Cinnamon, Honey, and Coconut Facial. Photo by Sarah Shilhavy

By Sarah Shilhavy
Health Impact News

Acne is an issue that plagues many people. This has led to countless specialized products being developed to combat the acne dilemma, many of which are more harmful than helpful. Since everyone’s skin reacts differently to so many different things, finding just the right product that is both healthy and helpful can get pricey and frustrating very quickly.

Instead of wasting time and money searching for a product to purchase without harsh chemicals that works for you skin, make your own DIY facial using safe ingredients. Making your own specialized products with high quality ingredients is easier, safer for your health, far more cost effective and can work just as well, if not better, than the products on drugstore shelves.

Problems with Popular Acne Products

Most acne-fighting products on the market today use far too many questionable ingredients that are better off being avoided. Skin is your largest organ; what you put on it gets absorbed into the rest of your body. If you don’t want to be eating a particular ingredient, you probably shouldn’t let your largest organ (skin!) ingest it either.

Two main ingredients used in popular skin care products to fight acne are salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. Salicylic acid is a product derived from willow bark, whereas benzoyl peroxide is an organic compound in the peroxide family.

These two products are highly processed and very drying to the skin. In fact, I have yet to see an acne product containing salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide that does not have a warning about dryness from using the product too long/too much.

Your skin produces a lot of its own moisturizer in the form of natural oils, and the amount of oil produced varies greatly depending on many different factors such as weather, internal and external health, and what you’re putting on your skin. Normal production of these natural oils is absolutely essential to keeping your skin healthy.

If not enough oils are being produced, your skin will become dehydrated and need extra amounts of additional moisturizer. If too much oil is being produced, there is the issue of clogged pores which will lead to more blemishes. If you are already fighting acne to begin with, stripping out all of your skin’s natural healing oils with alcohol and sending your skin into oil overproduction mode to compensate is not going to be a very good thing.

In addition, most skincare products (not just those targeting acne) have a serious amount of alcohol, another very skin-drying agent. On top of that, there is the issue of parabens, a preservative found in way too many cosmetics that has links to breast cancer in women. Not fun. Just stay away from that stuff.

Finding a product that is safe and free of harsh and toxic ingredients can be difficult and time consuming, hence why you should make your own. Read on!

DIY Cinnamon and Honey Coconut Facial

A very effective yet calming and safe treatment you can do for acne at home is a two-step process using only three ingredients: raw honey, cinnamon, and coconut oil. All these ingredients are safe, moisturizing, antibacterial and great for healing problem skin. The cinnamon to honey ratio can be adjusted to what your skin can handle. The more cinnamon you add, the stronger the treatment. Be careful if you have very sensitive skin, and go easy on the cinnamon.

Directions for Facial:

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons raw honey
Coconut oil, as needed

Mix cinnamon and raw honey together and apply to freshly washed, clean skin. Leave on for 10 – 60 minutes. Wash the mask off in warm water using gentle circular motions to exfoliate.

Pat skin mostly dry and taking a small amount of coconut oil, pat onto damp skin. Use just enough to lightly moisturize.

The honey and cinnamon mix is an exfoliating mask, so it is best to only use it one to three times a week at most to avoid over exfoliation. Be careful using this mask if you have open sores and raw spots on your skin. Either cut way back on the cinnamon amount or wait until the problem areas begin the natural healing process before giving this a try.

Don’t bother wasting time and money on an endless product search before trying your hand at making some of your own healthy skin treatments. Skipping out on the harsh ingredients and sticking to ingredients you know are safe to eat will be safer for your health, and easier on the budget.