Beauty Recipe: Homemade Face Masks

I’m travelling today. I’m going from a hot, humid climate to a cold, humid climate but still – the airplane air and all that airport time does a number on your skin, as does any change in temperature, even if the climate isn’t going to be too dry. For that reason, and because it’s just a good habit to get into in the New Year, I whisked up a homemade face mask using three ingredients I had lying around in my fridge/cupboards.

This face mask tightens, brightens and cleanses with a gentle exfoliation from the acid in the lemon juice. At the same time it is completely natural and free of any of the toxic chemicals that permeate so many store-bought beauty goods today.

If the one pictured here that I slathered on last Sunday night doesn’t suit your liking, I’ve also included three other recipes for masks I like to whip up – I usually just choose whichever recipe I have the ingredients for, but if I happen to have all of them on hand then I pick the one that my skin most needs that night (which is probably the way you should choose, but you know, sometimes ease and convenience beats all!).

If your New Year’s resolution was to rid your beauty routine of chemicals, or to just look after your skin more, this is the answer!

Yogurt – anti-microbial and anti-bacterial so it’s a great way to get rid of bacterial acne. Natural source of multiple vitamins and minerals that benefit and nourish the skin from your pores inward.

Honey – softening and moisturizing. A rich source of antioxidants to protect from free radical damage.

Lemon juice – natural source of alpha hydroxyl acid, which gently exfoliates and gets rid of dead skin cells. Also has brightening and lightening properties.

Yogurt Honey Face Mask (nourishing and brightening)

*Please note that I don’t have super-sensitive skin but I do often get irritated by store-bought face masks. As a reasonably average test subject, this face mask left a tiny bit of redness on my cheeks – likely from the lemon juice’s acidity – but that cleared up within 30 minutes of washing it off, so it was just a natural response to the exfoliation.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp plain yogurt (use Greek for a thicker mask) or sour cream
2 tsp honey (I used raw, local and unpasteurized for extra nutrient benefit)
1 tsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients together with a pastry brush (or large make-up brush) and apply liberally to skin. Depending on the yogurt you use this may be quite a runny mixture – it’s fine. As you can see in the photo collage above, this mask isn’t easily visible on the skin – you can just see some liquid as the honey will help it stick, and it makes your skin tone a few shades lighter thanks to the yogurt ;).

2. Leave on for 20-30 minutes, and then wash off with a deep-cleansing face wash.

Some other natural beauty solutions…

1 tbsp quick oats + 1 tsp honey + 2 drops tea tree oil = deep clean with gentle scrub

1 tbsp sugar + 1/2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp honey = deep exfoliation

2 tsp yogurt + 1 tsp coconut or almond oil + 1 tsp honey = deep moisturizer