Pumpkin is our ingredient of the season. We’re a big fan of pumpkin desserts (cookies, and popsicles, anyone?), but we also like our pumpkin in the form of brews and stew too! And if you’re looking for more skincare posts, check out some of our essential oil posts.

Today I’m here to talk about what to do with that little bit of pumpkin sitting at the bottom of the can. You’ll be faced with this problem if you make our pumpkin cookies or the whoopie pies muffin tops, as both recipes call for slightly less than a whole can of pumpkin. I’ve been giving some of that pumpkin to Luc, but the kiddo can only eat so much before he’s going to turn orange. And we put some in our oatmeal and yogurt… but I’m already making so many pumpkin treat that I don’t want every to tire of pumpkin before the season’s over. So, if you don’t eat it, wear it (at least that’s Luc’s motto!).

When researching pumpkin masks, there were a few variations on the same basic formula. Almost all called for pumpkin and honey. Some had milk. Some had raw egg. One used apple cider vinegar. Others called for a few spices and oils. I decided to keep this super simple, using just pumpkin, honey, and milk. I wanted it to be a mask that I could whip up in a few minutes and apply to give myself a bit of a treat while the boys nap.

From the little bit of research I did on these ingredients, here’s what I’ve learned :

• Pumpkin is packed with vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants. It helps to brighten the skin, increase cell turnover, moisturize, and reduce the signs of aging.
• Honey has antibacterial/antimicrobial properties that help to clean the skin of acne-causing bacteria. It is also a great moisturizer.
• Milk is a magic bullet when it comes to skincare. It helps to moisturize, clean, tone, and exfoliate your skin.

I blended together about 2 Tbsp pumpkin + 2 Tbsp milk + 1 to 2 tsp honey (I didn’t measure my ingredients!). After liberally applying the mixture to my face, I kept it on for 15 minutes and then rinsed it off with cool water.

I’m not super excited about the links I used in the ingredient list above, because the researcher in me would love to link directly to primary research that specifically studied pumpkin, honey, and milk’s skin benefits (admittedly, I didn’t spend a lot of time researching this post), but here’s what I know : the mask itself felt nice and cool when first applied, and by the time I was rinsing it off, my face felt thoroughly moisturized and refreshed. The one, slightly funny, reaction I had to the mask is that I thought my skin looked a little bit splotchy/orangish after using it. This seems odd since the pumpkin and milk were both supposed to even out my skin tone…. nevertheless, the mask felt so great that I’ve been craving a reapplication all week!

Really, the mask was that refreshing that I hope you give it a try, but bake the cookies first.