We all rely on store-bought beauty products. This New Year, do yourself and the environment a favor—start replacing one beauty product every month. Let’s start with January by replacing face masks.
Face masks or packs are something we use when in need of giving our skin a little lift and infusing some glow into it. But why should we rely on products made from harsh chemicals and artificial additives for that? Our kitchens, gardens and sometimes the medicine drawer can provide us with enough ingredients to make awesome stuff for our skin that’s fresh, synthetic chemical-free, and easy to use as well. Plus, they are good for our skin, the environment, and our pockets as well. So this January, refuse to buy any skin packs or masks—try making your own beauty apothecary instead. Here are some recipes to suit every skin type.
Creamy Face Masks: For Normal to Dry Skin
One we cross our 30s, it’s natural for us to try and look for face masks that proclaim exotic ingredients to zap those fine lines and wrinkles away and to make our skin glow with the youth of the 20s. Frankly, aging is a pretty natural process and there’s no harm or foul in looking as old as our years. But we can make sure that we look our age in a healthy and glowing skin way. Here are some creamy skin masks that help us look as beautiful as we feel…
- Double Cream Whip: So cream isn’t just great for coffee or to make some frosting. The lactic acid, as well as the natural oils in cream, can really increase your skin’s nourishment quotient a lot, and the vegans can replace this ingredient with soy cream for more or less the same effect. Gently mix two dollops cream, 5 drops rose essential oil, one squeezed vitamin E capsule, one punch of turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon of coffee grounds in a bowl. Apply this to freshly washed skin that has been patted dry with a towel. Massage in for 2-3 minutes and leave on for 10 minutes. Once slightly dry, scrub this face mask off with your hands for skin that shines with health.
- Greek Yogurt For The Skin: Let’s move on to yogurt for skin that’s not so dry and doesn’t need that much oily nourishment. Scoop some organic yogurt into a muslin cloth and hang it over a vessel till all the moisture drips away and you are left with a thick paste. Gently mix 2 tablespoons thick yogurt, 1 teaspoon castor oil, and 4-5 drops tea tree oil or basil essential oil. Add 1 teaspoon gram flour (besan) or crushed raw oats to the mix. Apply this to washed and dried skin and keep on for 10-15 minutes. Gently scrub off with a washcloth or sponge for skin that’s glowing with vitality.
Fruity Mask To Remove Dullness: For All Skins
Irrespective of age, sometimes the skin just looks dull. So it needs a boost from ingredients that exfoliate, nourish, and brighten at the same time. Look no further than fruits then!
- Skin-Any Purees: Puree any “creamy” fruit you have at hand. Think mangoes, bananas, papaya, strawberries, or dragon fruit. Add in 1-2 teaspoons favorite oil (olive, coconut, or jojoba work best). Now massage in this puree all over the skin you want to brighten and keep on for 5-10 minutes. Ignore a bit of tingling, but if it itches or hurts, wash off instantly—it could mean you are allergic to one of the ingredients. Otherwise, keep on for 10 minutes and wash off for a brighter visage.
Peel-Off Mask For Blackhead Removal
Think peel-off masks are going to be terribly complicated to make? Well, they aren’t at all. The main ingredient you need is unflavored gelatin.
- Jelly Up That Face: To 2 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin (vegans can opt for veg gelatin, aka carrageenan, a seaweed extract), add a water-based liquid of your choice. Think 4 tablespoons rose water, orange juice, apple juice or even half rose water and half lemon juice. Mix it well on a double boiler to form a goopy but lump-free paste and apply evenly on the whole face with a brush, using 2-3 coats if needed, or the oily T-zone (forehead, nose, and cheeks). Let it dry to the touch and then peel off as you would any other peel-off mask. Apply some oil or lotion to further nourish the skin. Voila, clean and blackhead-free skin. In case you love your lactic acid, you can mix one-and-a-half tablespoons milk to one tablespoon gelatin instead, melting it over a double boiler. Apply with a brush quickly, before the gelatin hardens.
Clay Mask To Zap Acne (Oily Skins)
Clay soaks away the skin’s excessive oils—which in turn helps acne-stricken skin.
- Clay Me Some Honey: For a good face mask, mix 1 tablespoon bentonite clay powder, 1 tablespoon honey, 4-5 drops tea tree oil or neem essential oil and enough rosewater to make a thick and smooth paste. Apply this onto your skin and let it dry. Wash off with a washcloth dipped in warm water for skin that glows and acne that slowly subsides with regular use.
So it’s simple. Just stop buying tubes and jars of branded face masks and face packs—and make some organic and DIY face packs and masks at home instead—with all natural ingredients that do not harm your skin or the environment and also give you a lovely glow. What more can you ask of the first month of this New Year? Do share in any recipes you have with us in the comments section below…
