The Best Face Masks

Homemade face masks are a healthy and inexpensive way to achieve soft, clean skin. People with problem skin can benefit from using face masks regularly as they can help cleanse the skin, leaving it clear and smooth. This article will discuss a number of ingredients that can be used to create natural face masks that care for the skin and leave it glowing with health.

Yogurt and honey

Mix together one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of yogurt and add 10 drops of lemon juice. Apply this mixture to your face and leave it to sink in for half an hour before rinsing your face with warm water. Natural yoghurt can also be used alone on the face as a nourishing mask. This can be left for 15 minutes and washed off to leave silky, soft skin.

Avocado

Perfect for drier skins, avocado is deeply nourishing as it is packed with nutritious oils. Mix together one mashed avocado with one tablespoon of olive oil. Apply this paste to your face and leave it for 15 minutes before rinsing it off gently with warm water.

Peanuts

Prepare a peanut face mask by adding two tablespoons of unroasted, unsalted peanuts with two of olive oil and one of honey into a blender. Blend thoroughly, apply the paste to your face and leave for 20 minutes before rinsing with warm water. This mixture is especially effective for dry skins.

Milk and honey

Milk and honey form an excellent purifying lotion, closing the pores and stopping excess sebum production. Mix one tablespoon of powdered milk with one of honey and one egg white. Apply this rich mixture to your face and leave it for 15 minutes. The mixture will set slightly and when you rinse it off your skin will be left toned and deeply cleansed. Finish off with a splash of cold water to enjoy the refreshing properties of the treatment.

Cucumber and apple

If your skin is oily, cucumber and apple will make an ideal mask for you. Chop and mix together half a red apple and half a cucumber. Add to this mixture the juice of one lemon and an egg white. Blend all this together and refrigerate the paste for one hour. Once cold, apply to the face and leave for 20 minutes before rinsing.

Carrot and yogurt

The carrot and yogurt mask is another great one for greasy skin. Mix lemon juice with orange juice and add to a mixture of yoghurt and blended carrot. Apply to your face and leave for 15 minutes before rinsing.

Almonds

Ideal for all skin types, almonds cleanse and moisturise the skin. Use raw, untoasted almonds and crush them into a powder.  Mix this with one tablespoon of yogurt and apply the paste to your face. Leave it for 5 minutes and rinse off with water before applying a moisturising cream.

Pumpkins, bananas and apples

Pumpkin, bananas and apples are all also excellent for use in a face mask for nourishing and cleansing the skin. Pureed pumpkin can be mixed with olive oil, honey, jojoba oil and one tablespoon of milk to create a rich paste which heals the skin, while bananas mixed with honey and 5 tablespoons of oat flour work wonders on dry skins. Cooked apple mixed with yoghurt, honey and wheat germ oil is also another great recipe that can be applied cold to the face before you wash it off for a healthy glow.

Natural exfoliators

Natural ingredients can also be used to create effective exfoliators that are useful for reducing acne, black heads and spots. This can also be helpful for improving skin tone and softening scars and stretch marks. Fine grain sugar is a good, natural exfoliant. Simply use a small amount of this gentle sugar on wet skin and massage it slowly and gently for a few minutes to remove dead skin cells.

Oatmeal is also good for exfoliation. Mix 3 tablespoons of oatmeal with 1/4 cup of milk until the flakes are saturated with the liquid, then apply to the face and allow it to set for 15 minutes before rinsing. Honey can also be used as an exfoliator, applied simply and left for 15 minutes. These mixtures gently remove dead skin and stimulate new growth, leaving skin nourished and soft.