Put on a happy face with a DIY pumpkin mask

Fall's palette of red, orange, and gold is beginning to show on the trees in our neighborhood and with every breeze comes the scents of the season; apples, pine and pumpkins. A trip to the apple orchard is on the calendar as well as one to the pumpkin patch. 

Pumpkins are great because they can not only be used to decorate the porch - along with a couple corn husks and a basket of yellow mums - but they can be carved, cooked and gutted for use in making a DIY at-home pumpkin mask.

This month's issue of Good Housekeeping magazine features a recipe for the orange goop created by Erika Katz, beauty guru and author of Bonding Over Beauty. Apparently pumpkin guts are full of exfoliating enzymes that leave the skin looking bright and fresh rather than dry and scary.

Just ask anyone who has been fortunate enough to experience the Pumpkin Perfecting at the Eau Spa at the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach. They'll tell you it not only smells delicious but contains a pumpkin patch of super-ingredients that are good for the skin including zinc, beta carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin A. 

Try these recipes and let us know what you think. 

PUMPKIN FACE MASK

2 teaspoons fresh (or canned) pureed pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon heavy whipping cream

In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients and set it aside for 15 minutes. You could apply it to the face immediately but pausing for a few minutes allows the ingredients to get acquainted. Before you apply the mask, be sure you're comfortable as you need to leave it on for 10 minutes. Load the computer with a few good tunes, kick back and relax. When you're done rinse it off.

What it does: I'm hoping it will be refreshing. It's also been known to reduce lines and wrinkles. The honey is supposed to be a natural moisturizer and combat against flaky skin.

PUMPKIN SCRUB

1/2 cup fresh (or canned) pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon of honey

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and set it aside for 15 minutes, as with the facial. Then apply it to your skin and rinse it off.