Clay and Oatmeal Mask
At 26, you would think I wouldn’t be too worried about wrinkles and my face just yet, but I am. Thanks to Mingo, I was blessed with huge pores. I mean huge. A lady at work once told me I had nice makeup on but I needed to use some pore filling cream. After that, I definitely started paying more attention to my skin and face.
First I started buying some Kiehl’s Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque. $23 for a 5oz jar. That’s pretty pricy, but I gave in and bought some when there was a 20% off sale. I figured it’s cheaper than Botox.
I wasn’t really impressed. I mean my face felt softer and all that but it wasn’t necessarily spectacular.
When I started looking into all these DIY projects, I figured there was easy at home face masks that I could do to produce the same results with less chemicals and for far cheaper.
I’ve been doing this clay and oatmeal mask every other day for a few weeks now and even White Man noticed my pores looked better. He pointed out the largeness before too. Thanks, Babe.
1TBSP Ground Oatmeal
1TBSP Bentonite Clay
1/2TBSP Greek Yogurt
1/2TBSP Honey
1/2TBSP Milk
1/4 TSP Sunflower Oil (Optional. Great for dry skin or if you want to let the mask sit longer.)
For the oatmeal, I put regular non-instant oatmeal into my coffee/spice grinder and just grind until its flour like. I grind a bunch at a time and keep it in a mason jar.
I bought my bentonite clay on Amazon. 32ozs of clay for $10.25…compare that to the Kiehls mask. Cray talk!
Make sure not let the clay come in contact with anything metal. It will neutralize some of its magnetic properties which helps suck the dirt out of those pores!
I’m sure you can figure out where to acquire the rest of the ingredients. Probably your pantry and refrigerator.
I always like to make mine in one of these smaller mason jars. Its glass and easy to store any extras in the fridge. I always like to put a saran wrap layer between the lid and the jar just to make sure the clay doesn’t touch any metal.
Mix up the ingredients. I use Popsicle sticks. They are cheap and can be helpful for spreading the mask all over your face.
Make sure you get a nice smooth paste. If it’s a little too thick still, just add in a little more milk. I like to switch up the consistencies sometimes depending on how much time I have to leave the mask on.
Once you reach the right consistency, just slather it on. Avoid your eyes. You know the standard instructions.
Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
There is some debate whether you should let it dry on your skin because the clay begins to take out moisture when dry. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it because I find the milk and honey helps keep the skin moisturized and I usually do a sugar face scrub before I put the mask on. The scrub usually leaves enough oil on my face that my skin is still soft and hydrated even with the clay drying. So I let mine sit for longer.
When you’re ready to remove the mask (depending on whether you let it dry or not), try to get as much of it into the trash as possible. You never know if the clay will clog your pipes. If you let it dry as much as I do, you can start to just rub it off like little crumbles into the trash.
Your face should be nice and soft, maybe a little red but that will subside in a few hours. People with chronic acne swear by bentonite clay and I’m starting to understand why. I just imagine the clay making this sucking sound while it’s pulling all the toxins out of your skin.
Cheers to cleaner pores!
Nipply: Cold temperatures that can cause nipples to become erect.
Skoshi: Can be used to say excuse me or scoot over. A combination of Scoot and Excuse Me.
S5: Stage five clinger. Used to describe overly attached individuals who may have stalker tendencies.
Food-osophy
I’ve mentioned before that I never used to write recipes and I actually have a very good reason. It has to do with how I view food and my food philosophy.
Over the years of experimenting and absorbing culinary knowledge, my outlook on recipes and food has morphed. I used to think that in order to make a dish taste just as good as the one in the book, I had to follow the recipe down to the T.
That isn’t exactly true.
What people don’t realize is that although recipes are good guidelines, most of the time you won’t be able to recreate the same exact flavor profile as the chef who tested the recipe. No two lemons are the same tartness, just as no two cows have equal marbling. Food is just like most natural things on this Earth; nothing is an exact replica.
This fact makes it a bit difficult for me to write recipes. If I tell you to put one lemon because mine wasn’t sour enough, but yours was sour enough to give you a bitter beer face, obviously your dish will be way too sour and you may think I just have a bunk recipe.
Hence the face when asked for recipes.
It’s not just the food we have to look at either; it’s the individual’s palate. Each person tastes things and prefers things differently. This adds to the overall experience that I believe food should provide. I want people to bite into a dish and think about how their Mom used to make it exactly like this. I want everyone to experience the fond memories I have about Mingo and Food. They are like synonymous.
One very good example of how individualism is a factor is White Man and I. White Man prefers his dishes super spicy and veggies al dente. I look like Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly when eating spicy foods (seriously, look at that picture of Ben…that’s me) and therefore prefer mine on the milder side. As for my veggies, I’ve always preferred them a little squishier. Those preferences alone could make or break someone’s eating experience.
For people who aren’t new to cooking, I’m sure this is something you already realize. For those who are new, it’s going to take a little time before you start developing your own preferred flavor profile and for recipes to become guidelines.
I think the best way to learn how to cook is in person and to taste everything. Taste everything you put in, and how it comes out. You can’t create from ingredients that you know nothing about. I could probably pull a Bubba Gump and spend one full day on an ingredient listing out how different cooking technique affects the flavors of the ingredient or even the slight variations in flavor based on how they are grown. I just need someone to be my Forrest.
As you navigate through my buffet line, just remember to also keep in mind your own individualistic preferences and tastes. Food is personal.
MAK SWAG 