homemade facial masks

Three Choices

Depending on your skin type, here are some great masks to try. For oily skin use some plain Milk of Magnesia, rub it on and let dry, then rinse with lukewarm water. It absorbs oil wonderfully!

For Normal/combination skin mix one egg and 1/2 cup cooked instant oatmeal and a teaspoon olive oil until smooth. Spread on your face and leave 15 min then rinse.

For dry skin, mix one egg yolk, one teaspoon honey and a teaspoon olive oil and some vitamin E oil if you have it. Smooth on and leave on for 15 min. , rinse in lukewarm water and pat dry. If your skin is a bit dry you can put a dab or two of either olive oil, or any other light oil, or plain crisco if you want something heavier, on your moist skin after washing or a mask and your face is set without the $$ some people spend for the same look.
Jamie L.
Homemade Facial Scrub Instead of Soap

This is for the lady who wanted a homemade facial mask. First, clean your face with water only. Never use soap. You can open your pores with hot compresses (washcloth) For a facial scrub, moisten oatmeal to a "goo", use it to scrub your face (not around your eyes). Wash off with cool water.You may also make a paste of the oatmeal and allow it to dry..remove with cool water.You may also beat an egg white, put it on your face and let it dry, rinse with cool water. Sliced fresh cucumber placed on your closed eyes will reduce bagginess and dark circles.To make your hair shine, rub in some regular mayonnaise,shampoo out after 15 minutes.
Sonja in Goose Creek
Honey for Best Facial

The best facial mask that i have found is honey. Use warm cloth to open pores, smear on honey, leave on 15 to 30 minutes, rinse off with warm water, and then use cold water to close pores. Use for 3 days in a row and then once a week. Sometimes I mix a little gound oatmeal with the honey, which makes a great mask.
M.
Facial Feels Good

One my daughter and I had fun with and found to have a cleansing and softening effect was to mix regular clean kitty litter, the clay kind, with water and strain out the grit. It really felt good.
Carol

Exfoliating Mask

For an easy exfoliating mask, mix three tablespoons olive oil or any good oil and one tablespoon kosher salt mix and gently rub into dry skin. Do not use around eye area. This works great on elbows and feet, but it can also be used on cheeks and forehead
Donna R.
Egg Whites

I use egg whites. Just beat one egg white until it is frothy. Spread it all over your face. Wait until it dries. Rinse it off. My face feels very clean and "tight" after this application. And then I use the yolk for cooking.( I have yet to have found a use for the shell)
DS
Egg Yolk

The best homemade facial mask that I have used is a raw egg yolk. just apply the raw yolk to your face and neck for 30 minutes and rinse with cool water. Egg yolks are high in vitamin A. The mask is very effective in healing blemishes.
Leona
Match Mask to Your Skin Type

For trouble-prone skin, mix oatmeal with water to form a paste.

For normal to oily skin, use an egg white.

For dry skin, use an egg yolk.

In all cases, spread mixture on face and allow to dry. Rinse thoroughly with cool water.

For oily skin, witch hazel makes an inexpensive toner.

For dry skin, you may want to add moisturizer while skin is still damp.
Susan
Oatmeal

The cheapest and best facial mask I have ever come up with is oatmeal processed to a powder in the blender and either skim milk or if you are trying to fade spots lemon juice. Really works well for me and I have dry skin.
Jan
More Facial Maks Choices

The kind of the mask you want to use depends on your skin type.

For dry skin, try:

* an egg yolk mixed with olive oil and warmed honey

* sour cream

* plain olive oil

* avocado

For oily skin:

* dissolve a teaspoon of baking yeast in a small amount of warm milk, wait until foamy, then apply (best done in the bath tub);

* puree flesh of a tomato and mix with some potato flour to make a paste;

* cucumber (it will whiten your skin);

* beaten egg whites with a few drops of lemon juice (great for getting rid of blackheads);

* carrots (but don't use this one more than about every other week because it can overdry your skin). This one will make you look tanned.

General refreshing masks:

* grapes (just cut a berry in half and rub lightly)

* strawberries (test behind your ear first, because many people are alergic to strawberies used this way even thougth they can eat them just fine)

* honey and ricotta cheese

Many fruits and vegetables can also be used to good effect. Anything acidic (lemon, strawberries, etc) will tend to whiten and refresh your skin, but you need to be careful if your skin is dry.

In general, don't apply masks more often than about twice a week, and try to vary the ingredients.

