[Skincare] Acne Attack! DIY Cinnamon-Honey Face Mask
Disclaimer: I'll keep this short: Apply at our own risk.
Well, its a surprise to see all of you here today! :D I'm here to flaunt my naked face, see all those little red dots? Say hello :) This mask burns and stings, like how meeting your ex might have felt like.
This face mask calls for 3 honey: 1 ground cinnamon.
While some other beauty junkies may be interested in maximizing the benefits of this mask by topping it with ground nutmeg and/or lemon juice, it might be too much for my skin (like lemon/cinnamon itself doesn't sting enough).
First of all, the sole reason I'm trying this mask out is because of my acne, I've broken out on my forehead, chin and temples. I'm less than tempted to try things that might cause my breakouts to continue skyrocketing. In fact, I didn't stumble across this face mask recipe, I was ransacking my fridge for food when I saw this bottle of ground cinnamon I bought last year for my cookie bakings. I know cinnamon has antibacterial properties but I was less aware of its potential to cause a chemical BURN! So since I've been having bad breakouts due to school stress, I went on without doing the slightest bit of 'research'.
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| This was 2 water : 1 ground cinnamon As you can see, it had stung my face badly. Leaving my eyes watery and my skin scorching red. |
Ahh, so honey is the magical ingredient you need!
*Tip: you can also substitute honey with milk or add both to combat the cinnamon sting
So I squeezed 2 teaspoons of honey into the rice bowl and got this goo-ey consistency. (kinda reminds me of mucus :I)
Oh, and remember to mix well. (And/or microwave it for about 10 seconds.) I skipped the microwave. Cinnamon takes some time to absorb the liquid, it stays in its powdered form for the first few seconds of mixing.
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| My eyes were too swollen to be opened. Remember to avoid your eye area (if you don't want to be blinded forever) |
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| Totally on the verge of tearing |
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| As you can see, even the skin around the mask looks sensitized. |
I would suggest you try 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon with 3 teaspoons of honey / milk (or both)? If your skin still cannot take it, then give this mask a miss. It has indeed been proven that this is not the miracle you're looking for.
**Test try this mask on a small area near your face (eg. neck) for allergic reactions.
The burning sensation is at it's worst at about a minute after applying but will die down by about 5 minutes.
At first I thought the cinnamon was going to be an awesome scrub (that was before the burn greeted me). You can try to exfoliate with the fine cinnamon grains while washing it off, in circular motions. This somewhat reminds me of the Himalaya Herbals Gentle Exfoliating Apricot Scrub.
This mask can be pretty messy when you're working with sticky honey. While washing off, some of the cinnamon went into my hairline (and stained my towel when I was drying my face) so I would suggest doing this before you bathe.
***Oh, and also I read that this face mask is not for daily use as it may irritate your skin (like duh LOL). The recommended frequency was about once a week.
Results
I'd almost skipped this LOL.
- I like how this mask increase the blood flow to the face, it feels like exercising or after a hot bath. So I think products might be better absorbed, then again, I've nothing to back it up.
- It cleanses the skin so well, that I skipped the cleanser at night. The exfoliating grains also sort of minimized the black heads, also the skin felt softer and smoother.
- I've only used this once and to be honest, I didn't see results in terms of acne subsiding right after washing off. But I'm sure that the exfoliating will reduce the discolorations caused by acne scarring.
*Update: On the next morning I woke up, the swelling went down for 2 of the existing pimples I've. Also, the acne scars on my forehead just flaked off when I was drying my face. This was one of the harshest exfoliation I've done (besides retinA), I was pretty impressed. On a side note though, I have to introduce another pimply friend (not sure whether its a side effect of the mask), but I don't think its here to stay. :)
Read more about the benefits / other usages of cinnamon here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/91597-benefits-ground-cinnamon-skin/
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| I had some extras and went for an immediate ROUND 2! LOL pardon the background, I was in the laundry room |
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What do you think about my blog page revamp? (while I have some more free time this week) The images getting outside its width plane were getting on my nerves! hehee. And also, I LOVE DANDELIONS!!! While googling, I saw some of the dandelion tattoos, and I thought to myself, "If I'm ever gonna get myself inked, THAT shall be what's going on me". I think I'll marry any guy who gives me a bouquet of dandelions (if only they're not ruined until they get to me)! Since when did I become such an avid nature lover? I was still complaining about the bugs in school a month ago.
Btw, here's a happy fact for you!
"For someone, somewhere in the world, today is the most amazing day of their life."
So, here's something to be happy about :) though, that person might not be me, the happiest day of my life has yet to come, but I'm all cool about it.
Also, if you happen to garner enough courage to take on this mask, do let me know what you think of it!
Until next time, BYE!
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