DIY - clear skin, anti-breakouts face mask

This mask helped me soooo much. I've been using it daily for almost 2 weeks now, and my face skin has cleared so much!! I have a lot of stress related breakouts on my face. And this fact alone stresses me more and makes me upset (vicious circle here I know). I used a lot of cleansers, scrubs and moisturisers, but nothing really worked for me. I then thought to try out natural products that are known to clear breakouts. I tried a mask with cucumber and I did not think it was suited for my skin.
The one that I tried and worked nicely contains:

- 1/3 banana, grated
- 1 teaspoon of grounded cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 5 drops of squeezed lemon juice

Warning!

Firstly, this mask really stings your face! So, you might want to do a test first on a small section of your face or neck. It stings for a few minutes, and then the face gets used to it and everything is fine. I've been reading that this can be caused by the lemon juice and/or the cinnamon. So, don't overly use any of the ingredients. 5 drops of lemon juice is enough!!

Secondly, your face will of course be red when you take it off. Don't worry, it will calm in a few minutes ;) the toner will help with that.

Benefits

• bananas - anti-bacterial (good for treating acne, blemishes), moisturising, contains vitamins C, B and traces of vitamins E, K, A, prevents wrinkles (contains antioxidants), nourishes the skin.
• grounded cinnamon - antiseptic (helps dry out acne), antibacterial, natural exfoliator, plumps up the skin .
• lemon juice - lightens, dries acne, add tenderness to skin, cleans the skin and blackheads, vitamin C, anti-dullness.
• honey - glowing skin, hydrating, antibacterial, smoothing skin, antiseptic, antioxidant, prevents wrinkles.

Easy peasy steps:

1. Mix all the ingredients together and stir well until the mixture looks like a paste (see image above)
2. Apply evenly to face and neck, avoiding the eye are
3. Allow to settle on the face for 20-25 minutes
4. Remove the mask using a make-up sponge, and then wash the face with cool water. Pat dry the face gently with a towel, don't rub it!
5. This is optional, but at this step I use my beloved konjac sponge, about which I talked previously http://whatscraftdoc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/konjac-sponge_20.html
6. Allow the face to cool off for a few minutes, then follow with a toner.
7. Moisturise.

Be patient!

This mask did wonders for my skin from the beginning, and I will continue to use it daily, but I would like to say that every skin and skin condition is different, so my advice is to stick with a routine and wait patiently (1 month, maybe more) for the results. :)

Would like to hear if anyone else used this mask, and also if anyone is addicted to it just like me ;)

Konjac sponge - 100% natural and amazing

The konjac sponge is a natural product used for cleaning and exfoliating the face. It's very gentle! I found it by mistake actually, as I was looking for a sponge to help take off my face masks. The mistake came of course because of my shopping online, which makes it difficult to see (and feel haha) the products :) After receiving it and reading more about it, I became really interested in it.
The sponge is at first hard as rock (which scared me a bit), but it softens with water.
 I use the sponge in my morning routine. How to use it: gently massage the face in circular motions. You can add a toner or cleanser on it, but I just use it by itself as I think it's more natural and chemical free this way.
A great how to use it video can be found here:

I used it now for about 10 days I think, and I can say I really notice the benefits:
- smoother skin
- brighter skin
- moisturising
- I used it on my blemishes and break outs and it looks like they are started to shrink down! My break outs are due to stress, and I have tried a lot of products to try and get rid of them.
- it's 100% natural! also it's naturally pH balanced.
- you can use one sponge for 1-3 months, depending on how you take care of it (the sponge needs love not roughness! haha dodgy)
- it's small, so it's easy to travel with

For the disadvantages of this, I noticed that:
- it does take some time to massage the entire face and neck, for me at least 10 minutes (in the weekend I use it a bit more). Maybe a solution to this is to use it in the evenings instead of mornings.
- storage for this is a bit difficult, as it is most of the time damp, so I would definitely suggest not storing this in the bathroom. Also, I wash it with soap before every use to make sure it is absolutely clean!!
- long term usage product

I bought mine from ebay, for under £2. It's definitely worth a try in my opinion!

For more information on the Konjac sponge and its benefits:
http://www.konjacspongecompany.com/

Apparently, there are different types of Konjac sponges: aloe, green tea, bamboo charcoal. I have not tried these, if my second one will not be the natural one again, I will update.

Hope this info and review is useful :) 

I love it!