Even as an adult, I still get occasional acne flare ups.
Sometimes it’s little red bumps; other times, it’s full on pimples.
Hormones seem to be the main cause for my acne flare ups, but I have other acne triggers too like sleeping with my makeup on, stress, and eating certain foods.
Right now, I’m dealing with a double whammy of a hormonal chin breakout AND a few red bumps on my cheeks from the holiday junk food I ate the last couple of weeks.
Time to give my skin a little TLC.
So I whipped up a batch of these acne facial tabs. It’s a copycat recipe I created based on Lush’s Tea Tree Tabs. It combines the antibacterial and skin-soothing properties of tea tree essential oil with the deep cleansing ability of steam.Â
All you do is drop 1-2 of these homemade tabs into a bowl of hot, steamy water, then lean over the bowl with a towel over your head to trap the steam.
It’s sooooooooo relaxing.
And it has so many great benefits for my skin:
- reduces the appearance of pores
- deep cleans skin
- reduces inflammation
- gentle soothes troubled skin
- speeds healing of pimples
It’s an easy self-care routine to start the new year off right.
What you’ll need
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1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
20 drops tea tree essential oil (melaleuca)
2-3 tablespoons witch hazel
mini silicone mold (2 Tbsp size is ideal)
bowl and spoon
jar or container to hold finished facial tabs
How to make acne facial tabs with tea tree essential oil
yield: 15-20 tea tree facial tabs (2 tablespoon size each)
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step 1: add 1 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup citric acid to a bowl. Mix well and use a spoon to break up any lumps.
step 2:Â add 20 drops tea tree (melaleuca) essential oil, then mix well so that essential oil is completely blended with dry ingredients
step 3: Â add 2-3 Tbsp witch hazel
tip: start with 2 Tbsp, then see if you need more. If mixture is too wet, you can add more baking soda and citric acid to dry it out. If mixture is too dry, add a little more witch hazel until you get to the right consistency. You want the mixture to resemble damp (but not wet) sand. See the photo below. The mixture should be able to form a ball, but when you drop the ball it should easily break apart.
tip: Just like with a bath bomb, water causes the combination of baking soda and citric acid to bubble up and fizz. I want as much of this fizzing and bubbling to happen when I use the facial steamer as I can. The more the mixture fizzes now, the less it will fizz later when I use the facial steamers. So, to prevent too much bubbling from happening now, I use a spray bottle to add the witch hazel.
step 4: Â put the mixture into silicone molds
tip: I love this flower-shaped mold, but you can use any silicone mold you want. I find the ice cube size (about 2 Tbsp) works best.
tip: press down firmly with the back of a spoon or with your fingers. Pressing firmly helps to make sure that the facial steamers will hold together when they are dry. If the mixture is too loose in the molds, then it might crumble later when you remove them from the molds.
step 5:Â Allow them to dry completely and then pop them out of the molds
tip: make sure they are completely dry before trying to remove them from molds. Depending on the humidity in your home, this may take a few hours or it could take a few days. If you have lots of humidity in your home (because it’s raining outside, you live in the tropics, or you’re making them near a humid area like a bathroom), then you may want to run a dehumidifier to help get all the extra moisture out of the steamer tabs before you try to unmold them. Once they are completely dry, they will easily pop right out of the mold.
step 6 (optional): print out the free printable label and attach it to a pretty jar
get the free printable label here
How to use acne facial tabs
- start with a clean face – use my homemade face wash (recipe here)
- place 1-2 acne facial tabs into a wooden, glass, or ceramic bowl
- pour hot, steamy water over the tabs
- close eyes (you don’t want steam or essential oils to get in your eyes)
- use a soft towel to make a tent over your head and the bowl to trap the steam
- keep your face over the steam for a couple of minutes to open and clean your pores (tip: if you ever get too hot or uncomfortable, simply lift up the towel and turn your head away from the bowl to cool off and get fresh air. When you’re ready, put your head back over the bowl. Relax and enjoy.
- when you’re done, use a clean towel to dry your face
- use toner (find my recipe here)
- finish with a face serum to seal in moisture (find my recipe here)
Where to get supplies
tea tree essential oil (melaleuca)
mini silicone mold (2 Tbsp size is ideal)
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Please note: Products mentioned in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This website is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your medical doctor regarding your medical care. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
Disclaimer: Please know that this website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link. Â
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