Meet The Mask - Fresh Kiwi and Honey

They were on special – ten for something – so I bought 10 kiwis without having any plans of what to use them for. Now, I don't normally do fresh food masks, but I was inspired. Having a perfectly ripe skin-loving ingredient at hand prompted me to try making a fresh kiwi and honey face mask.

I learned a couple of things.
1. Fresh kiwi and honey is incredibly difficult to apply.
2. Because fresh kiwi and honey is incredibly difficult to apply, there's more clean-up than with a clay mask.

However, both fresh kiwi and honey are so good for the skin that it's worth struggling a bit with the application. And, with a few minor changes in procedure (the instruction below is the revised procedure), almost all of the extra cleanup can be avoided.

Why Kiwi?

Kiwifruit is a rich source of vitamin C, has a generous amount of potassium and even some vitamin A to offer. It has a toning effect on the skin that is immediate and tangible.

Why Honey?

Honey is antibacterial and has a long history of medical use (with topical application). It has moisturizing properties, leaving the skin smooth and soothed.

Let's Make This Mask!

You will need the following ingredients
- fluid honey
- 1 fresh kiwi

And you will need the following items
- small container
- fork (to mash the kiwi)

- small flat cotton rounds (or squares, for applying the mask)
- natural sponge (for removing the mask)

Prepare The Mask

1. Peel the kiwi and mash the fruit in the small container

2. Add 1 teaspoon of fluid honey

Apply The Mask

Start by washing your face and neck with a good cleanser, then lightly patting the skin dry.

Soak the cotton rounds in the mask mixture and swipe your face with them as you would use a skin toner. Don't forget the neck area. When you have finished, scoop up a thin layer of pulp on each cotton and 'apply' them to your face.

I'll be honest, these aren't really happy about staying in place (note the escaping cotton in the pic – caught on camera in mid-flight), but if you get the right amount of pulp on there, it will stick to your face in a 'reasonable' manner.

Let the mask sit about 10 minutes. Even if you aren't able to cover your entire face with the soaked cotton rounds, the liquid you applied first will do a good job of softening, toning and moisturizing the skin. Also, you will most likely need to monitor the cotton, so you may want to move them around to different parts of your face.

Remove The Mask

Wet the natural sponge and rinse away the mask. Rinse and repeat until the mask is completely gone. (Then rinse the sponge thoroughly to get the kiwi seeds out of all the nooks and crannies).

The Final Touch

Pat your face dry and apply a (non-alcoholic!!) skin tonic or spritz your face with a skin mist. 

I normally finish with a light application of face oil, but wanted to test how well this mask worked and 'made do' with a spritz of a hydrosol skin mist. My face was soft, supple and felt toned and fabulous all evening.