While I’ve never met a commercially-made beauty product that didn’t entice me, I don’t always have good results with bottled items. Fragrance, dyes, preservatives, additives—the list goes on. Natural products, however, are much less likely to cause a reaction. They’re also cheaper and fun to make, too!
Here are some excellent masks you can enjoy at home:
1. Moisture Mask: Combine equal parts fresh strawberries and bananas in a blender. Add 1 Tbsp. of raw honey. Apply to skin and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
2. Oily Skin Mask: Mash a tomato until it’s pulp, then mix with 1 Tbsp. of wheat germ. Apply and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
3. Inflamed Skin Mask: Apply plain, whole milk yogurt to completely coat the face. Leave on up to 30 minutes. Crushed cucumber can also be added. It’s good either way.
4. Blemished Skin Mask: Add lukewarm water to green tea powder (Matcha) until it forms a paste. Apply and let sit for 30 minutes. Can be done twice daily, if needed.
5. Homemade Fruit Peel: Cut a lemon in half. Rub over the face, making sure the juice is extracted. Let sit 5-10 minutes. Be careful to avoid the eye area. This also works great on ashy/discolored areas like knees and elbows.
6. Extremely Dry Skin Mask: Warm raw honey until it becomes manageable but not scalding. Apply to skin and let sit 20 minutes.
7. Texturizing Mask: Use to improve skin that looks dull. Mash together banana, papaya, avocado, and peach. Apply to skin and let sit 20 minutes.
8. Astringent Mask: Steep fresh sage and fresh mint in whole milk. Apply to skin, let dry and sleep with it on overnight. Wash face in the morning. It has a wonderful effect.
9. Redness mask: If skin is red, raw, and/or sunburned, try this. Take 1 cup of whole oats and blend. Add 1 Tbsp. of water and 1 Tbsp. of raw honey. Apply and let sit as long as you’d like. (I’ve done it for an hour.)
10. Revitalizing Mask: Puree a handful of fresh, ripe apricots. Add a few drops of olive oil. Apply to skin and let sit 20 minutes.
To enhance the experience, I love to apply cucumber slices to my eyes and soak in a warm bath as the mask does its magic. So relaxing and rejuvenating!