One of my favorite aspects of natural beauty and skincare treatments is that they are so easily attainable & inexpensive; all we have to do is step into our pantries, kitchens or even gardens to find the best ingredients to cocktail some of the most effective beauty treatments out there. I am lucky I can grow and tend to a little Meyer Lemon tree in my garden, and right now in the midst of February it is full of lemons! So I just had to address one of the many ways lemon could be added into skincare regimes, especially if you’re like most ladies who get breakouts, congestion and then scarring or hyper-pigmentation caused by those pink and red bumps! This is the treatment for you!
This 3 ingredient treatment can double as a facial exfoliating scrub and/or a mask. Because of timing, I usually scrub the exfoliator over my face 3 nights a week. If I have a bit more time in the evening, I’ll allow the mask to sit on my face for 5-8 minutes.
Lemon being the main ingredient is high in antibacterial and anti-fungal qualities! It is chock full of Vitamin C (an antioxidant) so it will naturally lighten dark spots and blemishes and to boot will fight free radicals. And I am not talking about a minor lightening treatment, lemon is extremely effective! Definitely do not underestimate its healing properties. It will eliminate breakouts and blackheads and aid with oil control! Talk about a power punch with lemon! Now, Cinnamon is the next ingredient, it will aid in circulation to the skin, getting all the blood flowing to help eliminate built up toxins. Cinnamon has natural healing properties to eliminate bacteria, thus it will stop acne from developing. Also, as it is a naturally granular texture it will slough away dead skin cells to reveal fresher skin when used as a scrub. I do warn that cinnamon can create a hot or warm sensation on any skin surface it is applied to, this is completely normal! The third and last ingredient is Honey. Again, honey is naturally antibacterial and full of antioxidants. However it is also moisturizing and soothing to irritated or blemished skin. Honey has a way to pull out congested pores to help in this clarifying skin process.
Mix together the juice of half a small to medium sized lemon, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1-2 teaspoons honey. The texture is kinda runny and gooey but smells and tastes delicious! Trust me its actually pretty yummy! Ha! Try to apply this scrub/mask treatment 3x’s a week for maximum benefits! Use your fingers to apply onto clean skin and scrub in gentle, circular, upward motions for 1-2 minutes. If using as a mask, stop scrubbing your face and just allow it to set for 5-8 minutes. Rinse completely with cool water. Happy clarifying everyone!
