DIY Spa Facial Scrub/Mask

As a mom, no matter the ages of your littles, your personal comforts and indulgences are often the last on the list.   And rightfully so.  Most of us are completely aware that our personal level of luxuries will diminish quite significantly with each additional child, and for the most part we accept that with open arms.  After all, it feels so much better to tuck in your baby and talk about daydreams before bedtime than it does to, say, defrag with a glass of wine and the newest beach read in the bathtub (though that is wonderful when it does miraculously happen).  We accept our roles as mothers with open arms, even though it means losing a bit of ourselves in the process.  Personally, I feel guilty for spending money on luxury items for my personal use.  Actually, since becoming a mother 6 years ago, my lifestyle has changed drastically with regard to my consumption habits.  After being blessed with Jonah in 2008, I found the concept of spending $200 on a handbag to be a bit silly.  Almost instantly I established more satisfaction in purchasing organic baby items and accessories.  Regardless, birth was the beginning of my journey into mommy frugality.  It also marked the beginning of my foray into handmade personal products. 

Today I'm sharing a personal favorite recipe for face scrub.  It has been about 2 year since I stopped using soap on my face entirely (sounds scary but it really has improved my skin by 100%) and began using this mixture. 

You can find a variety of slightly different recipes for this on Pinterest, but this is my favorite. Feel free to tweak the ingredient list to your liking; there's no magic combination that makes it work or fail.  Although, if you're used to using soap or cream cleanser at night, suddenly switching to an oil based cleanser may take a little adjusting.  

Hall and Oat Facial Scrub/Mask 

(I think I'm funnier than I actually am)

You Will Need

 Lemon juice (2 teaspoons)

Honey (1-2 tablespoons)

Oats (1 cup)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (up to 1 cup, depending on desired consistency)

Tools: Measuring cups, mixing bowl or cup, spoon, blender/chopper, mason jar for storing

*This recipe makes approximately 1/2 pint

Directions

This is all a matter of blending.  Start with 1 cup of oats. Dump those into a mixing container (I find that it's easier to use this liquid measuring Pyrex cup because the pour spout gives me more control). 

Next, add two tablespoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey. 

Finally, add enough Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) to cover all of the other ingredients.  I never measure this exactly, but the more EVOO you add, the thinner your emulsion will be. I'm over the moon for olive oil and it's skin-improving properties, so I feel like you can never have too much! 

This is what my approximation will look like; I will add enough oil to hit the 1 1/4 mark on my measuring cup.  

Now blend away!   Blend for quite awhile.  You really want to chop up those oats.  The mixture will thicken as you blend.   Pretty huh? (I kid)

Now, you're done!  Take your mixture and pour into your mason jar.  I like half pint jars for facial scrubs, only because it takes me awhile to use them completely.  Plus, you can do so many cute things to dress up mason jars.  I've made this scrub for Christmas presents, birthday surprises, Mother's Day gifts, and as a filler in baskets for new mommies and such. It always goes over quite well.  

Your mason jar will be fuller than this one if you follow my recipe above.  I had to amend my amounts a bit because I misjudged my oat stash! 

How to use it: 

• Use it as a scrub: dip your hand into the emulsion and swirl it around a bit (the oats will settle to the bottom), apply that directly to your face and wash as normal.  The oats will act as an exfoliant.  Pat dry and enjoy the wonderful moisture! 

• As a mask: Basically use the same way as the scrub, only let it set in an even layer after applying.  Take a washcloth and run it under warm/hot water and lay over your face.  The heat from the washcloth will dilate your pores and help them absorb even more moisture.  Leave washcloth over face for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then rinse and dry as normal.  

What it does: 

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: contains anti-inflammatory properties and monosaturated fats.  This make it an excellent topical application as it will reduce the appearance of puffiness, redness, and even calm the effects of certain types of dermatitis and psoriasis.  Anti-oxidants found in olive oil will help to soothe and eliminate dry, chapped skin and lips (who couldn't use that...especially during the winter months?!). 

• Lemon Juice: lemons naturally act as a toner and brightener for skin.  And the citric acid helps to dull that pesky shine.  

• Honey: honey is like the superfood of the DIY skin-treatment world.  It acts as an intense moisturizing agent, locking moisture into your skin and hydrating intensely without clogging pores. At the same time, it deep cleans pores and helps prevent acne and nasty blackheads. Plus, it helps to fade scars and freckles.  See what I mean?  It's amazing. 

• Oats: oats are commonly used as an exfoliant in masks and scrubs, but technically, they are much more than a rough surface.  Oats actually contain polysaccharides that create an invisible protective layer over your skin to lock in moisture.  They are also known to be effective in their skin soothing properties.  

All in all, this is a great scrub that you really can't mess up.  Now that you know what everything does, you can play with different amounts of the ingredients or even add a few of your own.  Go try it, you deserve some 'me' time after a full day of mommyhood. Thanks for stopping by! 

xo, Karee