Naturally Clean: Cinnamon and Honey for Acne

I've always been concerned about the state of my skin. I've tried almost every face wash, mask, and spot treatment on the market, all to no avail. Since my pregnancy and birth of my son, my face has only gotten worse. Yeah, all those things I heard about glowing skin during pregnancy...lies! At least, for me it was. Ever since then, it has persisted. Hooray hormones.

I never even thought twice about buying face goo from the drug store and slapping it on my face in the hopes that it would perform some miracle. I also never bothered to read the ingredients. There's some pretty questionable things in a lot of skin care products and all of those questionable ingredients aren't going to just sit on the surface of your face. They are going to be absorbed into your body. Not to mention, they just plain don't work!

My sister started mixing honey and cinnamon and using it as a face mask. She insisted it was amazing and it got me curious to try it myself. At the time I first gave it a try, I had a mountain of a zit on my face. I mixed up the honey and cinnamon and smeared it all over my face and let it sit for about 15 minutes. I rinsed completely and let my face dry naturally. In a few minutes, I noticed results. I'm not even exaggerating when I say the zit had shrunk to about half its original size. Not only that, but I noticed my skin tightening and my pores were also noticeably smaller. I finally witnessed a real skin care miracle and it had been hiding in my kitchen the whole time.

Honey is naturally antibacterial. By leaving it on your face, the bacteria can't survive and dies. Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory and helps reduce the redness and swelling of acne. Here's how to make your own:

Make sure your honey is actually 100% honey. Check out your local farmer's market, bee farm, health food store, or organic section of your grocery store. Scoop a small amount into a bowl. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and stir until you have a thick paste. You may need to add more cinnamon. Spread on affected areas or all over as a mask and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Gently wipe off or rinse with warm water. Let your face air dry. Apply a thin layer of coconut oil to replenish your skin's natural protectant and moisture. Repeat daily.