DIY Facial Mask: Bentonite Clay + Apple Cider Vinegar

I love making my own beauty products. The most important reason is because the ingredients are all natural, and they're also usually cheaper than buying a mask at the store. This mask that i'll show you how to make only uses two ingredients. Super simple to make yourself a fresh mask that works better than one you would get at a spa or from a jar.

What is it?

This mask is a seriously deep cleansing mask that wipes out dirt and oil from our pores using Calcium Bentonite Clay. Clay acts like a magnet to draw out all the junk and leave your skin fresh and clean. 

What's inside?

Like I mentioned this mask includes only two ingredients:

Aztec Secret: Indian Healing Clay
100% Natural Calcium Bentonite Clay

Dry powder inside the tub, mostly odorless. I find mine on Amazon for about 8.00 for a whole pound, which will last me a long time.

Apple Cider Vinegar. I used this kind from walmart, which I found in my pantry. It is definitely better to use organic because it is unpasteurized and still has all of the beneficial vitamins and minerals from organic vinegar. A lot of people wouldn't expect that apple cider vinegar is good for the skin, but it has great anti-bacterial properties which help with acne. It also has malic and lactic acid which help to exfoliate and soften the skin.

You can find apple cider vinegar in any grocery store or if you're buying on amazon, you can order it there too for about 4 dollars. 

How do I make it?

You'll want to add equal parts of dry and wet. I started with dry and slowly added in the apple cider vinegar to make a paste that wasn't too thick.

You'll immediately see a reaction between the two ingredients, causing a ton of bubbles.

This is about how thick my paste was. It will keep bubbling, even as you apply it.

The mask goes on a bright green color, and takes about 4-5 minutes until it becomes really hard. I would suggest leaving it on atleast 10 minutes. Like a lot of clay masks, this one is a little difficult to remove. Take a hot washcloth and lay it over your face to warm it back up, that will help remove it without hurting your skin.

I have pretty sensitive skin so I worry using clay masks, but this one surprisingly didn't leave me feeling red or itchy or tight. My skin felt a lot softer and looked cleaner. I recommend applying a moisturizer after you use it, since the clay can be a little bit drying.

If you DIY a pore cleansing mask it will only run you about 12.00 to start and last you between 6-8 months atleast. Much cheaper than a store-bought mask!

Product Review: Hebivore Botanicals Sea Spray

 

 I heard of the brand Herbivore Botanicals after seeing their products come up on my Instagram recommended section. They are an all natural formulated beauty product company that make products for your body, skin, lips, and hair. I think they're great because their formulas contain simple and few ingredients and are all natural. 

I picked up this lavender scented hair texturizing spray because I have a ton of all natural skincare products and wanted to try something for my hair. I have made my own DIY sea salt hair spray and thought it left my hair too dry. I also bought TONI&GUY brand sea salt spray through Birchbox and thought the hold was too hard.


So I decided on this spray not only because of the ingredients but because on the label it claims to have the "same salinity as the ocean". Basically meaning that this bottle gives you the same salty beach waves that you get from swimming at the beach. Isn't that what everyone wants to hear?

What do I think?
This hair spray smells amazing, a perfect mix of lavender and ocean air. For purposes of review I tried not to over spray it (which was hard). My hair took to it well, left a nice hold in my hair with a few waves. I let it dry some and then sprayed again for more waves, which held pretty nicely for the rest of the day. I liked that there was no crunchy hold and that it didn't feel like my hair was being weighed down. At the end of the day my hair looked and felt like I was at the beach all day.

As an added bonus Herbivore Botanicals claims this is safe to use on your face too, that it is cleansing and detoxifying, and helps your skin maintain moisture, pretty cool! You don't often think about how run-off from hair product can irritate your skin but knowing this is a benefit is comforting.

The price is 20.00 for 8oz which is an okay price, I noticed it seemed like I used a lot for just one day. I think this would be the best for someone who wants beachy hair once in awhile. I know it will work for me because i'll probably use it only once or twice a week. 

Find the spray here. Let me know if you use a sea salt spray that you love!