Mask of the Month: Honey Carrot Harvest

Yesterday we harvested the last of the carrots from our summer garden. It was a bittersweet moment pulling up the last of those brilliant green carrot tops to reveal the bright orange goodness below. My daughters and I had started a game this summer called, well, "The Carrot Game". We would each pull our carrot of choice and the one with the biggest veggie would win. Sometimes the carrots would be really tiny or really mishapped, which would send us into roars of laughter.

So in honor of our beautiful carrots, here is a recipe for September's Mask of the Month (a new feature I will be adding to this blog, which will be a monthly recipe for a mask you can whip up with seasonal produce):


I chose to use these two carrots for this recipe.

They were growing together, twisted around each other, forming the shape of a heart.

 Honey Carrot Harvest

2 small to medium carrots
1T honey (raw if you have it - I used Good-Rich local raw Michigan honey - yum!)
1T plain yogurt
Cream, lemon juice or water

Wash carrots well and leave the peels on - lots of nutrients in there! Chop the carrots into smallish pieces that would work well in a blender (or food processor). Toss into said contraption with the honey and yogurt. Drop by drop, add enough of the cream, lemon juice or water to make the mask the right consistency (not too thick, not too drippy). Choose cream if you are dry/sensitive, lemon juice if you tend to be oily or acne prone and water if you are somewhere in between or don't have the other stuff (you could also substitute a nice herbal infusion for the water if you are feeling especially adventurous!). I used some lemon juice, some water.

Now blend away! You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender a few times and the mixture will remain a little chunky. If you aren't down with the bits, you can always cook the carrots first for a smoother finished product. I like them raw so that they still contain all of the original yummy nutrients and such! You can even use those bits to exfoliate your skin gently when rinsing off the mask.

Cleanse skin gently and thoroughly before using any mask. Apply the Honey Carrot Harvest to your beautiful face for 10-15 minutes, then gently rinse away with a warm washcloth and warm water. Follow with your favorite toner and protective moisturizer.

This should make enough mask for a few applications and will keep in a covered container in the fridge for 1-2 days.

So why is this stuff good for your skin?

• Carrots are loaded with Vitamin A, which is awesome for preventing wrinkles
• Honey is an wonderful humectant, meaning that it takes water from the air and draws it into your skin. It also has antibacterial properties, which make it great for acne prone skin
• Yogurt contains natural lactic acids, which help to smooth, tone and refine your skin. It also has natural antibacterial properties
• Cream is an excellent moisturizer since it is loaded with yummy milkfat
• Lemon juice is a great astringent for oily skins and can also help to lighten and brighten skin (as well as helping to minimize those pesky red spots left over after a breakout)

So we still have a few carrots left and I want to give them a beautiful send off for the season. Any ideas or recipes you would like to share?

Many blessings to you and Happy Equinox!