Home Beauty Face and Body Care
The Editors of The HealthyUpdated: Feb. 04, 2024
Forget spending time and money at your local spa. Follow these simple recipes and pamper yourself with the perfect homemade face mask.
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Banana facial masks
Bananas are packed with ingredients for great skin: vitamin A to fade dark spots and blemishes and smooth out rough skin, vitamin B to reduce dryness, vitamin E to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and potassium to moisturize and hydrate. So the fruit makes a perfect all-natural, homemade face mask that leaves skin looking and feeling softer.
To make, mash up a medium-sized ripe banana into a smooth paste, then gently apply it to your face and neck. Let it set for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse it off with cold water. You can also mix 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey (a natural acne remedy) and one medium banana.
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Vinegar facial masks
Using vinegar as a skin toner dates back to the time of Helen of Troy, and it’s just as effective today. After you wash your face, mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 cups water as a finishing rinse to cleanse and tighten your skin. You can also create a homemade face mask by mixing 1/4 cup cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water. Gently apply the solution to your face and let it dry.
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Milk facial masks
To help your face feel fresh and rejuvenated, mix 1/4 cup powdered milk with enough water to form a thick paste. Thoroughly coat your face with the mixture, let dry completely, then rinse with warm water.
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Oatmeal facial masks
If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up that will leave you feeling and looking better, give yourself an oatmeal facial. Combine 1/2 cup hot—not boiling—water and 1/3 cup oatmeal. After the water and oatmeal have settled for two or three minutes, mix in 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey and one small egg white. Apply a thin layer of the mask to your face, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. (Be sure to place a metal or plastic strainer in your sink to avoid clogging the drain with the granules.)
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Mayonnaise facial masks
Why spend money on expensive creams when you can treat yourself to a soothing homemade face mask with whole-egg mayonnaise from your own refrigerator? Gently spread the mayonnaise over your face and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Then wipe it off and rinse with cool water. Your face will feel clean and smooth.
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Yogurt facial masks
You don’t have to go to a spa to give your face a quick assist. To cleanse your skin and tighten the pores, slather some plain yogurt on your face and let it sit for about 20 minutes. For a revitalizing homemade face mask, mix 1 teaspoon plain yogurt with the juice from 1/4 slice of orange, some of the orange pulp, and 1 teaspoon aloe. Leave the mixture on your face for at least five minutes before rinsing it off.
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Mustard facial masks
Mustard seeds contain bacteria-fighting sulphur, so this mask is especially good for skin sensitivity, acne and inflammation. Pat your face with mild yellow mustard for a bracing facial that will soothe and stimulate your skin. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse with warm water. Try it on a small test area first to make sure it won’t irritate.
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Lemon facial masks
Lemons contain AHAs and BHAs, two types of hydroxy acid that remove dead skin cells and help clear up blackheads, acne and discoloration. Create a homemade face mask by mixing the juice from one lemon with 1/4 cup olive oil or sweet almond oil. Or mix the juice of 1/2 lemon with a tablespoon of honey. Apply to your face, wait 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.
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Egg facial masks
For a little pampering, head to the refrigerator and grab an egg. If you have dry skin that needs moisturizing, separate the egg and beat the yolk. For oily skin use just the egg white, and add bit of lemon or honey. For normal skin, use the entire egg. Apply it once beaten, relax and wait 30 minutes, then rinse. You’ll love your new fresh face.
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Strawberry yogurt facial masks
For this refreshing (and tasty!) treatment, mash a handful of ripe strawberries with 3 tablespoons of ground almonds. Add 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt and mix until the mixture has a pasty texture. Apply it to your face and rinse for soft, smooth skin. If you have any left over, make sure to keep it refrigerated.
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Yeast facial masks
This treatment, meant especially for younger people with oily skin, requires a package of dry yeast. Mix the contents of a 0.25-ounce (7-gram) packet with three drops of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of water until it forms a paste. (Add more water as needed to get it to the right consistency.) Spread the mixture on your face and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse off for a refreshing deep clean.
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Honey facial masks
For this homemade face mask, start with 2/3 cup of instant oats and heat them in 1/2 cup of hot water for about five minutes until the mixture thickens. While you’re waiting, toss half a cored apple into a blender with 2 tablespoons of yogurt, 2 tablespoons of honey and one egg white. Blend at a pulse for 45 seconds, then add the heated oatmeal mixture. Blend at a pulse for another 20 seconds. Apply the mixture to your face and let it sit for 15 minutes for maximum nourishment.
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Youthful skin facial masks
The name of this homemade face mask says it all—banana acts as an astringent, helping to tighten facial skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. In addition to the yellow fruit (the recipe recommends a medium-sized banana), you’ll also need 1/4 cup of whipping cream. Mash them together, then add the contents of one 500-IU Vitamin E capsule. (You can pierce the capsule with a needle to squeeze out the contents.) Stir the mixture and then spread it onto your face, removing after 10 to 15 minutes. For more simple DIY face masks like these, and homemade remedies of all types, check out the bookHomemade: 707 Products to Make Yourself to Save Money and the Earth by the Reader’s Digest editors.
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Sources
- Homemade: 707 Products to Make Yourself to Save Money and the Earthby the Reader's Digest editors
Originally Published: November 06, 2018