It is a good idea to test the mask first. Apply a small amount behind your ear, wait 20 minutes, then wash off. Then wait 24 hours. If the skin behind your ear is normal, then go ahead and use the mask.
Marzena
Egg Yolk and Honey

I reader recently asked if anyone had a recipe for homemade facial masks. I often use an egg yolk and honey mask. Just mix one egg yolk with a little honey and spread it on your face and neck. When it dries, rinse it off. Your skin will feel so fresh and soft!
Sarah W.

Pampering our skin is something we should learn to do for our health and well being. Many of the commercially made soaps, lotions, and bath products are actually harsh on our skin, despite what they claim. However, there are some simple things you can do to nurture your skin without buying expensive spa products.

Do not over wash your face or body. A gentle rinse in the morning is often all you need for your face and neck area. Avoid scrubbing with the abrasive cleaners that are available or harsh soaps. I have found that a good quality handmade soap works well. When washing use warm water and finally, pat your face dry gently with a soft towel. The key to pampering your skin is to be as gentle as possible.

In "Age Erasers for Women" (Rodale Press, 1994) the editors of Prevention Magazine recommend this quick home facial. Grind 2 cups of dry red beans in a food processor or grinder. Mix 1/2 cup of the powder with a little water to form a paste. Spread on your face, avoiding your eye area, and leave on for about 5 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Save the remainder of the powder in a covered container. After this cleaning mask, you can follow with a hydration mask as follows:

Mix together:

* 1 tsp. honey

* 1 egg yolk

* 1/2 tsp. olive oil

* 1/2 tsp. half-and-half or heavy cream

Apply to your face, including your eye area, and leave on for 15-20 minutes and rinse with warm water.

I have found that the best moisturizers are fragrance and color free. The simpler, the better. It's important that you do not towel dry your face or body completely before adding a moisturizer. They do not ADD moisture, but instead they help retain the moisture from your bath or shower. If you do want to add fragrance, try adding a few drops of essential oil such as calendula, which has skin soothing properties.

Making your own facial masks and scrubs is really easy, really fun, and really inexpensive. Many of the ingredients that make up a scrub or facial you probably already have in your kitchen or bathroom, but you may find yourself visiting bulk stores and natural food stores to find new ingredients to experiment with.

Masks:

Before you decide whether you want to make a scrub or a mask, you need to know the difference between the two. A scrub generally contains scrubby bits to exfoliate away dead skin, but a mask may as well. A mask is left on for about ten minutes and may or may not "harden." A mask contains an ingredient that needs to stay on your skin for several minutes for full benefit. Some of these are yogurt (plain, full fat, unsweetened), honey (astringent), green tea powder, (macha tea contains anti-oxidants that are great for your skin), aspirin (combats acne) banana (moisturizing) and avocado (moisturizing).

Why aspirin? Aspirin (even the generic types) contains a type of salicylic acid, which is great for keeping acne away. Use one aspirin per mask. If you're preparing a large batch of your mask, try to figure about one aspirin per mask. If you use more, it will sting and dry out your skin. Aspirin masks should only be used once a week, and people with very dry skin may want to avoid aspirin masks. You don't need to crush the pills; simply place a drop of water on the pill and it will turn to powder within a few minutes.

An aspirin mask can be as simple as aspirin mixed with honey and/or yogurt and spread on the face for ten minutes. When you wash mask off, you can use the little aspirin bits to scrub your skin. Here's my favorite aspirin mask recipe:

One aspirin
One large tablespoon of plain, full-fat yogurt
One teaspoon green tea powder
One small teaspoon of honey

Whisk the above ingredients together. You can make a large batch, as it will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

If my skin is feeling dry and oily, I use this recipe:

One aspirin
One tablespoon olive oil or almond oil (or any oil, really)
One tablespoon ripe, mashed banana
One teaspoon green tea powder

Scrubs:

When making a scrub, avoid using honey alone as a base, as you will find it very hard to spread. Scrubs really just need to, well, scrub.

Choose a base: I typically use olive oil. You can use honey mixed with an oil of your choice; you can also use yogurt or mashed banana, although I prefer those in a mask.

Choose a grit: A trip to your local bulk food store should give you plenty of ideas! You can use coarse, organic sugar or coarse sea or kosher salt. You can also use cornmeal or oats passed through a blender. You can use dry, ground tealeaves or dried flowers (food grade).

When you're done with your mask or scrub, you can use a mild cleanser to wash it away. Follow up with a moisturizer. I just use plain shea butter.

Less than a month after switching from commercial soaps, scrubs, masks and moisturizers, my face has gone from being acne and dry skin prone (around my nose and forehead) to being smooth and small-pored.