria that may be residing there. It also helps speed up the recovery of healing acne. Added benefit? It is very moisturizing and soothing!

            ·        Nutmeg – has a component in it that is very similar to menthol which means it acts as a natural pain reliever and inflammation reducer. It also acts as a tonic which means it detoxes your skin and can increase the quality of your skin! It is great for removing blackheads and lightening scars.

            ·        Lemons – are chalked full of vitamin C, helps build up the collagen in our skin, and can aid in lightening blemishes, scars, and help even out skin tones.

      I did this mask once or twice a week when I had severe acne problems and it did wonders for my skin! While it did burn a little bit (it can if you have open or picked acne), it was worth it! The tingling/burning made it seem like you could actually feel the acne being destroyed! And if you have sensitive skin or you do not like the tingling feeling, you can always increase the amount of honey you are using to dilute the other ingredients. But let me warn you now, this mask is messy! As it sits on your face (and you want to let it sit for about 30 min) it will melt and drip off! I always sat down and watched a tv show or something and put a towel on my lap to catch the drips. You can also do this during a relaxing bath too! Added bonus? The steam from the bath will open up your pores and allow the mask to do a deeper cleanse!

Here is the “recipe”

     1/2 tsp Cinnamon (organic is good but any will do!)

     1/2 tsp Nutmeg

     3 tsp Honey (Raw and local is great! extra grit to it is great for exfoliating) 

*Want something a bit stronger and good for lightening scars? Instead of doing 3 tsp of honey …

           1 tsp Honey

           2 tsp Lemon Juice

       

     Steps

              First - Put in all of your dry ingredients 

              Second - Add in the honey and lemon juice (optional. I did not use lemon juice for my mask)

              Mix everything together! This might take a bit of stirring! Also, do not worry if it looks like there won't be enough for your whole face! You would be surprised at how little of this mixture you will need with how well it spreads! If there isn't enough - just make a little bit more! You can store left overs in the fridge and warm up for your next use later! 

              Last Step - Put on your face in a layer just thick enough to so you can't see your skin underneath. Do not get it in your eyes! I like to follow the line around my eye socket to make sure I am not getting it in my eye or where it can irritate the sensitive skin under my eyes. Now watch your favorite tv show, read a few chapter of a new book, or surf the web for about 30 minutes or until you can't take the dripping any more (it will melt as it sits on your face, make sure to have a towel down or tie a bandanna around your neck and hold it up to catch the drips!). Wash off in shower or sink and walla! All done!

      These measurements are not set in stone, if it tingles too much for you add more honey. If it doesn’t tingle enough for you, add more nutmeg, cinnamon, or lemon juice. However, do not add other ingredients to this mask because you can end up giving yourself a chemical burn which is not fun! Trust me!

Encourage Yourself, Believe yourself, Love yourself"

Bentonite Clay Mask

      From facials for less than perfect skin, to treatment for insect bites, Bentonite Clay has been used for its amazing healing properties! I found it one day when I was researching how to get really clean my pores. I tried it and now I seriously can’t get enough of this! It has helped so much! I have less black heads and smaller pores -it literally makes my face “pulse” as it is pulling up all the impurities buried deep in my skin! You will definitely have to check it out for yourself to see exactly what I mean! Pair it with the O.C.M once a week and watch your skin transform!

How does Bentonite Clay Work?

      Let’s start with a little chemistry. But don’t freak out! You have been dealing with this since you were born! It’s called opposites attract; particularly that negative and positive charged things stick together. This is exactly how Bentonite Clay works. Bentonite Clay carries a negative charge while toxins, bacteria, etc. carry positive charges. The Clay acts like a magnet pulling these impurities towards it, holding onto it, and therefore removing it when you wash it away!

How do I do a Bentonite Clay Mask?

      So how exactly do I make and use a Bentonite Clay Mask? It’s super easy! All you need is Bentonite Clay (found at your local natural grocery store), a plastic bowl, tablespoon, mixer, water, and apple cider vinegar. Take equal parts of the Bentonite Clay and the apple cider vinegar/water and mix together with the plastic utensil. The substance should fiz for a second and then turn creamy as you mix it together. 

Now just spread it on your face (avoiding your eyes) and other problem areas such as your neck or chest to about ¼ to ½ an inch thick. Let it dry for about 10 minutes for sensitive skin and about 20 minutes for normal skin. I normally sit down and watch part of a show then jump in the shower to rinse it all off! 

By rinsing off in the shower, you limit the mess that will for sure take over your sink! After words your face should feel very refreshed and a little tingly. You might also notice that your skin will look red. This is completely normally and will go away within 20 minutes. I only use this mask at night on the weekend’s right before I go to bed so my freshly cleaned skin can absorb all the products I use in my nightly routine. And that’s it! Over the next couple of days you can expect to see some small white heads but all you need to do is exfoliate and voila, problem solved!

This is what the clay looks like as it dries.

      Let me know how it works for you! Try it and see how you like it. If you find that it is a little too tight when it is completely dry, leave out the apple cider vinegar and use only water. Let us know if you have any questions!

And don’t forget - "Encourage yourself, Believe in yourself, Love Yourself".