Hey everyone, how goes it?
We’ve had one heckuva summer- a trip to Iowa and a trip to California, nearly back-to-back. Then one of Jerry’s family member’s was in the hospital for an extended period of time (thankfully doing well now), so we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.
Being so busy, traveling, dry airplane air, and being outdoors, has wreaked havoc on my skin. On top of those factors, I accidentally got 0.10% tretinoin instead of 0.05%, so my skin is having to adjust to the higher strength, and I’m going through the sensitive, peeling stage all over again! Arrrgghhhh…!!!
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Then, lo and behold, I got an email from one of our affiliates, Kopari, with a suggestion of making a DIY mask with their Coconut Melt combined with matcha powder. This seemed like a fantastic idea- I LOVE coconut oil for my skin, but hadn’t thought of combining it with matcha before.
Coconut oil not only moisturizes, but has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, which would be great for soothing irritated skin (Krans, 2016). Matcha tea powder isn’t just a great anti-aging ingredient, but it has anti-inflammatory properties and can address oxidative damage (Binic, et al., 2013).
Also, as dermatologist Dr. Surbhi says honey has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging effects, as well as provides moisture and soothes sensitive skin, I decided that some of my raw honey would be good to add as well (Mahajan, 2017). I even opted to use a drop of PlantTherapy’s Helichrysum Italicum essential oil, since it’s a key ingredient in the L’Occitane Immortelle collection of antiaging products.
I didn’t really measure anything, I just added the ingredients to a mise en place bowl, and blended until I got the consistency I wanted. Since I’m peeling from the tretinoin, I wanted more moisture than anything, so I used a good bit of coconut oil. This is important to note, as it will become liquid when mixed and applied to warm skin.
Since my final product was “liquid-y,” I applied a very thin layer- I got it too thick in a couple areas and it started to run down my face…lol! Nevertheless, even a thin layer was quite soothing, and it didn’t take much to get the job done.
I left the mask on for about 20 minutes, then splashed some warm water onto my face and massaged it all together. Using a wet wash cloth, I then wiped it off my skin, like I would with a cleansing balm. I followed up with my normal night time skincare routine, then in the morning, I used my Elemis Gentle Foaming Facial Wash, and I swear, it felt like I had a whole new face!
My skin ended up being much softer, and a lot less irritated. This is definitely something I’ll probably whip up on a regular basis- especially since I can adjust the ingredients depending on my needs at any given time. Many thanks, Kopari, for this fab idea!
Ready to give it a shot? Head over to Kopari.com and pick up a jar of Coconut Melt and enjoy your softer skin!
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Have you ever tried any DIY masks? Scroll down to comment below!
Sources:
Binic, I., Lazarevic, V., Ljubenovic, M., Mojsa, J., Sokolovic, D. (2013). Skin ageing: Natural weapons and stragegies. Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, January 29, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2017, from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Krans, B. (2016). Can I use coconut oil for skin care? Healthline, May 31, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2017, from www.healthline.com.
Mahajan, S. (2017). 8 benefits of honey on skin- know from dermatologist. Dermatocare, May 17, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017, from www.dermatocare.com.
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