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Leftovers are always in abundance on Thanksgiving. This year, don’t fret if you buy in excess. Many common Thanksgiving ingredients can be used in DIY skincare solutions such as masks or scrubs.
The most important thing to remember during the busy holidays is to adhere to your skincare regimen and that includes taking your daily dose of AcnEase®. It’s also helpful to supplement your skincare routine with a delicate scrub or nourishing mask when your skin suffers from stress or other times when it doesn’t receive the proper care. The holidays are one of those times when we are often too busy to dedicate enough time and energy to ourselves and our skin.
Here are 4 simple DIY facial masks that can help maintain a clear and healthy complexion when time isn’t on your side and your skin needs a boost. An added bonus is that these ingredients are probably already in your refrigerator this week in preparation for Thanksgiving. The star ingredients are cranberries, yeast and sweet potatoes. There is also a link to our ever-popular pumpkin mask, which provides extreme nourishment for all skin-types.
If using the Cranberry Facial Scrub, do not follow with a DIY mask. This is to ensure that your skin doesn’t have an adverse reaction to the foreign ingredients. Although all of the ingredients are mild, it’s best to be cautious. We recommend that you only use these 1-2 times per week. It is extremely important that you massage all of these GENTLY into your skin in a circular motion to avoid damaging your skin. It is possible to create tiny tears in your skin from abrasive ingredients. As always, if you experience any irritation or discomfort from any of these, rinse off immediately.
This delicate scrub is good for reducing redness and inflammation and also contains nutrients that will smooth and moisturize the skin.
Cranberries contain omega 3, 6, 9, Vitamin C and E, among other powerful components. The anti-oxidants in cranberries help fight free radicals that are responsible for aging the skin. The anti-inflammatory properties in cranberries help reduce the redness and irritation around the inflamed acne. Vitamin C is responsible for improving your skin tone.
Brown sugar is enriched with molasses, which contains B vitamins, known to repair sun-damaged skin. The sugar acts as the exfoliator and helps remove dead skin, opens pores and allows dirt and bacteria to escape.
1/2 cup fresh cranberries (uncooked) 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp organic brown sugar
Combine cranberries and honey in a blender and puree. Empty contents into a clean bowl and add brown sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves slightly. You don’t want the mixture to be too abrasive as it will damage your skin. Apply the mixture to your clean face including jawline and massage gently in circular motions with fingertips for 2-3 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Extra mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week. You can substitute other types of sugar for the brown sugar, however it will not have the same nutrients and benefits for your skin.
This mask is great for all types of acne. The vitamins and nutrients in the yeast help eliminate bacteria within the pores and fight future breakouts. This mask also reduces inflammation and simultaneously moisturizes the skin.
1 tbsp fresh baker’s yeast (can substitute powdered yeast) 2 tbsp warm organic milk 1 tsp honey
Dissolve yeast in warm milk, then mix with honey. Apply mixture to clean skin and allow to sit for 20 minutes. If you are allergic to honey, substitute it with other ingredients depending of the effect you want - add an egg yolk if you have mature skin, egg white for acne-prone skin, or olive oil for dry skin.
Sweet potatoes are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. The orange color in sweet potatoes is attributed to beta-carotene, which helps reduce inflammation. In addition, the anti-aging properties in sweet potatoes will boost collagen production while keeping your skin smooth and hydrated. They also help the skin regenerate new cells and shed old ones.
Cinnamon helps to control acne in various ways. As the cinnamon dries the affected area, increased amounts of blood and oxygen are drawn to the surface of the skin and bacteria is pushed out, while opening the pores. Egg yolk draws oil from the skin while nourishing dull and/or mature complexions.
Butternut squash can be substituted for sweet potato, which has similar properties.
Boil sweet potato until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool and remove the skin. Place all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Apply to clean face and neck in circular motion with finger tips. Allow to absorb for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Discard any remaining mixture.
We also recommend our Pumpkin Mask for Acne-Prone Skin which can be used on all skin types but is best suited for those with sensitive and/or irritated skin. Pumpkin is full of antioxidants and also provides moisture to the skin.
Take some time for yourself this Thanksgiving. Whip up one of these nourishing skin treatments and enjoy the results. Just like these masks, AcnEase® produces noticeable results. Over 96% of our customers have seen positive results within 30 days of starting AcnEase®. If you haven’t already tried it, you too can have clear skin in as little as 30 days. We guarantee our product so there is no risk.
Do you have any favorite DIY skin treatments? Once you try these masks, please tell us how they worked for you in the comments below.