“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates

Homemade Facial Masks , Scrubs and Face Packs

Homemade facial masks, packs and scrubs have long been used to feed and revitalize the skin. In times past homemade cosmetics were fiddly to make, but today with a blender, they can be whipped up in no time at all. Especially these recipes as we have kept our promise of only providing you with remedies that contain common ingredients that you would normally have in your home.

Homemade facial masks don't have to be fancy, with tons of ingredients. Just placing mashed papaya on your face will leave the skin beautifully soft, as will just plain honey. Plain yogurt left on the face and washed off after 15 minutes also does the trick.

Fresh strawberries have always been a favorite of those who look after their skin the natural way. Simply mash together enough ripe strawberries to cover the face and neck, yes don't forget the neck!, and leave the eye area clear. Leave on for 20 minutes and then splash off with tepid water, followed by cold to tighten the pores.

If you have a particularly sensitive skin, then we recommend that you do a patch test first, before applying the mask, scrub or face pack to the whole face.

Common Ingredients to Make Homemade Facial Masks

Fruit, Vegetables, Herbs & Nuts:

• lemons
• bananas
• pineapples
• papaya
• strawberries
• Kiwi fruit / Chinese gooseberries
• watermelon
• cucumber
• peppermint
• almond kernels
• ground almond meal
  

Dairy:

• milk powder
• yogurt
• thick cream
• eggs

Oils:

• olive oil
• homemade almond oil
• avocado oil
  

Miscellaneous:

• honey
• glycerine
• apple cider vinegar
• ground oatmeal
• cornmeal
• brown sugar
• brandy
• vitamin E oil capsules
  

Tips on using  Home Facials

• Your mask need to be just thick enough so that it doesn't slide off your face
• Add the binder slowly so that the mixture doesn't end up being too stiff
• Apply your mask to a clean, rinsed face
• Keep it on your face for 15-30 minutes
• Keep the eye area free
  
• Lie down after you have applied your mask
• Rinse off with warm water

A Basic Mayonnaise Homemade Facial Mask Recipe

Another tip is that many face masks can be based on a homemade mayonnaise made from the following:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/8 cup of cold pressed vegetable oil

It is the malic acid in the apple cider vinegar that makes this an excellent ingredient for the skin. When using cold pressed vegetable oils you can choose from a number of oils, although olive oil has long been a favorite and is easily available. However, you can also use sweet almond oil, avocado oil, or peach kernel oil.

Place the egg yolk and and vinegar in a blender and blitz for a minute. Then with the blender running slowly add your oil in a steady stream. You can add a number of goodies to this basic skin food mask depending on your skin type and condition.

• Mashed avocado will add its rich moisture qualities to the mask.
• Papaya and Kiwifruit have a softening, defoliating effect on the skin.
• By adding honey and wheatgerm to the mayonnaise you will make it more nourishing.
• Adding oatmeal will have a more refining effect on the skin

Homemade Almond Oil Recipe

You will see that some of these natural remedies for different skin types use almond oil. This is an oil that you may not have in your pantries, however, you can make your own almond oil with the following recipe:

Homemade Almond Oil Recipe

Grind 1 oz. (25 g) of almond kernels in a coffee grinder. Mix with 1 pint (1/2 liter)bottled  water. Leave to steep for 1 hour. Drip through coffee filter paper. Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and a few drops of Friar's Balsam*. Store in tightly sealed, dark colored bottles until needed.

* Friar's Balsam may not be in everyone's pantries. I do keep it in mine as it is excellent not just for chapped lips, small cuts and abrasions, but it is also good for bad coughs. I live in a cold climate where I get bronchitis from time to time irritated by my wood fire. Friar's Balsam is the only thing that brings me relief.

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Lemons are excellent for oily skin and drying up pimples

Simple Homemade Facial Masks using 1 or 2 Ingredients

• strawberries: Freshly mashed and applied. This softens and lightens the skin and helps balance the pH factor. Mix with oatmeal if too sloppy.
• pineapple: The enzymes of the pineapple help clear away dead skin cells. Soak gauze pads in pineapple juice and leave on the face for the usual 20 minutes
• apricot: Mash fresh apricots to a pulp - or soak dried ones overnight - cook until soft, then mash. Add a binder if necessary
• grape: Mash grapes to a pulp. For dry skin add honey or a beaten egg yolk. For oily skin add a whisked egg white
• avocado: Mash and mix with honey and lemon juice
• tomato: Mash and combine with oatmeal
• cucumber: Mash and combine with binder, if necessary
• cabbage: Extract the juice from the greenest leaves of the cabbage. Heat slightly and soak gauze pads in the juice and apply
• egg white: Whisk until stiff. Add 1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar
  

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Homemade Facial Masks for Different Skin Types

No matter what type of skin you have using a facial mask should be part of your beauty routine.

