Over the weekend while working at a hair show, I noticed I had gotten a strange rash on my face. Not too bad, but I had little red bumps, mostly on my cheeks and chin. Not itchy or anything, but my skin also felt dry. It looked like a contact dermatitis.
I have to say, during the hair show weekend, it’s crazy, crazy busy and chaotic. I didn’t drink as much water as I normally do and I, and most everyone else I worked with, was a bit dehydrated, so I’m sure that contributed to the dryness. But for the life of me, I couldn’t think of what was causing the rash. I thought maybe it was the detergent they used at the hotel to wash their linens and towels, but if that were the case, it seems I would have had it most everywhere else, too. But I didn’t. I couldn’t think of anything new I’d been using on my face or of anything I may have come in contact with, either.
Oh well. So yesterday, a couple days later, the skin on my face was extremely dry and flaking - the rash was gone but my skin looked awful. Not very attractive. So I made myself a facial mask to soothe, exfoliate and moisturize:
1/4 cup oatmeal - ground into a powder
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
Enough water to make a paste
I gently rubbed the mask into my skin and did a couple Sun Salutations, then meditated for about 20 minutes with the mask on my face. I rinsed it off with warm water and my face felt soft and smooth. I followed up with some coconut oil to moisturize.
A quick overview about what these ingredients do for the skin:
Oatmeal - gently exfoliates and soothes the skin and is often used to treat skin issues such as psoriasis and eczema.
Honey - a great anti-bacterial, excellent for acne-prone skin. Detoxifies the skin.
Olive Oil - source of vitamin E and helps seal moisture into the skin
Cocoa Powder - excellent antioxidant
Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.