Spirulina and Honey Face Mask (The Glow Mask)

I’ve become quite the skincare product junkie over the past few years. Turning 30, a few years ago, has fueled this obsession.

Today, I’m going to share one of my favorite homemade face masks. It’s made with just two kitchen ingredients (spirulina and honey). Think of this face mask as a nutrient-rich green smoothie for the skin.

In my late 20 years, after having two babies and starting this blog (a time of tremendous stress on my body, some being natural stress and some self-induced stress), my hormones went crazy. Crazy as in everything was out of balance and my stress levels were through the roof (not sleeping much and working way too hard on a passion project while also nursing a baby and raising a toddler will do that).

All of this brought about adult acne, weight gain, and constant fatigue. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been learning how to take care of myself, starting with prioritizing sleep and learning to say no to doing “all the things.” As my body has healed, my skin has healed as well.

This is where my deep love for skincare products comes from. Over the past few years, I’ve made the switch to non-toxic products. At first, this switch was all about using safer ingredients, but, now, it’s about so much more.

I’ve come to love non-toxic skincare products because of how they’ve transformed my skin. Most of these products are rich in botanical ingredients that are active and potent, and, when used on the skin, they nourish and give to the skin which results in healthy and happy skin.

One of the products I’ve been obsessed with recently is the Mermaid Mask from Leahlani Skincare.

First, Leah’s products are amazing! I use her Ambrosia Elixir as a makeup primer (under my foundation) and love her HoneyLove Exfoliator. Her products are made with potent ingredients that give to and nourish the skin.

The Mermaid Mask is a rich green facial mask made with spirulina. It’s literally like a green smoothie for your face!

A few months ago, I ran out of the Mermaid Mask and, at the same time, was on a spending freeze. Darn budget goals! Since I couldn’t just hop on the internet and order another jar of the Mermaid Mask, I decided to go to my kitchen cabinet and see what I could make at home.

With some spirulina powder and raw honey, I whisked together a quick face mask. This simple mask felt luxurious and after 10 minutes it also proved to be effective. The end result was a kind of glow that comes about after feeding your skin with nutrient-rich ingredients. In this case, those ingredients were spirulina and honey.

Before sharing this incredibly simple “glow mask,” let’s talk about the ingredients and why they work.

The first ingredient in this face mask is honey. Honey is one of my favorite skincare ingredients. You can use honey to create various masks and as an effective and gentle face cleanser.

Honey is a wonderful food to apply to the skin because it’s rich in antioxidants as well as antibacterial and hydration properties. This in turns leaves the skin nourished, hydrated, and glowing. It’s also super gentle so it doesn’t strip the skin.

Honey is particularly great for acne-prone, dry, and aging skin.

When it comes to using honey on the skin, I recommend going with raw honey. This kind of honey is going to be the best choice as it hasn’t been heated so its full of beneficial properties.

Spirulina is an edible bacteria that is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals. All of this is amazing for cell turn over, fighting free radicals, and giving the skin a healthy glow. Spirulina has a ton of benefits, which you can read about here. Spirulina has been used by cultures all over the world for various purposes, including by the Aztecs, in Asian cuisine, and even to treat radiation sickness in Russia (source).

Beyond using spirulina on the skin, you can also add it to smoothies as it is edible and a great source of nutrients. You can find spirulina online and in most health food stores (look in the supplement or bulk spice section).

This is the easiest mask you’ll ever make! Seriously, if you can scoop, pour, and whisk your finger around in a bowl, you can make this homemade mask.

To make the mask, simply add honey and spirulina to a small bowl, then stir. You can use your finger or a small spoon. It’s your choice. If you need something extra to thin down the mixture, you can add a few splashes of filtered water and stir until you reach the desired consistency.

This mask makes enough for a one-time use. The mask is intended to be used all over your face and neck and, if you want, chest. This mixture isn’t meant to be bottled and saved.

Once you’ve made the face mask, it’s time to apply it. Before applying the mask, wash your face with a gentle cleanser and spritz your favorite toner over the skin as a primer. You can read about my favorites in this post.

To apply the mask, I like to use my fingers but if you’d prefer a less messy option, a face mask brush is the best option. Either way, massage the mask all over your face (avoiding the eyes, eyebrows, and eyelids), as well as the neck and, if desired, the chest. If you just apply the mask to the face and neck, you’ll be able to wash it off at the sink. If you go down to the chest, you’ll need to rinse it off in the shower.

Let the mask rest on the skin for about 10 minutes, then rinse off with water and enjoy that post-mask glow!