Soothe and Plump Your Skin
Below you will find a DIY pumpkin mask for beautiful, glowing skin. Source: Well And Good By Rachel Lapidos How to get super-glowy skin using the pumpkin from your jack-o-lantern Chalk it up to the Cinderella effect, but it seems that as soon as fall hits, pumpkin spice gives everythingfrom activewear to makeupthe magic touch. And thanks to pumpkins inherent enzymatic properties, those wand-waving benefits also extend to your complexion, revealing brighter, glowier skin. Bippity-boppity-boo. Celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas, who has an eponymous skin-care line and works with famous faces like Kate Bosworth and Michelle Williams, is such an advocate of the ingredient that shes created a recipe for a pumpkin face mask you can make at home (you know, as youre carving your Halloween masterpiece). Pumpkin can be a really effective resurfacing treatment that takes away imperfections, she says. Its high in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and E, and it acts as a natural source of enzymes to slough away dead skin. In other words, its like a more seasonaland festivepapaya. While its totally fine to use all year, Vargas notes its particularly helpful in the fall because it exfoliates dead skin cells that have accumulated throughout the summer. The mask is also packed with other beneficial skin-food ingredients, according to Vargas: Sweet potato is rich in beta-carotene to fight free radical damage and promote cell turnover; yogurt has complexion-enhancing probiotics; honey is a natural moisturizer; and cinnamon boosts circulation and acts as an antibacterial to help heal acne. Despite being a novice at all things DIY, I ventured to make the mask at home. Take note: Carving a pumpkin isnt easybut at least the innards can make your face glow while the outer shell serves as a Halloween decoration. Mashing the rest together in a bowl isnt so bad, though (the sweet potatoes actually crush pretty easily)and the concoction has a beautiful, creamy texture. On my face, it didnt feel as smooth as it looked in the bowl and it was thick enough that some pumpkin bits plopped on the floor. But, after letting it marinate on my skin for about 10 minutes, I gently washed it off to a noticeably brighter, softer complexion, which is exactly the sort of trick-or-treat Im down for. Joanna Vargas DIY Pumpkin Face Mask Ingredients 1/2 oz. pumpkin 1/2 oz. sweet potato 1 tsp honey 1 Tbsp Greek yogurt 1 pinch of cinnamon 1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. 2. Apply to damp skin and leave on for 10 minutes. 3. Rinse with tepid water and a muslin cloth.]>>