DIY Glycolic Acid and Salt Facial Mask

An easy recipe for an exfoliating mask with Himalayan salt, honey, and unripe grapes that are full of glycolic acid!

Sun damage: Licorice Extract and Salicylic Acid Masque

So now that I'm down to a very very basic regimen for my closed comedone (cloggy pores!) acne, I'm going add licorice extract to the mask I already use. Please see my post about how licorice root works on skin pigmentation.

And here's a recipe for licorice skin toner. And here's a post on how it worked out for me.

To review a bit:

The production of melanin is regulated by tyrosinase, an enzyme present in the melanocytes. It converts an amino acid called tyrosine into dopaquinone. This in turn is convered to melanin granules. In order to prevent hyperpigmentation, tyrosinase action can be disrupted.

The transfer of melanin from the melanocytes to the keratinocytes is regulated by the cleavage of PAR-2 (protease-activated receptor). Soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) and Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI), both proteins found in soy, and niacinamide, a vitamin B3 derivative, have all been found to inhibit the cleavage of PAR-2.

So in order to be an effective lightener, the formula should contain:

• A tyrosinase inhibitor to decrease melanin production (it can't be stopped completely);
• A PAR-2 cleavage inhibitor to disrupt the transfer of any melanin to the skin surface;
• An exfoliant to remove any cells with excess melanin that do manage to make it to the top.

The Formula

So the licorice is the tyrosinase inhibitor

The salicylic acid is our exfoliant

I'm going to start with just these two. I already know the salicylic acid has a positive impact on my clogging issues, so I'll add just the licorice first. If the licorice works out I'll add the PAR-2 cleavage inhibitor (B3 niacinamide) to my next formula and see if my clear pores are maintained.

Licorice Extract from Makingcosmetics.com

Masque Recipe

Okay! So I'm starting by adding the licorice extract to my regular salicylic face mask. Makingcosmetics.com suggests a 5 to 7 % concentration of the licorice extract. It's water soluble, so it will dissolve in the honey. Here's my recipe:

I made this recipe based on 1/4 teaspoons.

1/4 teaspoon salicylic acid powder (10%)

1/2 teaspoon alcohol (20%)

3/16 teaspoon licorice extract (@ 7%)

1.6 teaspoons raw, unfiltered, local honey

Okay, this is probably not the most scientific way to do things, but since the salicylic acid content is only about 10 %, it seems safe enough. (It's not good to play around too much with salicylic acid. For me, a 15 % concentration is too much, so if I'm unsure or trying out a new recipe, I'd keep it to around 10 %).

So I estimated the ingredients.

Put 1/4 teaspoon of salicylic acid powder in a glass bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of alcohol and stir with a wooden chopstick until dissolved. Add 1/4 teaspoon of licorice extract, then add half that again into the mix, so it's around 3/16 of a teaspoon (I did it this way because I don't have, nor have I ever seen, a 1/16 teaspoon!).  Stir it up, and add a little more than 1 1/2 teaspoons of your honey.

Salicilic acid from Makingcosmetics.com

Mix it up good!

Put it on your face. I use the whole thing, and it tingles at first, for about 5 minutes. Leave it on for 45 minutes to an hour and then rinse it off with cool water. Wipe your face with a clean, cool washcloth and rinse again. Moisturize with a little hemp oil. I usually put the hemp oil on my face without drying it. That keeps more moisture in your skin.

The immediate result was a very very soft and clean face. After a few weeks of using this maybe once a week and the toner every day, lightening should be visible. It works for me!

Licorice Salicylic Acid Toner: Results!

Licorice: Glycyrrhiza glabra

A month ago I posted a recipe for licorice extract toner (Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract) to see if it would:

a. lighten my sun damage

b. NOT clog my pores!

 
It takes four weeks for skin cells to completely renew, so anything you try is going to take at least that long to work.

Here are the before pictures:

And here are the after pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

I took these at the same time of day, hoping the lighting would be similar, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. The sun sets earlier now than it did a month ago. 

Results!

Lightening:

That being said: I think it worked. You can see it best in the picture of the right cheek. The freckles have faded and my skin looks more monochromatic. O, plus my face is totally a different color than the rest of my body now. Lighter. I'll never have plain skin, but this is better! This is good! I'm going to keep going.

Clogging:

I did experience a couple of clogs. Two were relatively serious, but did not become inflamed and did not grow larger. The rest, maybe 3 or 4, were minimal and came out with a good hemp oil cleansing. I'm not sure if the licorice extract caused it, but it's the only thing that I've changed, so take that any way you want. Personally, if I was still experiencing the kind of clogged skin I was a few months ago, I'd hold off on the licorice extract until my pores were completely clear. No sense exacerbating the situation! 

To sum it all up:

Lightening: Yes!

Clogging: Maybe, but not too bad. 

It works, but wait till your pores are clear before you start on this, just to be safe.

Sun damage: Licorice and Salicylic Acid Toner

Continuing with the lightening theme and the experimental theme, I'm going to add licorice extract to my already tried and proven toner formula. 

I already know my toner recipe works really well for clogged pores, so if my pores start getting clogged again, I'll know the licorice extract is the culprit. 

Sun damage: Licorice Extract

No. Plus, look at the lady on the box. Crazy eyes.

A friend asked if I knew how to get rid of sun damage on the face. I've had freckles my whole life. I hated them. When I was about 10 I heard someone say something about "skin bleaching" so I dabbed cotton balls in Clorox and wiped it on my face one morning. DON'T TRY IT! NO GOOD!!! Plus it didn't even PRETEND to lighten my freckles. I was sad.