Sugar Mask

diy: Skincare Masks

Sugar Mask

Hello! As promised, here is my second mask post. I thought I would provide a sugar mask that is great for exfoliation and will leave your skin incredibly smooth. Although I prefer to exfoliate with just warm water and a wash cloth, I use this more often during the winter when my skin is dry. It is important to exfoliate as it keeps your skin brighter, softer, and glowing. Exfoliating is also great for buffing away dead skin keeping your pores clean and acne under control. Because it removes dead skin, it also helps with uneven skin tones and discoloration. After using this mask, you will see that your skin is much smoother, and moisturizers are able to soak into your skin easier.

What you will need:

Granulated Sugar
Warm Water
A small bowl or cup to put everything into
A washcloth

Step One:

Take two spoonfuls of sugar and place it into your bowl or cup.

Step Two:

Add three spoonfuls of the warm water. An easy way to do this is to put your water in another cup, and transfer three spoonfuls into your sugar cup.

Step Three:

Let most of the sugar dissolve and stir well. You should see specks of sugar in the final mixture. You may need to add more sugar if it has completely dissolved.

Step Four:

Apply to your face and massage into your skin with your fingers. The finished mixture should be warm and easy to apply with your fingers. The mixture should also have pieces of the sugar being massaged on your skin. Massage your face for about 2-3 minutes. Focus on problem areas and dry patches.

Step Five:

Rinse your face well and pat dry.

Step Six:

Rinse your washcloth in hot water and squeeze out the excess water. The washcloth should be warm if not hot. Place washcloth over your face and remove after it cools. Your face should feel refreshed and smooth. Apply moisturizer to retain smoothness.

Warnings:

I have heard you can exfoliate up to five times a week, however, depending on your skin's sensitivity, it will vary. I personally can only exfoliate once a week. Anymore than that will irritate my skin. Just pay attention to how your skin reacts to the exfoliation.
Please, please, PLEASE do not substitute the sugar for salt! Salt will be a lot more harsh on your skin and can irritate it.
xoxo

Miss Monie

Aspirin Mask

diy: Skincare Masks

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a fabulous week! This week I plan on sharing two of my favorite masks. I will be splitting it up into two different posts with my second mask being posted on Thursday. They are both very simple and can be done with a minimal amount of ingredients.

Aspirin and Honey Mask.

This mask is very easy to do and great for controlling acne. I originally found this mask through MichellePhan and would love to share what I learned to you. Some people ask me "how does an aspirin mask even help with acne?" Aspirin actually is a form of salicylic acid. Salicylic acid helps with discoloration as well as helps to dissolve dead skin cells. Aspirin is also a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which helps reduce redness and the appearance of acne.

What you will need:

Non-coated aspirin
Honey (preferably organic)
Water
A small dish or bowl to put everything into.

Step One:

Take two to three of the non-coated aspirin and place it into your small dish.

Step Two:

You will place one spoon full of water into the bowl fully submerging the pills. Let dissolve. It is easier to use non-coated aspirin. If you only have coated aspirin, you can begin to dissolve then peel away the coating.

Step Three:

Once the pills are nearly dissolved, add half a spoon of honey. Stir until everything looks like a watered down paste.

Step Four:

Apply to your face. This amount of mixture is more than you need but you can apply the extra to especially problem areas. Try putting the excess mixture on pimples that haven't come to a head. It will typically speed the process and go away within the next day. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step Five:

After 10 to 15 minutes, rinse face. Salicylic acid can be very drying so apply a moisturizer afterward.

Warnings:

Please read your bottle of aspirin for a full list of disclosures and warnings. Any warnings will be listed on the bottle itself. These are just a few that I would like to point out:
Do not use this mask if you are allergic to aspirin!
Even if you are not allergic, please think about how you react to aspirin when you take it for it's intended purposes. Your skin will absorb some of the aspirin so please keep that in mind. Although it will not absorb 100% of it, do not exceed the suggested daily amount. I typically only use two to three pills that are 325mg each.
Do not use this mask more than once a week. As I have said before, it can be very drying due to the salicylic acid. Also, it will not be as effective if you use it too regularly. I would recommend only using it during especially bad breakouts to maintain it's effectiveness.
Please remember to use sunscreen afterward, especially if you live in a sunny location. The aspirin will leave your skin more vulnerable to the sun causing it to easily burn.
I hope this information has been helpful. Remember, I will post my second mask on Thursday so please keep an eye out!

xoxo

Miss Monie