Barf On Your Face

In the Fall, at the cottage with my Fab5 buddies, I got some of the girls to put Pepto Bismal on their face as a facial mask. They fussed and doubted me. But I now have internet corroboration that the pink liquid works.

That's because the active agent in the liquid is salicylic acid, the same stuff that's in skin and acne treatment creams. If the stuff is safe enough to coat and sooth your stomach, it's good enough to go on your face. In fact, I read that Milk of Magnesia also works wonders. The over-the-counter drug treats heartburn but the magnesium in the liquid also deep cleanses oily skin, leaving it smooth and soft.

For the past while, I've been experimenting with homemade facial masks using ordinary kitchen ingredients. Whether the recipe is for dry skin, oily skin, acne skin, whatever, I love them all. The one I am currently using a blend of my own. I wanted a moisturizing, cleansing, soothing mask. So I put together:

- a dollop of yogurt for cleaning
- an inch of shaved cucumber for cooling
- a spoonful of honey to moisturize
- a spoonful of oatmeal to heal

I put everything in a small blender and whip up a sauce. Smear the stuff on your face and let dry, about 15 minutes. The only problem is, the mask is made of raw pureed food items. So when you have it on, it looks like you have barf on your face. But your face will look radiant and feel so soft when you wash it off.