Natural Skin Care: For Oily Skin

Time is valuable, and this blog is all about getting the most out of every day, and finding the beauty in each and every experience.  Something I have been having trouble seeing the beauty in lately has been my skin.  One of the joys of having a change in one’s hormones can be a distinct change in skin texture and needs.  I have a hard time keeping track of what I am not supposed to use on my skin; I know I shouldn’t be using anything scented or anything with chemicals or hard-to-pronounce ingredients.  So, in an effort to find something that is safe and effective, I took to internet research.  There are millions of different suggestions out there – Google it yourself if you don’t believe me.  I am NOT about to try a million different things, so I tried to narrow my focus by finding suggestions for remedies which included ingredients I already had in my cupboards.  I’d like to say that this narrowing of focus was for you, the reader, but I must admit that it really appealed to my need for efficiency.  Truth be told, I was looking for something easy, cheap, effective, and fast.  Any spare time I have these days is for sleeping, not for trying to concoct a skin care recipe that is so complicated no one will want to try it.  

So, I found a “recipe” for treating oily skin.  Now, for any readers who know me personally, you will be wondering why in the name of goodness I was looking for an oily skin treatment.   Even though I traditionally have very dry skin, my little bean (surprise – there’s a bun in the oven!) has decided that oily skin will be the surprise of the month for me.

At this point I should note that this “recipe” has been tried by at least one other mama in my online forum.  She had great success, and even added her own twist.  (See below)

The “recipe” did not really come with measurements (hence the quotation marks) so thanks to a process of trial and error, I am offering you suggestions for measurements given what worked for me.

You will need:

3 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. milk

½ tsp. cinnamon

* If you find that the mixture is too stiff to work with, I suggest adding milk VERY sparingly.  There’s a fine line between exactly enough milk and way too much!

The original “recipe” did not call for cinnamon, but the aforementioned mama decided that since cinnamon has anti-oxidant properties (and smells delicious) it would be an appropriate add-on to the ingredient list.  I agree completely.  Smell the paste before and after adding the cinnamon if you want to see for yourself.

I am slightly camera shy at the best of times, so I had serious trepidation at the thought of including a picture of my face with this crazy stuff on there!  And really – we’re not all that close just yet.  :)

The final product looks pretty harsh, but don’t judge until you try it.  Don’t bother trying to cake it on so that it looks like a mask (you won’t be able to), just use it as you would any other exfoliating product. 

I love the feeling of something tingling on my face – it makes me believe something’s really happening.  Even with the amazing power of technology, you are unable to feel the difference this scrub made to my skin, so I have to ask you to trust me here.  It actually worked!! 

So with the success of this easy and cheap home remedy, I started wondering what I could use for the dry skin on my hands and legs.  I know, I know, unscented hand cream.  But honestly – where’s the fun in that? 

I’m off on another skin care mission and will post if I find anything worth sharing for those of you who, like me, battle dry skin during the harsh winter months.  

~ Shannon