We all know we should be looking after our skin by drinking plenty of water everyday, using SPF and cleansing and moisturising properly. Especially as the cold winter ends and the spring summer season begins, we want to feel fresh and look good, starting with our faces! It's time to slough off those dry skin cells and get yourself ready for those sunny days with a spot of pampering. Face masks are such a good way to pamper and relax at any time of the year. You don't even need to spend that much as so many food products can be used on your skin too, so we have put together a couple of our favourite DIY face masks recipes we've found for you to try at home yourselves!
Berry Yoghurt Mask
Using a blender, combine 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of plain yoghurt. Once these are fully combined, add around 125g of mixed berries and blend again until smooth. Finally, add a tablespoon of lemon juice and mix this in. Apply the mixture to a clean and dry face, then leave on for 10-15 minutes. Finally rinse off with warm water and pat dry.
This is a great all-rounder mask as each ingredient delivers a different benefit to the skin. The berries contain antioxidants which smooth the skin, prevent fine lines and wrinkles, eliminate scars, increase elasticity, fight against blemishes and acne, balance levels of oil in the skin, and help even out skin tone. For the most antioxidant benefits go for blueberries and blackberries. Yoghurt contains lactic acid which helps to smooth rough, dry skin and prevent premature aging such as fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. The lemon provides vitamin C and natural enzymes that help brighten the skin, and the honey is a mild antiseptic that combats acne and seals in moisture.
Cucumber & Mint Mask
Take 1/2 a peeled cucumber and either chop in a blender or crush with a fork. Then add a handful of chopped mint leaves to the mixture, and 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel and mix everything together. This mask will have a watery consistency so you only need to apply a thin layer. Apply to a clean, dry face and leave on for around 15 minutes, then remove with warm water.
This is the perfect mask for calming and soothing skin. The cucumber cools the skin and also promotes elasticity due to the silicone content. The mint is great for clearing blemishes as the salicylic acid it contains loosens up dead skin cells, allowing them to shed easier. This helpes to prevent pores from clogging up, meaning fewer blemishes. Finally the aloe vera gel fights ageing and moisturises.
Honey & Lemon Mask
Take half a lemon and squeeze the juice into a bowl. Then add 2 tablespoons of organic natural honey and mix together. Apply it onto a clean and dry face, just make sure you avoid your eyes! No one wants eyes covered in honey now do they! Leave on for around 15 minutes and then rinse off with warm water.
As we mentioned before, honey and lemon have great benefits for the skin so this simple 2 ingredient mask is a quick and easy one but comes with a lot of reasons why it's a good one to make! The honey is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory to combat blemishes and redness, and the lemon is perfect for exfoliating due to it's natural acids, which also helps to make the skin look brighter.
Oatmeal Mask
Make a serving of oatmeal as directed on the packet of the oats that you have bought. Using milk rather than water in this mixture adds a few more vitamins if you want to up the face mask's benefits. Then stir in a spoon of ground almonds (or almond oil if you want more Vitamin E benefits) and a teaspoon of honey. If it gets a bit too thick to spread at this point then add a splash of water to the mix. Pop it on your face for ten minutes and then rinse off with cool water.
This oatmeal mask is great if you want a bit of gentle exfoliation as the oatmeal and almonds will do this for you. As mentioned before also, the honey will aid with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It's a great refreshing mask for a quick pamper.
Banana & Avocado Mask
For this one you just need to grab a medium sized banana and half an avocado. Put them into a bowl and blend together with a fork or something similar, then apply to a clean and dry face and leave on for around 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.
The avocados are a great ingredient for a face mask as they can battle dry skin and add moisture due to the vitamins A and E within it, both of which have anti oxidant properties and help repair damaged skin. Bananas contain the same benefits alongside potassium which hydrates and moisturises the skin.
Do let us know in the comments if you try out any of these face masks, we'd love to hear about it! Or any other recipes you have tried and would recommend. Recipes sourced via Whole Living, Howcast, Beauty Banter, Michelle Phan and Into the Gloss.