As a general rule egg yolk, honey, cream, powdered whole cream milk, avocado, and mashed banana all have enriching, soothing effects on the skin. Refining, stimulating, tightening substances include lemon juice, cucumber juice, egg white, tomato pulp or juice and strawberry pulp or juice.

Therefore, for a dry skin, you need to feed your skin with things like banana and avocado pear. Include a capsule of Vitamin E in the recipe for extra feeding. Dry skin also reponds well to yogurt and fruit masks, especially ripe peaches and apricots. One particularly good facial for dry skin is to mash a half of an avocado pear together with 2 tablespoons of organic honey, and an egg yolk.

Oily skins need just as much loving care. But here, instead of feeding, you need to use fruits that have astringent qualities. Mint, strawberries, oatmeal, tomatoes and strawberries all work well for oily skins, helping mop up any excess surface oils and refining the pores.

Aging skins have help with fennel. It has had a long reputation for softening wrinkles. Use it by chopping bruised fennel leaves and combining it with a little natural yogurt. Other herbs and vegetables that will help iron out those wrinkles are comfrey, cucumber, cowslip flowers, and honeysuckle bark which needs to be simmered in a little water or olive oil in a double boiler before using.

Facial Masks for Oily Skin

If you have an oily skin, you may well have pimples or even acne. No one likes to have pimples, or acne, but these often go hand in hand with an oily skin. One of the best ways of getting rid of pimples overnight is to dab lemon juice directly on the pimple.

Facials for oily skin help dry out the skin as well as purify it.

Binding agents for oily skin facial care should be:

• yogurt
• buttermilk
• egg white
  

Don't use honey or egg yolk. Adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to your recipes is useful because it works as an astringent. So does adding 1/2 a teaspoon apple cider vinegar.

A fantastic homemade facial mask for oily skin is parsley honey. Take 3 1/2 ounces (100g) parsley and 2 teaspoons thick honey. Wash and remove the stalks from the parsley and chop finely. Pound the parsley in a mortar until it is moist. Add this to the honey. Keep mixture in a jar in the fridge. When needed spread evenly over the skin. Let the facial sit on your face for 20-30 minutes before sponging off with warm water.

Here are some more facial mask recipes for an oily skin!

© Benis Arapovic | Dreamstime.com

Peppermint Facial Mask

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 peeled cucumber
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 handful fresh peppermint leaves
• enough skim milk powder to bind mixture together

Put all ingredients into a blender until mixed to a thick cream. Spread over skin. Lie down and leave for 15 minutes. Remove with tepid water. Pat dry and apply a gentle moisturizer.

Cucumber Facial Mask

• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 egg white,  whipped

Peel the cucumber and extract the juice. Add the lemon juice. Whip the egg white until stiff and add the cucumber mixture. Place on face for 20 minutes and rinse.

Lemon Facial Mask

• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Lightly whisk the egg white and fold in the lemon juice. Spread over dry skin, avoiding eye area, and leave on the face for 20 minutes. Rinse off well with tepid water.

Oatmeal Facial Mask

• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  

Boil or microwave the oatmeal and water to form a thick porridge. Cool to body temperature and add the lemon juice. Stir well and apply to face. Leave for 15 minutes and then rinse off with tepid water.

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Facial Masks for Dry Skin

Dry skin needs a lot of feeding and nourishment. If not, it tends to wrinkle a lot quicker. So you really need to take special care of this skin type. One of the easiest ways of combating dry skin is to add a teaspoon or two of olive oil or almond oil to your bath water.

Good homemade facial masks for dry skin include:

• honey
• egg yolk
• oil

Best binders:

• honey
• egg yolk
• mashed bananas

Best Fruit for Dry Skins:

• avocado
• strawberry
• apricot
• tomato
• cucumber
• papaya

However, with the following face packs and masks your skin will feel lovely and soft, and plump once more.

Mayonnaise Facial Mask

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea-salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Blend half a cup of the oil with the remaining ingredients. Whip until thick. Pour in the rest of the oil into the mixture in a steady stream beating all the time. Use mixture on the face when needed, and place in the fridge afterwards until the next time.

Apricot Facial Mask

• 6 dried apricots
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 teaspoon olive or almond oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 drops apple cider vinegar

Soak the apricots in the milk overnight. Remove from the liquid and mash well. Add the oil, honey and cider vinegar and apply. Leave for 20 minutes and rinse.

