I use natural ingredients in my recipes but some of the best ingredients in their raw state wouldn’t make it through the post or to the shelf of the store without the use of preservatives as they are so fragile. Many of these lovely natural ingredients are on readily available in supermarket shelves and have great beneficial effects on the skin so have a go for yourself and make a whole food Face Mask.
Most of the ingredients I use are the bits of a plant or flower that have a shelf life of some sort – so generally this is the oils that are expressed from the plant leaf, seed or stem (think an olive will go off if left out whereas Olive Oil will last for months before going off. It’s lovely sometimes to use the whole plant or ingredient and messing about with Face Masks can be great fun with a group of friends and a bottle of fizz – makes a great girls’ night in. I’ve listed below some of the best homemade Whole Food Masks that I’ve tried on myself and on my willing friends.
A face mask once a week not only enhances your complexion, it makes the perfect excuse to sit peacefully for just a short while – so beneficial for the mind too!!!!
DIY Egg Mask – for oily skin
This is a really quick mask and one for oily or problem skin types – you can literally whip it up in a couple of minutes without much planning. Simply lightly beat an egg white, add quarter of a teaspoon of either lemon juice or cider vinegar and straight away smooth onto the skin and rinse off after 10-15 minutes. It will tone your skin and make your skin feel much tighter. It will feel tight on your face during the resting time – don’t worry this is normal.
DIY Honey Mask – for all skin types
This too is really easy mask – this one is stimulating so good if your skin is feeling sluggish and needs a kickstart – I like this one in the winter when I feel my circulation has slowed or when I’ve been doing a particularly grubby task like digging the veg patch. So simply smear some warm honey (warm not hot!!!) on your face – the best you dare steal from the cupboard (dare I say Manuka?) Now very gently begin tapping your skin with your fingertips (can’t begin to tell you how nice this is if you can persuade someone else to do this for you). Do this for 2 or 3 minutes and you will feel the honey being pulling by the fingers. Rinse you face with cool-ish water and blot dry.
DIY Avocado Mask – for all skin types
This is brilliant for all skin types as it’s full of beneficial nutrients. Don’t be distracted and turn this into lunch – this is feeding your face in a different way – trust me it has better lasting effects…… So… in a blender pop half an avocado (OK you can have the other half for lunch!) along with one egg and 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise (yes regular mayonnaise in your fridge). When blended add 1 teaspoon of honey and lastly 1 teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda. You must use this mask at once – spread onto face and if you have enough mix spread onto neck and chest area – or make double the mix of course. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.
DIY Grape Mask – for oily skin
Grapes are great for an oily skin so try this one with red grapes if you have them to hand. Grapes are rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants – so lots of beauty benefits to be had here. Mash up 10-12 grapes with the contents of a chamomile tea bag and mix with a little cornflour if you need to thicken it to a usable paste – depends on the size of grapes – you may not need the cornflour at all. Apply to face and leave on for 15 minutes, wash off with lukewarm water.
DIY Clay Face Masks – for all skin types
Clays are brilliant at drawing toxins from the skin so if you want a really deep clean you might want to consider using a clay mask. Pringle and Fairweather produce a Clay Face Mask but we provide this in powder form in a tin so you can simply mix with water to make a simple detox face mask or you can mix it with other things to personalise it to your own skin type or requirements. We blend Vitamin C with Calendula, Chamolmile and Bentonite Clay to make a gentle but deep cleansing formulation that works brilliantly on its own or would be amazing if you sprinkled a tablespoon into one of the above kitchen DIY Face Mask recipes. Have a go and mix it up a bit!