[Review & Tutorial] Homemade Skin Care for Oily, Scarred, Acne Skin: Part II

I'll continue the previous post about homemade ingredients for skincare.

I think before I continue, I have to put some kind of disclaimer over my natural homemade skincare. Patience and routine is the key here. Don't expect to apply masks or such and get the instant result overnight--even the dermatologists' said 'magic cream' won't work overnight and in one application. You have stick to the routine schedule and do it without fail, and in several weeks, your skin will show some improvements. Hell, when I started using my face oil, I couldn't see any result until after several months after.

So yeah. Sometimes I have that stubborn breakouts, like, when the old ones are still halfway healed, the new ones attacked. When it happened, I either increase the homemade treatment intensity, or take a shortcut (cough) and applied Benzolac salve. It's bad in long term, though, since Benzolac made my skin as if the acne was burnt despite its speedy healing. So I only use it when I'm desperate enough. But in normal condition, I think the natural ingredients' properties are enough to heal and maintain your skin. Moreover, it won't give any side effect (except, well, if you have allergies to said ingredients, such as nut allergies or such). Just rotate the ingredients you are using every two or three weeks so as not to saturate the skin.

Now let's get back discussing the next ingredients.

• Honey

How amazing honey is? Go to Google and search 'honey for skin care' and you'll get enough article to get you busy reading for the whole day. Adding honey in my face mask mixture leave my skin supple and hydrated, and the antibacterial properties help fight acne and breakouts. My mother also use honey and lemon mixture for face mask for her age spot and she said it helps.

I usually use honey as the mixture for my face mask concoction, since using honey alone is quite messy and sticky and runny. You don't want that sweet liquid drops everywhere. Plus, honey is super rich and moisturizing. Having an acne-prone and super oily face I am, I sometimes wary of putting something too rich on my face because it can be easily turned into breakouts, so I always do the extra skincare step (face masks, scrubs, additional moisturizers or lotions or emulsion and such) at night before sleep, because during sleep, our skin will absorb all moisture more than during our waking hours.

• French Green Clay Mask

Clay mask is wonderful for healing troubled skin. Each type is for different type of skin, and the French Green Clay Mask specifically is for the oily and acne skin. I use this clay mask as the base for my face mask concoction. Add about one full teaspoon of clay mask powder and mix with other liquid (honey, lemon juice, essential oils, potato juice, etc). Clay mask helps to increase the skin's absorption rate of other mixed ingredients. However, many people use it wrongly. Keep in mind to let the mask sit until only the surface is dry while still a bit damp under, because if you wait until it totally dries and cracks, the mask will instead absorb the skin's moisture. We don't want that, do we?

Here's my usual clay mask recipe:

• About one teaspoon of clay mask powder
• A dash of cinnamon
• Little bit of honey
• Or potato juice 
• If I'm too lazy to grate potato, then, lemon juice
• Two or three drops of my face oil (I currently use Golden Jojoba Oil mixed with Frankincense essential oil)

...well, no set amount, as I normally add the liquid gradually until desired consistency (thin enough to smother generously on my face, thick enough not to drip when on my face). Since I always hate having leftover concoction, I only add small amount of each ingredients and add either honey, potato juice, or lemon juice (too much liquid = had to add more clay powder to thicken = too much leftover). Two or three drops (or one pump) of oil, a dash of honey, you get me. Apply generously to the face, let it sit for 15-20 minutes or until the surface doesn't stick to your finger anymore but still a bit damp. Wash with cold water.

I usually use this clay mask concoction interchangeably with the fermented oatmeal face scrub. It's important to rotate what you put in your face, so your skin won't be saturated with the same properties over and over again.

•  Potato

I've mentioned potato several times previously. This versatile vegetable is not only delicious however we cook it, it's also good for the skin. I notice my skin is brighter, fading black spots, smaller pores, and fading scars. It helps soothe the swelling acne, too.

How to use?

• Wash and peel one potato. Slice it paper-thin. Put on clean face as mask, cover all of your face (including the eyelid). Wait for 15-20 minutes (close your eyes, take a short nap, listen to music, thinking about the universe, whatever floats your boat. Just relax). Take it off. You can leave it as it is, lightly pat your skin to let the excess moisture absorbed, or wash your face. 
• Don't have the skill to slice it paper-thin with only knife? Grate the potato. You can either use the pulp and juice as the mask, or use the juice for your mask mixture. If you can only purchase the low quality potato that contains more water, you only need half, or 1/4 part. Plus, using the pulp may be too messy and annoying to apply, thus, just use the juice. Squeeze the grated pulp through fine mesh, sieve, or cheese cloth to drain the juice. If there is still too much water, wait for a moment until the condensed part is settled at the bottom. Carefully throw the top part of the liquid without disturbing the settled sediment, and use the juice with the sediment part.

• Cinnamon

The more you read, you perhaps wonder more and more whether I'm writing an entry for skincare or some bizarre cake recipe. You and me both, mate. But we have to admit that what's good as our food is also good to be applied topically. Cinnamon contains anti-inflammatory and anti bacterial, and it's good to reduce the acne swelling and redness, and if used regularly, can dries your acne. However, bear in mind. Never, EVER, apply the cinnamon powder as it is to your skin because it BURNS. Like, IT BURNS AS IF YOU'RE WALKING ON THE HOT FIRE EMBERS only the burnt one is your face instead of your feet AND THE BURNT FEELING STAYS. Even when you add it into your face mask mixture, don't add too much. Use sparingly. Like maybe a dash or as much as the tip of your spoon. Perhaps 1/5 part of your mixture, at max. Before I own french green clay mask, I mix 1 part of cinnamon with 4 parts of rice flour and honey until desired consistency.

• Green Tea

No, not that super bitter green powdery stuff used as mixture for just all kinds of food and beverages, but the leaves (or tea bags, for the cheapskates like me) that makes sheer light green liquid when brewed. I rarely use this for face mask mixture. Instead, I let the tea sit until cool, and put into spray bottle. I use this as face mist before putting my make up, or slip the bottle into my bag and spray whenever I feel tired, or hot, or greasy (from the amount of oil buildup in my face). However, I rarely do this anymore, since I have to change the tea water every two days. Plus, I don't have fridge anymore. It's just too troublesome. But if you can manage changing the tea for every two days and have fridge so you can put your bottle inside when not used, then go for it.

I think that's about it, all homemade remedies I've tried until now. There are actually more remedies if you search the internet, from the normal one like apple cider vinegar to a slightly unsettling one like banana skin (!!) to the bizarre one like toothpaste (.....) I just haven't had time and chance to try the rest (though personally I don't dare using toothpaste. That as much chemical as the prescribed spot treatment). I'll discuss about face oils in the future. Hope you like it! :3