On the same track that I've been this week, I decided to try another mask. Jaxson was napping, I had a new bread recipe rising and the laundry was in. I had nothing urgent to do, and this is the only time during the day that I have for myself - the perfect time for a staining face mask!
I've been reading about the benefits of turmeric and honey lately, and am really jazzed with both. I've been baking regularly with honey and am trying to put turmeric in more cooking, and have been dying to try both out on my face as well.
Internally, turmeric is supposed to help with inflammation and arthritis, strengthen the heart, aid in the prevention of cancerous growth, fight Alzheimer's, and lower cholesterol just to name a few. It has been used for centuries in both Chinese and Indian medicine. Externally, it's apparently good for inflammation as well, it also evens out skin tone and lightens dark spots, acts as a deep cleanser, moisturizes, and prevents breakouts and acne. It's a very powerful anti-oxidant, can reduce the appearance of scars and wrinkles, and treats skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. It is both antiseptic and antibacterial.
Externally, honey is anti-aging and moisturizing. It is anti-microbial and chock full of antioxidants as well, to rejuvenate the skin and aid in healing. Honey is an antiseptic, so it is ideal for treating breakouts. Honey is also a great anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, and so it a perfect ingredient to healing poultices for minor scrapes and burns. Internally, honey has been shown to promote heart health by increasing blood circulation and preventing clogged arteries and reducing cholesterol. It's anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties also help to boost your immune system.
I've done a mask like this once, years ago, with my best friend Jen, but I don't remember putting yogurt in it, so I decided on this recipe, to see what it would be like:
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp greek yogurt
Source: The Happy Skin Diary
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| Turmeric, greek yogurt, Manuka honey! |
I had Manuka honey in the fridge that I use very rarely, so I thought I'd really treat my face and use it for this mask, especially because I didn't need much of it. I had to warm it up slightly so I could mix in the turmeric and yogurt!
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| Melted the honey so I could mix in the turmeric. |
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| Just 1 tbsp of yogurt, even though the 'recipe' called for 2. |
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| Beautiful, sunny colour, non? |
This amount ended up making enough for two people, so I could recommend either having the recipe, or doing it with a friend. I'm not sure if it'll keep, but I put the leftovers in a bag in the fridge so I could do this again later this week.
I put it all over my face, and then read you're not supposed to put it in your eyebrows because it's used for hair removal (after more reading, I discovered that apparently this is only if you apply it on a regular basis), so I ran to the bathroom and wiped it off in a flash. No harm done. That'll teach me to read the instructions fully before I just jump right in! The website recommends applying with gloves, but I don't think that's necessary if you're quick and wash your hands with hot water right away.
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| Bright! I wrapped myself in yellow towels, so any staining would just blend right in! |
One thing I really liked about this is about 10 minutes in, it started getting warm and tingly (a good sign with turmeric).
I ended up leaving it on for a bit longer than this website suggests, because the bread was done rising and I needed to knead it. I'm not sure if this made a difference, or if I just didn't put enough yogurt in, but it definitely stained my face. Just a bit, and after I toned, that took a bit of it off. By the end of the day, there was no yellow tinge at all. Good thing I had no where to go today! To get it off, I would most definitely recommend hopping in the shower - I did and am glad! It would have been a disaster if I'd tried to get it off over the sink.
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| 30 minutes later, ready to get this off! |
Another thing I enjoyed about this mask is there was a bit of exfoliation as I rubbed it off. Nice and gentle.
I really liked it, but next time I think I'll add a bit more yogurt, or bentonite clay and see if that makes any difference in the staining department.
Sources:
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/7-benefits-and-uses-of-honey/
http://multiculturalbeauty.about.com/od/Skincare/a/Turmeric-For-Beauty.htm
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78
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