Facials are a great way to keep your skin glowing, but they can be pricey. Store-bought face masks are a great alternative, but sometimes you just want to save some money. So when you’re looking for all the power of a great face mask on the cheap, it’s time to get a little bit crafty in your kitchen and mix up the perfect DIY face mask using food you already have in your pantry and fridge. Making a face mask at home is easy and inexpensive, and you can store your concoction in a jar in the fridge so it’s ready to go whenever you need a little extra something to spruce up your skin.
Woman's Day checked in with Louisa Macan-Graves, author of Hollywood Beauty Secrets: Remedies to the Rescue, and Elda Argenti, owner of the Plantogen skincare line, as well as several popular beauty and wellness bloggers, and asked them to share their favorite homemade face masks crafted from common household ingredients. Many of the following mask recipes only require two or three ingredients max, so when it comes to pampering yourself at home, ease is the name of the game. Get ready to take your face masking experience to the next level with these amazing DIY face masks:
Soothing Green Tea Face Mask for Inflammation
The ingredients:
- Green tea bags
- Honey
- Lemon
Try Dossier's green tea mask to calm sensitive or irritated skin. Begin by brewing green tea in as little water as possible so it's highly concentrated. Then mix equal parts tea and honey together with a squeeze of lemon. Apply the mixture to your face and leave on for 20 to 30 minutes before washing with warm water. Prepare to feel super refreshed!
Hydrating Honey and Aloe Face Mask
The ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp aloe
- 1 Tbsp honey
If you've ever felt the healing wonders of aloe vera applied on a nasty sunburn, then you know how amazing the plant's nectar can be. So turn it into a mask for ultimate skin hydration with this honey and aloe mask from Be Spotted. Just mix equal parts fresh aloe and honey; it's that easy! Leave on your face for 20 to 30 minutes and feel the life coming back to your skin.
Brightening Papaya Face Mask for Age Spots
The ingredients:
- Ripe papaya
- Water
Cut a slice of ripe papaya and remove the seeds and pulp (save the pulp for a snack later —it's great for digestion!). Rub the inside of the papaya peel on your cleansed face, focusing on lines around the mouth and eyes, crow's feet, thinning temples, neck and hands. Let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse with tepid water. This mask can be done twice a week. "The enzymes in papaya exfoliate, repair sun damage, diminish age spots and smooth skin. Your skin will look brighter, with a more polished finish," Macan-Graves says.
Exfoliating Oatmeal Face Mask for Oily Skin
The ingredients:
- 1 Tsp honey
- 1 Tsp olive oil
- Packet of plain instant oatmeal
Combine honey and olive oil. Separately, prepare a packet of plain oatmeal, using less water than called for so it forms a thick paste. Next, add the honey and olive oil mixture to the cooked oatmeal. Apply as a scrub, gently rubbing it in small circles over your skin, avoiding the eye area. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry. This mask can be done twice weekly. "The oatmeal in this scrub exfoliates, while the honey and olive oil moisturize," Argenti says.
Cleansing Greek Yogurt and Olive Oil Mask for Acne
The ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tsp olive oil
- 1/2 Tsp lemon oil
"Believe it or not, I love to cleanse with oil," Argenti says. For this facial, she combines plain Greek yogurt with olive oil and lemon oil (not to be confused with lemon juice; lemon oil is an essential oil that can be found at health food stores). The mixture should be a little bit runny but not easily poured out. Massage it over skin, then immediately wipe it off with a washcloth soaked in tepid water. This can be done daily. "You want to use good-quality oil and you'll be surprised at how clean your skin will feel," Argenti says. "You don't need a harsher product, even for skin with acne. Just be careful around the eye area … [the mixture] tends to be very sticky."
Lifting and Firming Yogurt and Lemon Face Mask
The ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp plain yogurt
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Combine plain yogurt with fresh lemon juice (the juice of one lemon) and apply to your cleansed face and neck. Let it dry for 20 to 30 minutes. You'll feel the mask tighten on your face and neck, which creates a lifting and firming effect. Leave it on longer (up to one hour) for even more face-lifting effects. Once done, rinse with tepid water followed by a cool rinse. This mask can be done two to three times a week or whenever you need a face lift. "This instant face-lifting mask helps fade age-spots, acne scars and even helps keep blemishes and acne in check. It also gets rid of uneven-looking skin tone," Macan-Graves says.
Tea Bag Mask for Puffy Eyes
The ingredients:
- Chamomile or green tea bags
This toning eye treatment helps to "de-puff, relax, refresh and energize your skin," Argenti says. "It's much more cooling than the traditional cucumber slices." After cleansing your skin, brew a cup of chamomile or green tea and allow it to cool. Then soak two clean, round makeup sponges in the tea and squeeze out any excess liquid. Place one on each of your eyes for 15 minutes. Do this daily. "You need to use an alcohol-free toner on your skin to cleanse and tighten pores. Alcohol is very detrimental, and tea works just as well," Argenti adds.
Soothing Honey Mask for Dry Skin
The ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Combine two parts honey with one part apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Apply to your clean face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with tepid water followed by a cool rinse. This can be done three times a week. "This mask heals, moisturizes and balances the pH of the skin," Macan-Graves says. "Honey is a humectant and natural antibiotic that heals and moisturizes. Apple cider vinegar helps balance the pH of skin and soothes damaged skin."
Hydrating Coconut Oil and Honey Mask
The ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp of coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp of honey
- 1 Tsp lemon juice
Try a coconut oil and honey mask from Wild and Naturals. Mix coconut oil, honey, and lemon juice. Use raw honey if you have it, since it's high in antioxidants. Massage the mixture onto your face in a circular motion for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it sit on the skin for another 20 minutes and then wash with warm water. Proceed to bask in the gloriousness of your hydrated skin.
Moisturizing Oatmeal and Fennel Mask
The ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp oatmeal
- 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 Tbsp honey
Macan-Graves recommends oatmeal and fennel to help moisturize dry skin. Grind oatmeal in a blender and set aside. Add fennel seeds to boiling water to make a tea. Allow the seeds to steep for 10 minutes; strain the seeds and discard. Let it cool down to room temperature and then combine 1 Tbsp of the fennel tea with 1 Tbsp ground oatmeal and 1 Tbsp honey. Apply the mixture to your clean face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with tepid water followed by a cool rinse. This mask can be done twice weekly.
Sour Cream and Honey Mask for Glowing Skin
The ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Combine sour cream with honey and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Apply to your cleansed face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with tepid water followed by a cool (not cold) rinse. This mask can be done twice a week. "This mask heals, exfoliates, brightens and moisturizes skin. It refines pores, fades acne marks and prevents blemishes from coming up," Macan-Graves says.
