A Spoonful of Honey... And Then Some!

I have had the worst luck with pimples lately. Seriously, I'm in my twenties and I feel like I just hit puberty.

Everybody knows exams suck, life's not fair, and no deadline is ever far enough away.

This week, everyone and their dog needed me to do something and I, of course, got stressed. And when I stress, even the tiniest little bit, I break out!

And not just the little pimples you pop and vanish over night. Oh no, I am master landscaper of what I like to call Mount Everzit. The kind of pimple that is large and painful, and so far under the skin that, even if you leave it alone, will take days to go way.

As everyone knows, I am and avid Pinner. But nothing I have found works for me. However there were many underlying themes in the remedies people were offering.

Last night I decided I was going to combine the best of 2 worlds; facial treatment and moisturizing.

So this is what I came up with.

Instantly my skin was smoother and awesome. And the next morning Mount Everzit was just a mole hill. Still slightly red, but not swollen or painful by any means. So here's how it works

First the recipe:

1 tsp of lemon juice

1-2 tsp of Baking soda (you want a thick goop but not a paste)

(Science alert: the baking soda will fizz with the lemon juice, don't be alarmed. This is a simple reaction that I'm sure you did with vinegar when making a volcano as a kid. It looks cool, but DO NOT put it in your mouth. First of all it tastes awful, second of all, it's really not a good idea)

Add 1 tsp of liquid honey 1 Tbsp white sugar (you may need to add more. You want enough to make the mixture the consistency of.... I dunno... apple sauce

Special Holiday Update:
Add a dash of cinnamon to the mixture for a powerful anti-oxidant boost!

(sorry for the blurry picture)

Now procedure:

This is going to get sticky, so pull your hair back. Soak your face in hot water for a few minutes, just to loosen everything up. Wash your face really well.Then take this goop, like a third at a time, and just rub it into your face for a few minutes. Don't shred your face, but feel free to really get it into your pores. Rub it in untll it is no longer runny.

Then wash with warm water again and you're done! Keep your hair out of your face overnight, and in the morning you should feel noticeably better.

If you feel like your skin is too dry, you can apply some light water-based moisturizer but avoid the pimple area. Don't use an oil based (or greasy) moisturizer. The lotion is too thick and will clog the pores you just cleared out.

How it works:

Honey acts as a moisturizer while the sugar exfoliate the skin. 

Lemon juice evens skin tone while the baking soda kills pimple bacteria.

Holiday Special:
Cinnamon adds antioxidants that helps boost the baking soda's power!

And there you have it!

For the record, I'm a physicist, not a chemist OR biologist, so don't take my word on anything other than the fact that it worked for me. Also if your skin is sensitive, don't use as much baking soda, and be gentle!