What if you could find everything you needed to achieve supple, glowing skin – right in your kitchen?
Convenience aside, natural ingredients from the earth have an extraordinary ability to combat a number of skin conditions, such as acne, aging, and even eczema.
Specifically, when combined into a nourishing face mask, these ingredients contain all of the benefits of store-bought masks, without any of the toxic chemicals often found in commercial skincare products (1).
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Below you’ll find several of the best ingredients for a homemade face mask – many of which are probably already waiting in your fridge.
Clay Face Masks: Detox
Clay has a number of benefits for the skin, especially when it comes to removing impurities.
Highly Absorptive
Clay is a popular ingredient in many facial masks sold in stores, mainly due to its absorption powers. When mixed with water, it swells into a highly porous substance that has the ability to “pull” impurities like dirt, dead skin, and even toxins like heavy metals from the pores (2).
Antibacterial and Antifungal
Not to mention, clay may also be beneficial for any type of skin condition relating to a fungus, such as eczema. This is because clay carries a negative electric charge when mixed with water, while many fungi and bacteria carry positive charges. As a result, the fungi is susceptible to being absorbed by the clay instead of remaining on the skin (3). [tweet_quote] Clay carries a negative electric charge, which can combat positively charged bacteria when used as a face mask.[/tweet_quote]
Nourishing
As a bonus, clays like bentonite (a popular version used for face masks) are also chock-full of a variety of minerals like zinc, manganese, copper, and calcium that nourish and refresh the skin while removing toxins (4).
Fights Excess Oil
The absorbing properties of clay are also wonderful for acne-prone skin, which can become clogged with excess oil and dirt, forming blackheads. Clay acts to gently pull this debris out of pores, giving the skin a chance to heal. [tweet_quote] Clay gently pulls excell oil and dirt out of your skin, removing the risk of blackheads.[/tweet_quote]
Increases Circulation
Clay has been used in mud spas to not only aid in the removal of toxins, but also stimulate circulation. While this treatment was commonly used to soothe symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, increased circulation to the face can help shuttle additional nutrients to the skin (5).
Fights Inflammation
Studies have shown that a clay application helps fight inflammation associated with acne. One study in particular found a 54 percent reduction in inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions in just six weeks of clay-mask treatment (6).
Try the mask below 1-2 times per week to loosen up blackheads, clear skin, and remove excess oil.
Bentonite Clay Mud Mask
Ingredients
- 1 t bentonite clay
- 1 t water (or more until you can form a thick paste)
- 1-2 drops lemon essential oil
How to Make It
- Before applying any type of mask, make sure your face is clean. I recommend a gentle cleanser of diluted apple cider vinegar in water over the commercial versions that contain chemicals.
- In a small glass bowl, combine your clay with warm water until a thick paste forms. Stir in the lemon essential oil.
- Apply evenly to your face and neck, and let it sit until the clay begins to harden (about 10-15 minutes).
- Rinse off the clay and follow with a natural moisturizer like coconut, olive oil, or even aloe gel.
Avocado Masks: Moisturize
Masks with avocado as the main ingredient are a go-to for those looking for an antioxidant-rich and moisturizing skin treatment. Specifically, avocado contains high amounts of vitamin A and E, which have been proven to be excellent for maintaining supple skin (7). They are also rich in nourishing fatty acids that lock in moisture in the skin, helping to prevent future wrinkles.
[tweet_quote] Use avocado in your face mask to boost your Vitamin A and lock in moisture.[/tweet_quote]
Moisturizing Avocado Mask
Ingredients
- 1/2 mashed avocado
- 1/2 t lemon juice
- 1 t raw honey
How to Make It
- In a small bowl, mash all ingredients together into a thick paste.
Apply to clean skin and allow to it sit for about 20 minutes. - Wash off and marvel at your newfound glow.
Berry Masks: Brighten
The next time you’re snacking on a bowl of antioxidant-rich strawberries, you might want to save a few to slather on your skin.
Many fruits, especially berries, are bursting with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, that deeply nourish the skin.
In addition, fruits like strawberries also contain certain enzymes and acids, like salicylic acid, that buff away impurities and dead skin cells (8). As for acne, salicylic acid is one of the most-used ingredients in topical acne products, making these masks ideal for taming breakouts (9). [tweet_quote] Add berries to your next homemade face mask to buff away impurities and banish breakouts.[/tweet_quote]
While the masks below uses strawberries and pumpkins as a base, you can also experiment with raspberries, blueberries, and any other berries you have handy.
Strawberry Mask
Ingredients
- 5-6 strawberries
- 2-3 cherries
- 1 T raw honey
How to Make It
- Blend all ingredients together until a paste forms.
- Apply to clean, dry skin, let it sit for 20 minutes, then wash off. Note: While you can mash the ingredients with a fork in a bowl, I recommend pulsing them in a clean food processor to get the best texture.
Honey Masks: Moisturize
Raw honey is one of the best ingredients to use in a face mask in order to lock in moisture. This is because honey is naturally a humectant, which by definition draws in water (10).
Honey also has strong antimicrobial properties due to its natural hydrogen peroxide content, which activates when combined with water (11). This antimicrobial effect is so powerful that honey has even been used as a wound dressing to help clear infections (12). This makes it an unbeatable ingredient for acne sufferers with dry skin, as it seeks to cleanse and moisturize the skin simultaneously.
In addition, raw honey also contains an array of beneficial living enzymes, proteins, and amino acids that aid in fighting wrinkles and skin conditions (13).
Try this honey mask a few times a week whether you have acne, are looking to brighten your complexion, or looking to help prevent wrinkles by locking in moisture. It truly is beneficial for all skin types!
Raw Honey Moisturizing Mask
Ingredients
- 1 T raw honey
- 1/2 t turmeric
- Small squeeze of lemon juice
How to Make It
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Apply to a clean face and leave on for 15-20 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly, being sure to get off all traces of turmeric (the yellow color likes to stick sometimes – don’t worry, it won’t stain your skin).
There nothing like a skincare treatment that not only works, but is so natural you can eat it!
(Read This Next: How to Naturally Get Rid of Acne Scars)
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