You Won't Believe How Easy and Effective These DIY Face Masks Are

When it comes to beauty routines, there’s nothing quite like a face mask to turn your everyday skincare steps into a relaxing, self-care moment. Taking five to 10 minutes whilst the mask works its magic is probably the closest experience to a spa day we can get right now. Your mind and your skin will also thank you for that bit of extra attention. 

So now onto the decision of which mask to use. From hydrating sheet masks to under-eye plumping patches and good old-fashioned detoxifying charcoal masks, these days there’s a plethora of options on the market promising miraculous results. But have you ever considered making your own? 

Would you believe some of the best and most effective face masks can be made in the comfort of your own kitchen and without the extraneous ingredients that you can sometimes find in shop-bought concoctions? Just purely good stuff.

Keep scrolling for homemade mixtures to help with everything from congested skin, dryness and, of course, getting that glow. Just a few things to remember: Always do a patch test first, be sure to use them on the same day of making and check those sell-by dates. (If you wouldn’t eat it, probably best not to slather it on your face.) Happy face-masking!

For Hydration

If your moisturiser isn’t quite going far enough this winter, this brunch-appropriate combination will quench and nourish your skin. According to Clean Beauty Insiders co-founder Dominika Minarovic, honey is a "wonder ingredient.” As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture without adding oil, helping the appearance of scars and aiding skin cell regeneration. Add oats, a popular ingredient for brands like Garnier, which have soothing and moisturising properties, and avocado oils will leave skin feeling extra smooth. 

Ingredients:

1/2 avocado

1 tbsp. honey

Handful of oats

Directions:

Mash avocado and mix all ingredients together. Apply to clean dry skin and leave on for 15 minutes max, avoiding eye area. Wash off with warm water and moisturise as usual. 

For Decongesting Skin

Honey is not only moisturising, but it’s also a natural antibacterial, making it extremely effective in acne-fighting masks, according to Lily Kunin, creator of Clean Food Dirty City and author of the plant-based cookbook Good Clean Food. "Nutritional yeast is also excellent for treating acne, as it's rich in B-vitamins that help calm the skin barrier, especially if you're breaking out around your period," she says.

Ingredients: 

2 chamomile tea bags

1 tbsp. Manuka honey

1 tsp. nutritional yeast

Directions: 

Brew one cup of chamomile tea using two tea bags and cool completely. Mix together the honey and yeast, and add enough of the cool tea to make a paste runny enough to spread over your face. Apply a thin layer and leave for 20 minutes. Wash off and moisturise as usual. 

For Toning and Brightening

No need to spend all your money on the latest acids and toners just yet. Try out this all-natural version first and reap the rewards. Yoghurt is full of lactic acid, which will lift away tired and dull surface cells and reveal the brighter layers below. Honey will add elasticity to the skin and, according to Kate Protopapas, founder of all-natural, vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand Isla Apothecary, turmeric is extremely useful for combatting pigmentation.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. natural, plain yoghurt

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. turmeric powder

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and apply to clean, dry skin. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes, wash off and moisturise as usual.

For Glowing Skin

If your skin is looking dull, try this natural mixture, which is a gentle alternative to stronger acids (especially good if your skin is on the sensitive side). Aloe vera, filled with vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12 (phew), has unbeatable radiance-enhancing and soothing properties, and papaya is a natural exfoliant with dead-skin-cell-dissolving enzymes, leaving your skin on the (much) glowier and plumper side. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. cacao powder 

1/4 papaya flesh

Squeeze of aloe vera

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, apply to clean, dry skin and leave for 10 minutes. Wipe off with cotton pads or tissue and rinse any excess. 

For Combatting Oily Skin

If it’s the opposite of dry, cracked skin you’re suffering from, this mask will help calm and mattify. Oatmeal soothes, and the combination of egg yolks will tighten and plump. You may think the addition of olive oil makes no sense at all if it’s the opposite you’re trying to achieve, but the kitchen essential will help balance out hydration, aiming to slow your body’s overproduction of its own oils. It’s also packed with vitamin E, which acts to create a barrier for the skin post-mask, protecting against any cell-damaging free radicals.

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. olive oil

Small handful of oatmeal

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients well and apply to clean, dry face for 15 to 20 minutes, avoiding the eye area. Wash off with luke-warm water and then moisturise.

For Fighting Pollution

It's more important than ever to be protecting your skin from the damaging effects of environmental factors like pollution. This DIY mask from Clean Beauty Insiders will do just the job. Vitamin E from the olive oil and the abundant antioxidants found in matcha will create a barrier on the skin, fighting those dreaded free radicals that can come from external factors like pollution and leave skin feeling tired and dull, breaking down collagen production and dehydrating the surface. Meanwhile, fatty acids from the almonds will leave the skin feeling plumped and supple. 

Ingredients:

Handful of ground almonds 

2 tbsp. olive oil

1tsp. matcha green tea powder

Directions:

Mix together ingredients and leave on clean skin for up to 10 minutes. Before rinsing off with warm water, massage the paste into skin to exfoliate dead cells and remove everything that might be clogging the pores. 

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