Integrity Skincare Blog

DIY: Make Your Own SkinCare Masks!

November 27, 2012 4:48 pm

It’s that time of year when the winter wind is blowing and our skin is deeply in need of soothing hydration, so I thought I’d put together a blog post to help you make your own skincare masks at home. There’s nothing better than getting a professional, full service facial at 360 Skin, but in between visits to yours truly you can pamper yourself at home. And don’t worry, I’m not going to make you whip up a batch of pasture raised egg-whites and organic Himalayan thistlethorn berry. Everything is pretty easy to find at your local grocery store and easy to assemble.

For all of these procedures you’ll want to start by cleaning your face well to remove any oil, dirt, and debris by washing the face, neck and ears with a good cleanser.

Next exfoliate your skin lightly to remove any dead skin cells. A simple, effective exfoliant can be made by mixing brown sugar with honey or extra virgin olive oil until you have a thin paste. Gently apply to your moistened face in a circular motion concentrating on the areas around your nose and forehead then rinse your face well.

Once your done with the cleanse and exfoliation you’re ready for your mask. Masks should be applied evenly and stay on for 10-15 minutes. My favorite way to wash off them off is with a steaming hot face towel. Run the towel under hot water, squeeze out the excess water, press to your face for a minute and then gently wash off the mask in a circular motion.

Let’s start with the mask recipes:

Oatmeal/Yogurt Hydrating Mask

DIY: Make Your Own SkinCare Masks!
This face mask is suitable for all skin types and is very simple to prepare. Yogurt has mild astringent properties and the lactic acid it contains has lightening effects and keeps the skin soft and supple. The high zinc content also eliminates blemishes, reduces the size of your pores, and is a natural moisturizer.

Oatmeal is hypoallergenic, soothes the skin, acts as a mild exfoliant, and helps decrease breakouts caused by clogged pores.

Ingredients:

Preparation:
Add the yogurt to the oatmeal in a small bowl and mix together.

Warm a few drop of honey. To do this, warm a spoon under hot water for a minute, then add a few drops of honey to the spoon.

Stir the honey into the yogurt and oatmeal mixture.

Apply the mask to the face. Leave it on for 10 minutes, then rinse off with several splashes of warm water. Follow with a warm washcloth and apply a moisturizer.

Clay Mask for Oily/Acneic Skin

DIY: Make Your Own SkinCare Masks! 1

Don’t let this recipe throw you…I swear by a natural clay mask and one of the easiest, least expensive way to make one is with….kitty litter. Yep, kitty litter. Most cat litters are made of the same ingredients as those fancy clays masks found in $200 spas. I’ve researched it, I’ve discussed it with dermatologists, I’ve tried it….it works!

Natural clay cat litter is made of clay formed into tiny pellets and then dried. When shopping for a natural clay cat litter, make sure the ingredients list “sodium betonite clay” or “100 percent natural clay.” Anything else is suspect in its derivation and not worth trying. Clay itself is a natural oil loving substance that will calm, dry, soften, and clean your pores like nobodies business!

You down to try it? Let’s go!

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Mix in a couple tablespoons of the cat litter with water and drops of oil/honey (the oil/honey helps make the experience somehow less “kitty litter-ish”)
Apply mask to face and let it dry.
Wash off after 15 minutes.
Moisturize.

Skin Brightening Turmeric Face Mask

DIY: Make Your Own SkinCare Masks! 2

 

Turmeric is a bright yellow spice used in many Indian and Southeast Asian dishes, but what many Western don’t know is that when combined with yogurt, milk or olive oil, it’s also an excellent face mask. Indian women use it as a skin brightener and it is common practice for Indian brides to smear a paste made of tumeric and sunflower oil on their skin to brighten their complexions for their wedding day.

Warning: Turmeric powder can stain extremely fair skin. The same properties that make most skin colors glow can make super light-skinned folks look stained. That said, the stain will fade after just a few hours.

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons flour (used to thicken the paste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • For oily skin: 1/2 cup plain yogurt & few drops of lemon juice
  • For dry skin: 4 tablespoons almond or coconut oil, possibly more
  • A 4-6 drops of honey

Preparation:

Mix the flour and turmeric together. If you have oily skin: Add lemon juice and stir. Slowly mix in the yogurt until a creamy paste is formed.
If you have dry skin: Add the oil slowly and stir until a paste is formed. Add more for extra creaminess.

Apply mask and leave on for 15-20 minutes.

Using a warm, wet washcloth that you don’t mind staining (turmeric will stain), rinse off the mask.

Moisturize

 

So there you have it! Three excellent, easy to make masks that will help you hydrate where you need hydration, dry where you need a bit of drying, or brighten where you need to brightening! Let me know your thoughts!!

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This post was written by Brandon