Old Man Winter has arrived. Your once soft, sun-kissed skin is dull and dry. What are you to do? It’s face mask time, people!
Curl up with your favorite book and a glass of wine. It’s time to bring life back to your skin. Face masks can be easily and inexpensively made at home and often with ingredients that are in your fridge.
Today, I’m going to share some of my favorites for this time of the year when our skin takes a beating in the cold.
It’s All About The Mood
While we can’t always sneak away to the salon for a facial or stomach the hefty price tag, we can still pamper our skin at home. Put on some soft music, dim the lights, and find a quiet place. Maybe splurge and light a few candles. Life can be crazy sometimes and it’s nice to slow down and pamper yourself.
Before You Apply, Prepare
Thoroughly wash your face before applying any face mask. You want clean skin to start with; get all the dirt and makeup off. This is an important step!
Steam your face with a warm washcloth to open your pores right before applying your mask. Make sure you wear clothing you are okay with getting stains on and securely tie your hair out of your face. Keep this in mind for your decolletage area too (a fancy word for the neck and cleavage area).
1. Chocolate Honey Face Mask
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Pamper yourself with a chocolate honey face mask. It’s almost good enough to eat – well, you could eat it – but just make sure there’s enough for your facial.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/4 c. cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp oats (any kind will do)
Directions
- Mix all the ingredients in a blender until you reach a smooth consistency and apply to your face and decolletage.
- Give the mask 25 minutes or so and then rinse off with warm water.
2. Avocado Moisturizing Face Mask
Avocado can help restore moisture back to your lackluster, dry skin.
Ingredients
- 1 avacado
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 tsp argan oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp of your favorite cooking oil (olive oil or grapeseed oil)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Directions
- Mash up the avocado with all the ingredients.
- Apply to your face and neck and wash off after 15 minutes.
- If you don’t have argan oil lying around, feel free to substitute with an equal amount of your favorite cooking oil. Argan oil is pretty awesome but not absolutely necessary.
The egg will help tighten and tone your skin. Argan oil, an excellent moisturizer, is the closest to your body’s own oil. Apple cider vinegar will help to even your skin tone and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
3. Coconut Oil Turmeric Mask
This face mask is my absolute favorite. It is a great option for sensitive skin. If you have acne-prone skin, like me, you need to be careful with what you put on your skin. And this mask is the answer.
NOTE: This mask will stain anything it touches. I recommend an old shirt and being careful when you wash it off. Even better, put this mask on and remove it while you’re in the bath.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tsp turmeric
Directions
- Mix and apply directly to face, neck, and decolletage area.
- Leave it on for 20 minutes and wash off with a nice warm washcloth (make sure your washcloth is dark in color or it will stain).
Your skin might be slightly yellow after you rinse it off. Just give it a good pat with a dark colored towel to help get some of the yellow off. I promise it will NOT stain your face. I would not recommend using this mask before work or a date. Just saying….
I like to mix up a bunch and use it when the mood strikes me. And all these store very well. In fact, in winter, the coconut oil is usually hard. I just take it out and rub it on my face; the coconut oil melts as I rub it on. It makes application super easy.
- Turmeric is a great way to reduce redness, scars from blemishes, and get your face really clean.
- It is antibacterial and antifungal.
- It also helps prevent premature aging by fending off free radicals.
- Coconut oil is a great moisturizer while being antibacterial to the boot. It has always done wonders for my skin.
Bring the moisture back to your skin. Get pampering! Optimally, you should use a face mask weekly. So pick a recipe and start off. Make sure to pin this post so that you can try a different recipe next time.