Egg White Face Mask

• 1 egg white
• 4 drops olive oil

Whisk up the egg white and then, with an old eye dropper, add 4 drops of olive oil. Spread over clean, dry skin and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse off with tepid or warm water.

Apple Facial Mask

• 1 finely grated apple
• 1/2 teaspoon cream
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon ground oatmeal

Mash the finely grated apple together with the cream. Add the honey and the oatmeal and apply for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Honey and Almond Face Mask

• 1 egg white
• 1 dessertspoon honey
• 5 drops almond oil

Beat all the ingredients together until you have a really smooth cream. Apply liberally over your face. Leave for 30 minutes. Remove with tepid water and cotton wool.

Honey Facial Mask

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey

Beat the egg yolk into the oil, then blend in the honey. Apply for 20 minutes and then rinse.

Avocado Face Mask

• 1/2 an avocado pear
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 whole egg
  

Place the avocado pear in the blender and pulse until mashed. Add the honey. Blitz again. Then finally add the egg. Blend to a smooth cream. Pat on the face, leave for 20 minutes and then remove with warm milk on cotton wool.

Strawberry Facial Mask

• 3 ripe strawberries
• 1 teaspoon honey
• enough milk powder to bind to a light paste
  
  Blend or crush the strawberries with a fork. Add the honey and enough of the milk powder to bind to a paste. Apply to the skin and allow to dry. Rinse as usual.
  

A Facial Mask for Dry, Sensitive Skin

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons glycerine (purchase for drug stores or off the Internet)
• 1 tablespoon cream

Mix together, apply to face and leave for 20 minutes to soothe the skin. Rinse off with tepid water.

A Facial Mask for a Glowing Skin

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 mashed avocado pear
• the oil from 1 vitamin A capsule
• 1 teaspoon cream
• 1 tablespoon almond meal

Mix well together, smooth over the face and massage gently. Leave for 20 minute and then rinse off with warm water.

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Homemade Facial Masks for Aging Skin

When you get to a certain age, unfortunately the inevitable happens. The skin looses its firmness, sags start to appear, crows feet and laughter lines deepen, and wrinkles appear overnight. Here are some remedies for those who have a mature skin.

There are some simple methods of ironing out those wrinkles and lines. Cucumber juice is one of them. Just apply straight on the face and allow to dry before rinsing.

Anti-Wrinkle Face Mask

• 1 peeled raw potato
• a little whipped double cream

Finely grate potato and mix with enough cream to make a paste. Smooth over face and leave for 20 minutes. Wash off with milk or water.

Skin Tightening Mask

• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons milk powder
• 1 teaspoon honey

Beat together thoroughly until well blended. Apply to clean skin and allow to dry for at least 20 minutes before removing as usual. Although this tightens the skin beautifully the effect only lasts a few hours.This home facial is also good for tightening the neck and throat, areas that are so often forgotten about.

Homemade Facial Masks for General Beauty

Rich Yogurt and Fruit Exfoliating Mask

• 1 large ripe peach, peeled or 1/4 ripe papaya
  
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 dessertspoon yogurt
• 2 teaspoons oatmeal

In a blender grind the oatmeal to a fine powder. Add all the other ingredients and blend to a thick cream. Leave on the face for 20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water, milk or cream on cotton wool.

Facial Mask for Skin Toning

• 1 large handful ivy leaves
• 1/2 cup water

Finely chop ivy leaves, cover with boiling water, simmer for 10 minutes. Mix into a thick mash and allow to cool. When still warm, apply to face and leave for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water and then splash the face with cold water and gently pat dry.

Herbal Steam Facials

Of course with home facials you can also pamper yourself with some wonderful steam facials. Steam encourages the pores to open up and push out the dirt and impurities that would otherwise build up and cause blemishes. There are some wonderful herbs that can be used here for the different skin types.

How to Use Herbs for a Steam Facial:

Pour boiling water over the herbs, lean over the bowl and cover the bowl and your head with a bath towel  thereby trapping the steam and allowing it to do its thing. Allow the steam facial to work for 10 minutes before blotting your face dry and then applying a homemade moisturizing cream.

• For cleaning: chamomile, nettle rosemary, thyme and calendula petals
• For healing: leek, comfrey, fennel
• For tightening: peppermint and elder flowers

Conclusion:

Although each of these recipes contains gentle ingredients, and these face masks are tried and tested, it is always wise to try a patch of skin first as a test, particularly if you have a sensitive skin or have a history of allergies.

Other Resources of Interest

By Kathryn Bax

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