Day 13: Fitness!

Homemade Face wash?

     I love making homemade face washes and scrubs. To be honest... Homemade solutions are one of the few products that actually work on calming my skin down. I have been struggling with acne for the past two years and it has calmed down considerably... But I do still have battles with it. In combination with prescription treatments from my dermatologist and homemade remedies I am finding a happy balance in my skin.

     Two of my favorite homemade washes are a honey and brown sugar scrub that is SUPER easy to make. The second wash I actually use for as a face mask. It is made up of sour cream and salt. Also super easy to make.

     I have found that the honey scrub, when used once a day can moisturize the skin gently without over doing it and it is great at easily but effectively removing old dead layers of skin. I have also not only used this scrub on my face, but on my legs, chest, back and arms as well. I love using it after shaving so that I can uncover blocked hair follicles. People have told me that my face wash looks like vomit in a jar... But it is just honey and brown sugar, so to be honest, if you added some rolled oats (which I have in fact done) to it you could probably make delicious granola bars.

     This recipe is really easy and only contains two ingredients:

• Brown Sugar
• Honey

     As far as portions go I have found that I like a more soupy mix with less brown sugar, but it really all depends on how abrasive that you want the scrub factor to be. Also, if you're not careful the brown sugar and the honey tend to separate and the brown sugar becomes very hard and cement like if it sinks to the bottom of the container.

     The sour cream mask is one of my favorites. With this magic mixture I usually see results immediately after use. Because sour cream contains a compound called lactic acid when applied to areas of the skin affected by black heads the lactic acid loosens up the plug and draws out the comedone.

     This recipe only contains 2-3 ingredients. The lemon juice is optional, but I find that it adds a nice healthy glow to your skin after the mask is applied.

• Sour Cream
• Salt
• Lemon Juice

     All you need is a small bowl or cup to mix and a spoon. I put a dollop of sour cream in my container and add salt. Again, like the brown sugar scrub it's in your hands to decide how thick or grainy you want your scrub. I usually do about two parts sour cream and one part salt because a like a nice thick scrubby. If I have lemon juice I'll add two or three droplets. Now, I mix thoroughly and apply to my face gently exfoliating as I go. Normally I leave the mask on for about 15-20 minutes, but sometimes less.