Unlike most of my friends, I hate getting any type of “spa” treatments at a spa or salon: it actually stresses me out!
A couple of years ago my husband treated me to a full body chocolate wrap, facial and massage at a local (very nice and expensive, I might add) spa. When we met up later that evening he expected me to be relaxed, rejuvenated and thrilled….I did thank him (it was a really sweet thing to do) but later told him that in the future, it was something I really wouldn’t want to do again. I liked the benefits but the whole time I was laying in the darkened room with the tranquil music playing, all I could think about was “how long is this going to take“, and “I could be doing something more productive“! And even though it was a gift, I could think of a hundred other things the money he paid for it could have been spent on. So now when I want to “treat myself”, I do it at home….it’s cheap, effective and I can work around the house while I’m doing a beauty treatment. (It’s hard for me to relax when I’m not busy! Pulling weeds is what relaxes me.)
Here’s a few facial masks you can try at home that are cheap, don’t take a lot of time, are natural and the best thing…..they work.
Nourishing Banana-Avocado Mask –
- 1/2 over-ripe banana
- 1/2 over-ripe avocado
- 2 tablespoons unflavored full-fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Mash the banana and avocado, combine with the yogurt and olive oil and mix well. Apply liberally to face and neck. Leave on for 20-30 minutes and rinse with warm water. *When I made this, it actually was enough for two applications. It kept in the fridge for two days. You could half the recipe for one application if you wanted. And I used a warm washcloth to get the remainder of the mask off.
Exfoliating Tomato-Lemon Mask –
- 1 over-ripe tomato
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp instant oatmeal
Put all ingredients in a blender, puree until smooth. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes, rinse with warm water. *This also was enough for two applications and the remainder kept in the fridge for three days before I used it again. And I needed a warm washcloth to get the rest of the mask off my face. I liked this but still prefer a simple olive oil and sugar mix for exfoliating (see below).
Tightening Peach Mask –
- 1 over-ripe peach
- 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoons unflavored full-fat yogurt
- Peel and pit the peach. Blend together with egg white and yogurt until smooth. Pat gently on face and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse with cool water. *I did not try this because peaches are not in season yet.
- Smoothing Honey-Almond Mask –
- 1 tablespoon honey 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond oil
- 1 tablespoon unflavored full-fat yogurt
Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Apply a layer to your face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and then remove the residue with a warm washcloth.
Oil Reducing Yeast-Yogurt Mask –
- 1 teaspoon Brewer’s Yeast
- 2 tablespoons unflavored full-fat yogurt
Mix enough of the yogurt into the yeast to make a thin paste. Pat gently onto oily areas and allow to dry. Leave on for 15-20 minutes.Rinse first with warm water, then cold. Blot dry. *I didn’t try this because my skin is dry.
For puffy eyes….
- 1 green tea bag
- cucumber slices
Brew the green tea, steep and then chill. Add cucumber slices to the tea and refrigerate until cool. Place soaked cucumber slices over eyes for 10 minutes. *Loved this! Took the puffiness out and was refreshing!
The Keys to A Successful Mask
To get the most benefits when using masks-You can use whatever beauty products you use for the following or try some of my cheap and easy tips.
Cleanse your skin (I love using olive oil for this)- Exfoliate (I put a thin layer of olive oil on my face and then gently rub sugar all over it and rinse…LOVE this!)
- Steam (A safe, easy and effective way to do this is to simply run hot water over a washcloth, squeeze out the water and lay the washcloth over your face until it’s cool.)
- Mask (Use whichever mask bet suits your needs.)
- Moisturize (With your moisturizer of choice.)