When it comes to skin products, which girl wouldn’t love to try all those fancy, expensive creams promoted by movie stars, right? I’m no different. I’d always fall for glamorous ads even tho I know better. Sometimes I just don’t want to know tho, because the fairytale land is so much more fun! I did try a few really nice products in the past, however since I have set bigger dreams for myself, I became a lot frugal with cosmetics and started to look for effective home made alternatives. There are two home made skin care products, that I absolutely love!

The recipe for scrub and facial mask that I will share with you today calls for just a few very basic ingredients that I’m sure you already have in your pantry.

Facial Scrub

If you have a skin that is prone to acne, you can really benefit from the combination of lemon juice and sugar exfoliant.

Lemon is a great source of vitamin C which is used a lot in many skin care lines for it’s ability to lighten up spots caused by sun or age. It also helps to even out your skin tone. Cut lemon in half, and squeeze out a little bit of fresh juice. When I do this I make a lemon water at the same time so that I don’t waste the rest of the lemon. Lemon water is really good for you by the way.

Sugar is a natural exfoliator that will remove dead skin cells and clean pores. Sugar contains Glycolic acid which is an agent that also helps to even out your skin tone. Use about 3 Table spoons of brown sugar, then add about a half a teaspoon  of coconut oil. Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer with antifungal and antibacterial properties. Combining these three basic ingredients will result in an amazing facial scrub that gives you all the benefits of a fancy skin care product, that would normally cost you arm and leg.

Just make sure that the mixture is rather thick than liquidy so that it doesn’t run down your face. Pick a little bit of the mixture with the tips of your fingers, put it on your face, and gently massage with your finger tips clockwise for couple of minutes. Wash with it off with warm water, not hot, and dry your skin with clean cloth or paper towel.

Honey Carrot Face Mask

Do you want to get rid off the fine lines on your face and make your skin look smoother and brighter? Try this mask!

After you’re done with the exfoliation of your skin, your face will be ready for a nutritious mask. The first ingredient is a finely grated fresh carrot. Carrot is absolutely vital ingredient in a facial mask because in contains beta-carotene and retinol. Retinol is a chemical derivate from vitamin A that carrots are loaded with. Retinol molecules penetrate the top layer of your skin and help regenerate deeper layers by stimulating elastin and collagen. Retinol is used a lot in skin care products, because it’s effective in smoothing out fine lines and uncloging your pores. Retinol is very popular in the cosmetic industry not only, because of the anti-aging effects on your skin, but also for it’s ability to fight acne.

The reason why is Honey a perfect ingredient for a facial mask is, because it’s a natural source of anti-oxidants that play a major role in age prevention. Just kidding, it won’t really slow down the aging process, you still have to exercise and eat really healthy. Slopping some honey on your face won’t make the wrinkles disappear, however raw honey contains a natural humectant that locks water into the skin keeping the complexion hydrated and the antibacterial properties benefit acne-prone skin by reducing breakouts.

I use the ratio of 2 table spoons of grated carrot to 1 teaspoon of raw honey. I swear to you that I have never actually purchased a facial mask that could compete with this one. I usually leave it on for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on how much time I have on my hands and then I wash it off with not so warm water. What is the expression for not so warm water? Anyone? Is there anything between cold and warm? Anyways, my skin is always so much smoother, brighter, softer, and even looking. I absolutely love it! Now you know my secret. I’m actually a lot older than I’ve been telling you 🙂

Have a great day!

Zuzka.