Alright, it’s time to get a little personal.. I’m 26 and I feel like I just hit puberty! I’ve had relatively clear skin most of my life and now all of a sudden, it’s Breakout City! On top of feeling like a pimple-faced teen, I also need to start focusing my skincare routine on preventative signs of aging. So how do you treat both?! I’ve been going through tons of cleansers, eye creams, spot treatments, moisturizers.. you name it and my skin either gets worse or doesn’t seem to respond at all. I finally decided to dial it back a bit and get back to NATURAL ingredients.
I put together a three ingredient mask that helps treat and prevent blemishes as well as premature signs of aging. After just one use my skin felt refreshed, smooth, and radiant! Click through for more information on the ingredients I used and why they’re so beneficial for your skin!
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(makes enough for 2-3 applications)
Ingredients:
1 Tbs black tea leaves (or approximately 6 tea bags)
1/4 cup hot water
1 Tbs honey (raw organic honey is best, but regular honey works fine too)
1 tsp real lemon juice
*Polyphenols and tannins in black tea accelerate skin regeneration, prevent pimples, and soothes irritated skin. The caffeine in tea also helps with puffiness under the eyes.
*Honey is naturally antibacterial, so it does wonders for acne treatment and prevention. If you’re finding a face mask to treat acne specifically, a good ingredient to look for is honey. It’s also packed full of antioxidants which will slow down signs of aging. As if that weren’t enough, it’s extremely moisturizing and soothing, so it gives you a healthy glow!
*Lemon juice, much like honey, has antibacterial properties which helps treat and prevent blemishes. It helps fade discoloration caused by scars or age spots and the citric acid in lemons aids in removing the top layer of dead skin cells, leaving your skin smooth and radiant!
Place tea leaves or tea bags in a small cup and pour hot water over them. Let them steep 2-3 minutes and then drain water. Press on the leaves to squeeze out as much water as possible. If you’re using teabags, squeeze out the excess water and cut open the teabags. Transfer tea leaves to a small mason jar or other sealing container. Stir in honey and lemon juice until mixed.
It’ll be a little bit runny so drape a towel around your neck and make sure your hair is pulled back. Apply a generous amount to skin, avoiding eyes and mouth. Leave on for 5 minutes.
As a bonus you can steep two additional teabags in hot water, squeeze out excess water, and when cool enough to touch, but still warm, hold them under your eyes to help with excess puffiness.
And as an extra EXTRA bonus you can enjoy a Black Tea Hot Toddy! 😉 Don’t worry.. I’ll share the recipe soon!
After the five minutes is up, use small circular motions to gently massage and exfoliate your skin and then rinse with warm water. Follow up with a moisturizer if skin is naturally dry. Store leftover mask in the refrigerator until ready to use. Allow mix to come back down to room temperature before using.
My little helper from last week!
Sara says
Great mask, thanks for sharing! I’m going to try it with Manuka honey. I’m glad to know it’s not just me… I’m also in my mid-20s, have had great skin for years, and out of nowhere these last few months started pulling allergic reactions and getting breakouts. 🙁 🙁 Your skin looks radiant though!
Sasha says
Thank you Sara! I owe it all to this mask! They also say drinking 1-2 cups of black tea daily can help improve skin. I’ve been doing that for about a week now and I can tell a difference already. I hope this helps with your skin as well!
lauren michelle says
I immediately thought ” i wonder if she’ll do a toddy recipe when i saw the corner of the Jerry bottle in one of the pics. Cant wait for that! And i cant wait to try this! I love when you make masks and scrubs. (Also isnt it just amazing that the labels on sailor Jerry are stickers now!?)
Sasha says
Hahah good eye Lauren! And yes I couldn’t resist pairing the mask and the cocktail since the ingredients are pretty much the same! I think I’ll be continuing that theme for awhile as well so stay tuned! The new labels are phenomenal! It’s going to make crafting soooo much easier!
jamie says
hope this really works. i’ve been going through the same struggle! how often do you apply the mask? what facial wash do you use now?
Sasha says
This one and my DIY Honey Rose Face Mask always work wonders for my skin. I would use the mask 2-3 times a week. Make sure not to over exfoliate or else you just irritate it and cause more inflammation. I currently use Clinique Take the Day Off oil cleanser to remove my makeup and then follow up with Say Yes to Cucumbers (found at Walgreens) to calm any redness and further cleanse. I also use a Clarisonic about every other day unless I’m using a homemade or purchased mask that exfoliates as well. I hope this mask helps and that you have clear glowing skin again soon!