This simple mask can be easily made from ingredients you’ve got in your kitchen, and can be amped up with a few more that you can likely pick up at your local heath food shop. It’s full of beneficial enzymes and acne-fighting ingredients, and leaves your skin feeling refreshed.
The first ingredient is raw honey. I’m a big fan of raw honey, and have taken to collecting a new bottle of it whenever I travel. I’ve got honey from Costa Rica, Nevada, Manitoba, the Bugaboos, and more. For this mask I’ve chosen potent Manuka honey from New Zealand.
All raw honey is naturally antibacterial and full of beneficial enzymes, but Manuka honey takes that to a next level as the bees that make the honey have fed on the flowers of the Manuka tree, which has strong antibacterial properties as well. Manuka honey is effective, but pretty pricey—fortunately we don’t need much. If you don’t have Manuka, feel free to use whatever raw honey you have on hand.
Up next—apple cider vinegar. A long time favourite of the health conscious for everything from hair rinses to tangy beverages, raw cider vinegar is full of probiotics, and its acidic pH helps gently exfoliate your skin.
Blended together and mixed with clay, the two make for a simple zit-fighting face mask. Interestingly enough, this mask doesn’t dry out completely like others do—it stays sort of gummy looking, rather than going powdery. You’ll certainly feel it tighten, but it won’t look all patchy.
Apple Cider Vinegar & Manuka Honey Anti-Acne Mask
¼ tsp manuka honey (or other raw honey)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar1 tsp French green clay
½ tsp white white kaolin clay (USA / Canada)Whisk the honey and apple cider vinegar together in a small dish until thoroughly combined, and then sprinkle in the clay and whisk that in to create a smooth, creamy paste.
Spread the paste over your face and let it dry for about 20 minutes before rinsing it off. Follow up with some argan oil (USA / Canada) and enjoy your refreshed face!
What a coincidence! I did a mask exactly like this last night, only I used Moroccan ghassol clay and the new acv I found with added honey :-).
Anyway I just wondered if you got my email? Just ramblings about a foot powder I’m trying to make etc and general mishaps I’ve been making ha
Hi Bryonie! I did get your email, but emails are at the bottom of the pile of my correspondences, so replies take… a while…
well put, Marie! Does it tingle because of vinegar?
2 questions – where did you get that tiny whisk? 🙂
How long the mask can be stored if premixed in larger quantity than single use? I guess you might not know for sure, but what do you think?
Hi Veronika! I didn’t find it to be tingly, but you might 🙂 I got the whisk at a garage sale, isn’t it adorable? And I would not recommend storing this pre-mixed, you might get two days before it goes all mouldy and gross on you.
Hi! I made this and it actually burned a little…no big deal. Then I removed it and my face was REALLY red…like I had a sunburn (felt like it too). It took about 3 hrs before it calmed down. So I remade the mask replacing 2/3 of the acv with Dickinson’s natural witch hazel…is that ok? It smelled and felt a lot better…
I’m also stuck with a ton of propolis…can that be added into this and if so, how much? Thanks
Hey Jennifer! That definitely sounds like good trouble-shooting on your end 🙂 I like propolis in lotions & masks—what format is yours in?
I love a mask similar to this one, I use bentonite clay instead of other clays. It’s fantastic!!
Honey and ACV rock!
I love this recipe. I have everything already! Thanks Marie.
Thanks, Mary! Enjoy 🙂
Hi Marie,
Interesting post. I recently put a post like this on my site, but you offered a unique follow up treatment which I did not include.
Feel free to check it out at https://epicraze.com/wash-face-raw-honey/.
As you did offer something unique, I had no choice but to feature you on the article. You can let me know your thoughts or recommendations. Hope you enjoy the mention.
Thanks, Pete!
This is an awesome recipe! As a New Zealander it’s interesting that you talk about raw Manuka honey like it’s something fancy- I have it on my toast (sure it is on the more pricey end of the spectrum, but here in NZ it’s pretty inexpensive). Anyway, I found this lovely and smooth, thanks! *hugs from across the world xx*
Ha! I imagine it’s the equivalent to maple syrup here in Canada… perhaps I should start putting that on my toast 😉 Happy making and thanks for reading!
Haha maybe our money should smell like honey!
That would be pretty odd haha, the smell of honey wafting out of your wallet. Imagine the Pavlovian conditioning that might set off, haha! Our money doesn’t smell like maple syrup, but I feel like I’ve heard that rumour before (and just thought it was funny). Is mapley money in Canada a common notion in Kiwiland?
Lol it’s kind of an inside joke I guess, Canadians kept saying the new $100 bill smelt like maple syrup and some major American newspapers reported on it, so now I believe it is a rumour in America that your money has a scratch and sniff panel that smell of maple syrup, so we always joke about that, how gullible they are. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/05/new-canadian-money-smells-like-syrup-melts-in-heat/
Haha food smelling money would be terrible for our economy, everyone would start paying for everything in cash! And terrible for those who fear bugs!
In summary, no we don’t believe that particular rumour, though it is really funny that some people (looking at you, America) do 🙂 🙂
Ha! I don’t think I’ve ever heard that LOL, though I have been asked by Americans if I live in an igloo and if there are any swimming pools in Canada (sadly, I am not kidding). I also had an Australian tell me that Spain is in South America rather than North America hahahahahaha.
Do I need to add any preservative in case I wanna make for long term use.
Please don’t—I’ve got an FAQ on it 🙂