Guest post by Justine Burgess
Skin creams, cleansers, and lotions aimed at making skin even more beautiful can be fabulous, but spendy. If you are low on cash, but have some time and a few basic ingredients on hand, you can easily make a simple home skin refresher.
For today’s frugal beauty tip, here is a facial mask I've made and used myself, with good results. *Just a reminder- if you are allergic to any of these items, do not use them on your skin and look for alternative methods. This worked for me, but may not work for everyone.
Oatmeal and honey are natural products, and for me seemed to work wonders on my skin. I have roseacea and the oatmeal with honey was very soothing. Oatmeal acts as a natural exfoliant, and also soothes itching related to conditions like eczema, skin rashes, hives and insect bites. The honey helps your skin retain moisture.
You may want to coarsely grind the oatmeal first. You can use it whole, but it’s more difficult to apply and remove. I did it with whole oatmeal at first, and I felt like I was scraping breakfast off my face. The first time I used this type of facial treatment, I felt a little silly, but honestly my skin has never felt so soft. Rinsing away the mask did take some doing, but it was worth it to me in the end.
Oatmeal and Honey Facial Mask
What you need
- Regular or quick Oats
- Honey
Optional
- Mashed avocado
- Organic plain yogurt *Adjust ingredients to your liking
Directions
Cook the oatmeal according to directions. Let it cool to just above or at room temp (although, it feels good warm as well). Add a few spoons of honey. Stir well. Consistency should be somewhat thick. Be certain it is cool enough for your skin and apply. You can use your fingers, or like me, use a 1-inch paintbrush. Gently swirl as you are applying. Keep on for about 15- 20 minutes and then rinse with warm water, using circular motions to exfoliate while doing so. Word of warning- it takes some time to rinse off, and you may need the help of a washcloth. Also, you may want to rinse over the kitchen sink, especially if you used whole oats.
For an especially nourishing mask, you can also add organic or natural plain yogurt, and/or mashed avocado to the mix, or use them alone. Yogurt is a very mild astringent and seems to have moisturizing effects, as do the oils in avocados. Be sure to mix all ingredients thoroughly into a spreadable paste and apply carefully, avoiding the eye area. If you have time to lay back and relax, grab a couple of cool cucumber slices to help depuff your eyes (and make sure to lock all the doors and turn off the ringers. I answered a call AND the door with my goopy mask on, and in the process got my phone sticky and scared the mailman). Better yet, take the whole day, grab a glass of wine, and relax with your mask and whatever other beauty treatments you deserve to treat yourself to. Cheers!
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own. We make no guarantees about the effectiveness of natural beauty remedies, and can only say how well they worked for us personally.
