DIY Black Bean Face Scrub for Acne and Dryness

I used to have flawless skin. I didn't have to do anything for it at all. Unfortunately, ever since I entered my twenties, my skin became sensitive, dry and acne prone. Oh youth, why  must you forsake me???!! I occasionally get redness on my face and on some bad days, my face gets patches of flaky skin and acne on my chin, forehead, and close to the hairline. Products that worked for me before such as the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion left me with whiteheads and even acne the next day.

Anyhow, when I was in Hong Kong this past winter, my grandma pointed out my acne (-__- yea I know) and made mung bean soup for me. A lot of Chinese people make this kind of soup when there's "too much dryness in the body" which, they believe, contributes to acne in some people. I did some research on beans and their effects on skin.  Apparently, mung beans are rich in vitamins and have great antioxidation effects. Since I only had black beans at home, I looked them up as well. I was glad that black beans are also AMAZING for the body and skin. The skin of the black beans are abundant in anthocyanin, which contributes to the antioxidative effects of black beans. It aids in capturing minerals and vitamin E that are great for your skin.

Some sites suggest using black beans as a form of natural skin care. All I do is:
1. Grind the black beans with a coffee grinder until their are grainy, though not powdery.
2. Add some water to them until they form a coarse paste.

3. Wet my face
4. Apply and gently scrub (it'll get slightly messy!) then wash off

I used it day and night for five days straight without other cleansers and my acne dramatically improved! My skin always felt soft and moisturized after the wash. My acne flared up last week and I finally got around to using black beans again. It's so good that I must recommend it!

Some people might add honey to the mixture for honey's anti-inflammatory effects... I can't seem to wash it off well enough so I just stuck to using water.