Best Homemade Mask For Acne

Do you ever just wake up some days with bad skin? Before desperation has you calling the local spa for a facial (most likely laden with all kinds of toxic products) give this incredible diy mask a try.

It doesn’t even matter if it’s self-inflicted bad skin. When I have a few too many days in a row of sugar, my skin flares up. The texture feels thick and hard. We older folk get under-the-skin honkers that bring tears to my eyes. This mask will wipe my slate clean. If I start eating better, my skin will stay better. But this mask get that good-skin-ball rolling. It is noticeable immediately!

I found this recipe on the back of the Aztec bentonite clay jar. While I try to only buy clays that are marked edible, (this one is not) I am glad that I was in a pinch one time, because this little mask has been a miracle worker for my skin!

What’s in a bentonite clay mask?

• 1 TBS bentonite clay
• 1 – 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 drops essential oil, I prefer blue tansy and frankincense
• Optional: if you have a sunburn, or need more gentle TLC, add 1 tsp honey.

This could not be more simple to whip up. Adding in the essential oils means you can sit next to your family and tend to your skin while watching a movie without offending them with your smell! Ha ha The vinegar is quite strong, otherwise.

What makes this mask work so well?

First, let’s look at the bentonite clay. It is an incredible powder that absorbs toxins and even heavy metals. See my DIY deodorant recipe for more info on the powerful effects of bentonite clay. (Also, subscribe, and you’ll get my free e-book on natural skin care ingredients I always keep on hand for many uses!)

Apple cider vinegar balances the ph on your skin, exfoliates with it’s naturally occurring AHAs (much like a fruit peel in a spa) and stimulates circulation. As an esthetician, I learned that so much of what we do to our skin is a ‘controlled injury’— instigating a response from our body’s natural abilities to rush in and heal. Are we not designed so incredibly!?

Essential oils are key here for the smell. But frankincense and blue tansy are touted as being incredibly nourishing for the skin.

If you add raw honey, you’ll be diminishing the ‘injury’ we’re inflicting with the apple cider vinegar a bit, but you are also giving your skin a chance to soak in some insane moisture. The enzymes in honey make it so that the humectants can penetrate and hydrate those deep, dermal layers of your skin.

How to use this homemade mask for acne:

Mix up your ingredients until smooth and apply to your face. Try to get a nice, thick layer all over. If the mask is going on thinly, add a little more clay in.

You’ll notice in that stellar gallery of photos at the beginning, that YES, I put this in my armpits. It detoxifies (read: de-FUNK-tifies) amazingly!! If you ever find yourself still a little smelly after showers, it’s time to apply this mask.

Keep this rescue mask on your skin until it dries thoroughly. You will feel your skin ‘pulsing’ under the mask! That’s okay, it subsides in a few minutes. If that is too much for your liking, or if you have a sunburn and are after something more soothing, add a teaspoon of raw honey into your mask.

Before rinsing off, massage warm water into the mask to soften it. This is one last chance for a bit of exfoliating! Once you think your face is clean, grab a new washcloth and do one more round of rinsing it off. Complete your routine with your oil cleanser and nourishing tallow balm. Your face may be a little red immediately after, which is why I recommend doing it before bed.

Wake up the next morning and be amazed at that pure reflection staring back at you!!

Let me know if you try it— tag @ournomadichomestead when you post that glowing, makeup-free face in the morning!