Honey Face Mask

My skin has always worked with me. It's really been a champ - all through my teen years I rarely had more than one pimple at a time and my complexion has always been very even-toned.

When our wedding photographer took our engagement photos she commented something similar to, "What do you use on your face? Your skin is so clear I don't have to brush it up at all in your photos!"

I've always been a Mary Kay girl - since the time I was old enough to start washing my face I've only ever used Mary Kay.

Since I have moved out of my parents house and the entire collection of Mary Kay is no longer just a quick trip to the basement, I've adjusted my skin routines a bit. Not by any fault of my mom or Mary Kay, I just never seem to remember to take anything when I'm visiting my parents and I ALWAYS forget to ask my mom to bring me what I'm running low on when she visits me.

Before the wedding my skin broke out something fierce and it cleared up a few times since but lately it's really been a mess. Random breakouts, oily patches, dry patches. Just...yuck.

I started researching some natural home-remedies for skin cleansers and masks and realized that a lot of basic home essentials are good for skin too!

Last night I did a honey and baking soda face mask. Basically, I poured a dollop of honey in my palm and added baking soda until it became more of a paste than a 'gel'. I spread it all over my nasty face and fought Princess from licking it off as long as I could (for a few minutes) before I rinsed it off. It got a little tingly, so I could feel it doing its thing.

The honey is naturally a cleanser (and helps allergies!) while the baking soda cleansed and exfoliated (rubbing on/rubbing off) and the honey came in at the end as sticky as it is to pull all of that dead, exfoliated skin off! What a powerful tag-team of skin cleansing super powers!!!!

Immediately after rinsing the mask off my face I felt the difference in my skin. I had guests coming over for dinner and chose not to put on makeup, because I felt so good about my skin (normally I only wear concealer/blush/eyeliner anyway). It was silky smooth and INSTANTLY more clear.

This morning when I got out of the shower I inspected my pesky break-out-prone forehead and noticed it was even more clear than after the mask last night.

I've tried lots of exfoliates before but none did the trick like this mask did - and it was free! I keep honey AND baking soda in the house all the time, so I love that I was able to utilize both for a great cause: my skin!

What home remedies have you discovered lately?