Style June 29, 2018
Grand pampering without grand prices.
Face masks are popular right now, so it might be tempting to go out and buy every single clay, mud and charcoal mixture available. However, this practice can get expensive, and it doesn’t address what your skin might actually need. Depending on the presence of acne, oily skin or dry skin, certain masks might not work for you.
So how do you treat yourself without actually treating yourself? Luckily, you can make face masks at home.
If you’re cheap like me, spend some time rummaging through your cabinet for all-natural skin care ingredients and create these seven DIY face mask recipes.
This recipe comes directly from Skyy Hadley, a professional cosmetologist. She shared it with It’s a Glam Thing, a beauty blog, and it’s perfect for Halloween or fall.
Ingredients
Method
Mix all ingredients together. “Wash face and while face is still moist apply the mask using your fingers in an upward motion,” the recipe instructs.
“Let sit for no more than 10 minutes and remove with warm water and washcloth.”
I haven’t personally used this recipe, but you can catch me trying it out in October.
I actually remember finding this in an early edition of Seventeen magazine. It was the first DIY face mask recipe I ever tried. I was only 13 years old, but I remember being satisfied with the results. Here’s a version that I found on Pinterest.
Ingredients
Method
“Cook oatmeal as directed on the package. Let cool, and then stir in lemon juice and egg. Dot mixture on pimples and leave on overnight,” the recipe states.
According to the recipe, lemon acid “kills bacteria in your pores,” and the “vitamin E in the egg will tighten skin.”
I can say first-hand that my skin did feel very tight after using it. I do think it killed bacteria from my face, but it didn’t clear up any already existing blemishes.
Dermatologists interviewed by Buzzfeed say egg “does tighten and tone your skin, and does help reduce excess sebum. But the tightening and toning effects are only temporary.”
This sounds like it checks out with my memory. The face mask made my face feel tight, fresh and super clean directly after using it, but by the end of the day, the oil had definitely come back.
If you have oily skin as well as acne, add a gentle, light moisturizer after using this recipe. Drying out your face can actually add more moisture, according to dermatologist Emmy Graber in a Prevention interview.
This recipe comes from Cosmopolitan magazine, under inputs from Dr. Neena Chopra.
Ingredients
Method
Mix all together. “Apply this pack to your face and wash it with cold water. This pack restores proper balance of oil and moisture in the skin.”
The dermatologists interviewed for Buzzfeed confirm that egg white “does tighten and tone your skin, and does help reduce excess sebum. But the tightening and toning effects are only temporary.”
However, they acknowledge that honey can “help break apart excess sebum” as well, and it also “can make your skin moist and softer.” So perhaps the contrasting effects of honey moisture and egg white tightening really do restore oil balance.
This recipe comes fresh with advice and criticism from dermatologist experts David E. Bank, Doris Day and Michele S. Green, who were interviewed for Buzzfeed. Dr. Bank confirms that the clay “can help control oil.”
Ingredients
Method
Mix and apply for 15 minutes. Rinse.
The experts agree that the mask ingredients “can help dry out oily skin, gently exfoliate the skin and can be antibacterial.”
I personally have oily skin, and I adore using clay masks. They never make my face feel too tight or too moisturized. The only problem I really see with this recipe is that bentonite clay can be hard to find in general drug stores. However, Walmart sells a large batch of it for $10, which isn’t too shabby.
Beauty website Hello Glow recommends this mask for dry skin. Bank agrees, saying that avocado and honey can create a “nice overall…hydrating, healthy gently exfoliating kind of mask.” Plus, the green face mask look is classic!
Ingredients
Method
“Add honey and avocado to a small bowl and mash together. Stir in the ground almonds. Spread over the face and neck and after 15-20 minutes, rinse with warm water,” Hello Glow recommends.
Even though I have oily skin, I do have a whipped sugar scrub that I use to moisturize my face in the shower. It does a great job with hydration, even if there are other skincare steps I have to take afterward to control my oil balance.
I found two homemade sugar scrub recipes that imitate the cream I have. One is thicker but takes longer; the other is less thick and creamy but incredibly easy.
Whipped Brown Sugar DIY Face Mask with Shea Butter (from adelightfulhome.com)
Ingredients
Method
“Transfer the shea butter to a small pan, and gently heat, using the double boiler method, until the butter is nice and soft.” (Don’t melt the butter!)
Beat shea butter “on high speed until it has a whipped consistency and doesn’t feel grainy when rubbed between your fingers. This will take around 3 to 4 minutes. It should look like firm whipped cream when it is done.”
Combine melted coconut and olive oils together. “SLOWLY pour the oil into the bowl of shea butter, while beating on high speed. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides as you go.”
Add the brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
This recipe is “meant to be used in the shower.” I personally gently massage my sugar scrub onto my face in a circular motion and rinse off with warm water.
Easy Brown Sugar DIY Face Mask (from a LEAFtv article by Maggie Hira)
Ingredients
Method
“Combine ingredients in a plastic bowl, and whip with an electric beater for about 10 minutes, or until you have a creamy consistency. Apply over damp skin to exfoliate and moisturize.”
DIY face masks for your specific skin type can be tricky, so let us know in the comments how it goes!
