As a little girl, I had a dream of going to that magical place called the spa. I wasn’t entirely sure what a person did there, but I knew that grown-ups went there and that it was supposed to be relaxing.
I was a grown up before I ever made it to a spa, and in-fact, I already had a few children of my own. Certainly, it was relaxing, but due to the aforementioned children, it certainly wasn’t something I could do regularly or even often.
As wonderful as the spa was, it took money (and especially time) that wasn’t often in the budget.
At the same time, I loved how my skin felt after my time at the spa, so I wanted to find a way to recreate the effects at home without the time or expense.
I turned to another childhood passion- making homemade beauty products, and experimented with some of the recipes that they’d used at the spa.
This face mask is one of my most recent concoctions, and already a favorite.
Vitamin C Face Mask
During a podcast interview with skin-expert Dr. Trevor Cates, she mentioned that the skin is naturally very slightly acidic and that it needs skin care products with this lower pH as well for optimal healthy and elasticity.
I already love using Vitamin C on my skin in this homemade Vitamin C serum, but decided to combine Vitamin C with another skin-supporting ingredient- honey.
I also added some organic brown sugar so that the first stage of the mask would be a gentle scrub and a drop of lavender oil to smooth skin and reduce inflammation.
If you’re an over-achiever, follow up with a drop of the Vitamin C serum or a diluted apple cider vinegar toner.
For Acne?
This mask may be helpful for those with acne. Honey is naturally antibacterial and can help reduce acne. Vitamin C balances the pH of the face and may reduce breakouts as well and lavender is anti-inflammatory and often recommended for acne.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon raw manuka honey or organic honey
- 1/2 teaspoon organic brown sugar (or regular sugar but it is more abrasive) – Optional, but good for exfoliating
- 1/2 teaspoon vitamin C powder (natural source) or fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 drops of high quality lavender essential oil
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Massage onto face for 1-2 minutes in a gentle, circular motion.
- Leave on for 5 minutes to 45 minutes.
- Rinse off with warm water and a wash cloth.
- Finish with a Vitamin C or apple cider vinegar toner (optional).
- Repeat as needed for clear skin.
Note: If you use the Vitamin C powder instead of the lemon juice, this mask will have a shelf life of several months at least. When using the Vitamin C powder, I mix a triple batch and store in a small jar in the bathroom for use every few days.