as day and other times I’ll have a breakout that leaves unwanted discoloration. It was an uphill battle for a long time, but temperamental skin means pulling in the skin-care reins.
I changed my diet and my entire skin care routine from what I cleanse, tone and moisturize with, to the make-up I wear on a daily basis. But thanks to hormones and environmental conditions, imperfections are real and not always avoidable.
All of these masks should sit for 10-20 minutes, and work best if you steam your face prior. You can purchase an actual face steamer here, but boiling a pot of water and letting your face sit over it for 3 minutes or so, although not as practical, works just as well.
This mask is a bit drippy so I’d recommend it for bath time. If not, have a wash cloth close by and you’re good to go.
Honey is anti-microbial and putting it on your skin helps kill acne causing bacteria, while cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness and puffiness. Mix these two ingredients and let it sit on your face for 15-20.
It seems like this mask would have a messy clean-up, but it actually comes off easily without leaving residue.
Yogurt and aloe vera are both anti-bacterial, and the almond meal in this mask is exfoliating. Rub this mask in a circular motion when applying and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
I used coconut milk yogurt for this mask because it’s what I had in my fridge and it has the same properties as dairy yogurt. This recipe can also be doubled and saved for later. When I don’t feel like mixing a mask (Monday’s can be tough), this is my pre-made go-to.
Again, honey has the ability to kill acne causing bacteria, baking soda is exfoliating, and coconut oil is moisturizing. Rub this mask in a circular motion when applying and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. I typically wash my face with a cleanser after using this mask as coconut oil is pore-clogging if it’s left on your skin.
Turmeric is an anti-everything powerhouse. A major component of Turmeric is Curcumin, an active compound that is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Why would you not want to rub this over every skin cell on your face?
I chose to mix my turmeric with tea tree oil and aloe vera to hone in on the anti-bacterial attributes of the mask (anti-acne), but turmeric can be mixed with a plethora of ingredients depending on what you want to focus on. Here are a few: gram flour and a bit of water for oily skin, rose water and fresh cream for moisturization, and egg white and oats for a toner. A great all-purpose mask is mixing the turmeric with honey and yogurt.
I will forewarn you that turmeric leaves behind a yellowish-orange residue. In my case, after this mask parts of my sink were colored, my face looked like I’d gotten some sun, and the inside of the dish I used to mix the mask was a bit tinted. I used Dr. Bronner’s All-Purpose Pure-Castile Soap (my favorite non-toxic body wash and household cleaner) to wash it off of the sink and dish, and they were both cleaner than before. I left the residue on my face overnight to see what would happen and the next morning my face was its original color and the residue didn’t leave a trace on my pillow. Regardless of the clean-up, this mask has too many benefits to scroll over.
This is my absolute favorite mask for anything and everything. Activated charcoal is a great teeth whitener and internal detoxification method because it clings to impurities and rids your body of them. I keep a bag of activated charcoal around my house, and capsules for detoxing at home or when traveling. I’m not sure why I only recently began using charcoal on my skin, but since I have I’ll never stop. This mask is magic.
I used a pestle and mortar to mix avocado and charcoal and, after steaming my face, applied it straight to my skin. Opening the charcoal capsules and pouring them directly into the dish is your best bet. Activated charcoal is similar to flour in the fact that it clings easily to things and isn’t the most fun to clean up. Capsules make this mask a breeze to make and clean up. Leave this mask on for 20-ish minutes and rinse it off. No need to cleanse! Activated charcoal and avocado have you covered. You” thank them later.