How to Make a Tomatoe, Milk and Sugar Face Mask to Combat Acne and Sweat Exposure

I have often sung the praises of making one's own beauty products. My beauty care ingenuity was recently put to the test when I awoke one morning covered in sweat and serenaded by the awful sound of my air conditioner's compressor malfunctioning. I endured nearly a week in the summer heat before I could afford to have it fixed and within days, my skin, particularly on my face, was showing signs of my strain.

Sweat contains salt naturally and overexposure to it along with dehydration did a number on my skin. Salt is a natural exfoliant, which can be a good thing in moderation, but too much of it, left my skin flaky. My face was also perpetually shiny and looked deflated from dehydration. I am not prone to acne but I knew that it would not take long before pimples set in after all of my exposure to sweat and oil.

I was soon rummaging through my refrigerator searching for ingredients to make a face mask that would exfoliate and hydrate my skin while preventing a massive breakout of acne. The following recipe I came up with worked like a charm for me. If you are exposed to a lot of heat and sweat this mask should work wonders for you too.

You will need the following containers and implements to prepare this face mask: one medium mixing bowl capable of holding 3 cups of liquid; one large wooden or plastic mixing spoon; one large fork; tablespoon; measuring cup and one soft washcloth. Optional implements: mixer or blender.

You will also need the following ingredients and implements to prepare this face mask: two medium sized ripe tomatoes; one-half of a cup of whole milk; one quarter of a cup of granulated sugar and one tablespoon of runny honey.

Start preparing this recipe by using the large fork to mash the ripe tomatoes. This step is easier to complete if you use a mixer or blender to puree the tomatoes. If you do not have one available, then slice the tomatoes and use the fork to mash them to a fine puree. Tomatoes are naturally high in lycopene. Lycopene is anti-inflammatory in nature and will help prevent acne by easing inflammation. Dark red tomatoes have a higher amount of lycopene than lighter colored tomatoes and a large amount of the lycopene is located in the fruit's skin so be sure to include it in the puree.

After preparing the tomatoes transfer them to the mixing bowl and add the one half cup of whole milk. Be sure to use whole milk because the high fat content contains a large amount of lactic acid that will both nourish our skin and act as a germicide to combat acne. Stir the face mask blend well after adding the milk.

Once you have blended the milk and the tomatoes add the one quarter of a cup of granulated sugar to the blend and stir well. The sugar in the blend will help exfoliate your skin.

After mixing the tomatoes, milk and sugar warm a bottle of honey under hot running water. Once the honey is runny, add one tablespoon of it to the face mask blend and stir well. Honey is a natural germicide making it great for combating acne; it is also a humectant that will draw moisture to your skin.

I normally recommend cleansing your face with the cleanser of your choice before using a face mask. However, since this face mask is formulated for people who have been sweating a lot and thus have a lot of salt on their skin, which is good for exfoliating, I recommend that you forgo the pre-cleansing step.

Instead of cleansing with your usual cleanser, I suggest that you use about 1/3 of the face mask blend as a facial scrub first. Apply some of the face mask to a wet washcloth and use it to thoroughly scrub your face, using slow circular motions. Please be careful to avoid your eye area because tomatoes are very acidic and will easily irritate your eyes. Scrubbing with the face mask instead of a cleanser will take advantage of any salt on your face to help with exfoliation.

After scrubbing your face with some of the mask, rinse your face thoroughly with very warm water. This will open your pores in preparation for the face mask. Once you have rinsed your face, apply a thick layer of the face mask to your skin and allow it to set for ten minutes.

Once the face mask has had time to work its magic use a wet washcloth to gently scrub the mask off. Finish removing the face mask by splashing your face repeatedly with cold water. In addition to being refreshing the cold water will close your pores helping to keep dirt and debris out.

Preparing the recipe with the state proportions will yield enough for you to do a pre-cleansing and one face mask. Feel free to double the recipe and store the leftover amount in the refrigerator. You can store the face mask blend for up to two days.

A word of caution! Many natural ingredients can cause allergic reactions in people that use them. Avoid any ingredients that you know you are allergic to and discontinue using any formulations that cause skin irritation, hives or other signs of an allergic reaction.