Homemade Skin Care Recipes: Honey & Wheatgerm Facial Mask

Exfoliating your skin is an important step in skin care maintenance. By removing dead skin cells, you reveal the newer, softer skin beneath. This easy homemade skin care recipe can be whipped up quickly using ingredients most of us keep in the kitchen.

Ingredients:
- 2 TBSP Honey
- 2 TBSP Wheatgerm (untoasted preferable)

In a bowl, mix together honey and wheatgerm. Place in airtight container. This recipe makes about 3 to 4 applications.

To Use:

Before applying the Honey & Wheatgerm Facial Mask, either steam your face or use directly after a warm shower to open your pores and allow the mask to do its magic!

To steam your face, pour almost boiling water into a bowl. Hold your face about 12 to 18 inches over the bowl and drape a towel over your head, covering yourself and the bowl. Steam your face for about 5 to 10 minutes.

To use the Honey & Wheatgerm Facial Mask, scoop out about a tablespoon of the mixture into the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together to make the Honey & Wheatgerm Mask pliable. Gently rub mixture onto face and throat. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse with hot water to remove the entire mask. Follow with toner and moisturizer.

Shelf Life

As with any homemade natural skin care recipe, this mask has a shelf life of about a week. Although honey is an antibacterial, water may leak into the pot if it's kept in the bathroom. That's why the container is so important.

I like the little pots found at the personal care/travel section in my local super store. The newer airline regulations about what can and cannot be taken on the plane have spawned regulation-friendly containers. They are perfect for the small amount of personal skin care recipes that I create!

Why these ingredients?

Honey is an incredibly versatile food. Not only is it a fantastic emollient that attracts and retains moisture, but honey is also packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids which help you maintain healthy skin. In addition, honey also has antibacterial properties. Personally, I prefer to use local honey from local producers. It keeps costs down as well has helps support local honey bee keepers.

Wheatgerm has lots of protein, vitamin E and B which makes it a great ingredient for nourishing your skin. The texture is gentle enough for sensitive or dry skin but granular enough to remove dead skin. Make sure to use untoasted wheatgerm otherwise the texture will be too hard and may irritate your skin. If you can't find untoasted wheatgerm at the local supermarket, try a health food store.