All natural face masks

You can make face masks with ingredients in your pantry rather than spending money on chemical-laden products that may, or may not, work for your unique skin. With homemade recipes you can adjust levels of ingredients, or swap them out entirely until it’s perfect. Also, when a recipe fails, you can eat it.

When you lay down on your bed with the mask on, lay a towel down to protect your sheets from stains. Most masks should only be left on for a matter of minutes and then rinsed off so you won’t have to worry about rolling over in your sleep and ruining the mask or your sheets at the same time. Extra portions of the mask can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.

All Skin Types

Skin loves egg whites because they’re moisturizing. They replace the moisture that’s lost in a normal work or school day due to stress, weather, and pollution. The following recipe is simple, but effective:

• Separate 2 egg whites and put them in a bowl.
• Mix the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of yogurt.
• Leave on the face for a few minutes.
• Rinse with warm water and follow with a warm washcloth.

Bentonite clay cleanses and hydrates skin and hair. You might not have it in your pantry, and it’s not edible, but becoming familiar with it may be worthwhile. If you mix it with moisturizing egg whites, you’re in for a spa experience:

• Blend 1 egg white, 2 tablespoons of bentonite clay, 1 tablespoon of corn flour, and a drop of your choice of essential oil.
• Apply to face and lie down.
• Allow to dry and leave on as long as you like.
• Wash off with a warm cloth.

Grainy products, like sugars and salts, exfoliate. They should always be combined with creaming ingredients to restore moisture. The following recipe does just that:

• Mix 1 egg white, ½ tablespoon of oil (olive, almond, or coconut), 1 tablespoon of flour, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of whole milk.
• Apply to your face in a circular motion.
• Leave on for 15 minutes.
• Rinse with warm water.
• Finish with a moisturizer to lock in all the oils.

Another easy-to-make product is a toner. It will cleanse as well as make the pores appear smaller:

• Beat 1 very cold egg white with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. It should become frothy and well blended with no lumps.
• Smooth it on the skin (it should feel like gel) and lie down to let it dry.
• Rinse it off and finish with a moisturizer.

Oily Skin

Oily skin is often irritated because it is prone to acne, so it needs soothing ingredients such as bananas. It also needs something to hold its wonderful oils in. Honey often serves that purpose. Here is a simple recipe:

• Mash a ripe banana with 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of citrus (lemon or orange juice).
• Apply to face and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Rinse off and then pat with a steaming hot wash cloth.
• Follow with a moisturizer.

Another soothing ingredient is yogurt. Yogurt combines well with moisturizing egg whites and honey. This recipe works well with all skin types:

• Mix 1 egg white, 2 tablespoons of warm honey, 4 teaspoons of lemon juice, and 3 teaspoons of yogurt.
• Apply to face and leave on for 15 minutes before you wash it off.

You can also get rid of acne and the scars it leaves behind. Honey is antibacterial as well as anti-inflammatory, so it will soothe as well as provide a seal for moisture. Try the following mixture:

• Mix 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons of cooled green tea, 5 teaspoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of honey.
• Spread on your face with cotton pad and massage.
• Leave the mask on for about 10 minutes and rinse with water.

If you’d like an acne mask you can use daily, the exfoliating agent (the sugar) has to come out, as in this recipe:

• Mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of honey.
• Slather it on with your fingers.
• Leave it on for between 10 and 15 minutes.
• Rinse it off with warm water and then use a toner (a toner can be as simple as 1 part apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water).

Dry Skin

Dry skin needs heavy moisturizer as well as soothing ingredients and something to lock in the moisture that’s added. One very simple recipe is as follows:

• Mash ½ a ripe avocado with ¼ cup honey.
• Apply to skin and leave on for 10 minutes.
• Rinse with a cool wash cloth.

Carrots prevent dryness and are also anti-inflammatory, making them a wonderful toner. Combined with moisturizing ingredients, they can help revitalize skin. Use this simple mixture:

• Peel and de-stem 1 carrot and then steam or boil it until it’s fork tender. Mash the carrot with ½ an avocado, 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ tablespoon oil, and 1 egg yolk.
• Spread over a clean face and let it sit for 15 minutes.
• Wash it off with a warm washcloth and pat dry with a towel.
• Finish with moisturizer.

The following works on dry skin as well as dry and frizzy hair:

• Mash ¼ of a ripe avocado, 1 tablespoon of buttermilk or heavy cream, and a sprinkle of cornstarch together.
• Smooth across skin, let sit for 15 minutes, and rinse off.

Dry skin needs a simple exfoliating, as well as moisturizing, mask. This skin type might need it more than the others to get rid of dead skin. This mixture works well:

• Mix 1 tablespoon of avocado oil with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
• Massage it onto the face in a circular motion.
• Rinse with warm water.

Enjoy smoother, softer, brighter, healthier skin while being creative.