Homemade Facial Masks Work
Maybe it’s time to take a step back. In our hurried, harried existence, it seems just so easy to buy the latest trendy facial masks and feel good because we have what is touted as the best. Lots of celebrities, however, are using facial masks that were actually popular in your grandmother’s day and before. Here are their recommendations, followed by recipes to make your own. Super simple and super easy!
1. Miranda Kerr Loves Cucumbers
We have all seen photos of women with cucumber slices on their eyes, as a natural rejuvenator to get rid of dark circles and to tighten droopy skin. But cucumber is a humble little vegetable that has lots of nutrients that are found in most facial creams and masks. And there are recipes for both oily and dry skin. For Oily Skin: For Dry Skin:
2. Julia Roberts Uses Honey for Her Dry Skin
Honey has been touted as a facial ingredient for years. It is filled with beneficial skin nutrients and is a wonderful hydrator for dry skin. Here is a recipe that combines honey, avocado, and coconut oil for hydration. You can do this as often as you like.
1 t. honey 1 t coconut oil ¼ very ripe avocado – you want it ripe so you can mash it easily with a fork.
Mash the avocado with a fork. Add the honey and coconut oil and mix. The mixture will be thick. Put a thick layer on your entire face. Let is stay for 15 minutes. You will need to gently scrub this mask off. Then rinse quickly with cold water to close your pores. Amazingly silky skin!
3. Katy Perry Prefers Egg Whites
Egg whites are great for tightening up large pores and exfoliating your skin, removing dirt from those pores. This is one of the easiest recipes ever, for all you need is one egg white. Katy Perry also mixes egg white with almond oil as a wrinkle prevention.
4. Jessica Biel’s Favorite is Avocado
For dry skin, avocado is a perfect ingredient. A ripe avocado, mashed and put directly on your face is perfect for winter dryness. You just let it stand until the avocado dries up and then wash it off. Soft, smooth, hydrated skin! A nice variation of this is to add honey to the avocado, for even more hydration. Here’s a quick recipe:
5. Gal Gadot Goes Au Natural
This new “Wonder woman” hates makeup, although it is a fact of life in the movie industry. While she sometimes uses a cleansing oil to remove that makeup after a long day, her preferred method is this:
6. An Apple a Day for Chanel Iman
Iman’s facial preference is apple and honey. Mix ¼ of an apple and add 1 t honey. Apply to face and wash off after it has dried. Apple and honey face masks are used to revive tired looking and stressed skin. Because of the nutrients is both, and the antioxidant effects, this combination is dynamite. If you want a mask that is a bit thicker, follow this recipe:
1 apple peeled and cored, cut up into pieces 2 t honey
Puree the apple in a blender or food processor. Add the honey and mix well. Plaster on your face and wait 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water; splash face with cold water, pat dry, and you are good to go with your glow.
7. Hayden Panettiere Recommends Lemons and Vinegar
If you want more than just an acne wash and want to brighten your skin as well, here is a variation of Panettiere’s recipe:
2 T sour cream 2 T honey 1 t apple cider vinegar 1 t lemon juice
Wash you face with warm water. Apply this mixture and leave on for a minimum of 20 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water, followed by a cold splash. You can apply this mask twice a week for brighter, clearer skin.
8. Beyonce Chooses Strawberries
Beyonce suffers from oily skin, and her remedy it to cut a strawberry into two pieces, and rube them over your face as a “scrub” for about 5 minutes. Leave the juice on your face for another 5 minutes and then wash your face. You will have a smooth and no oily feel. A variation of this facial treatment is to make a paste of strawberries and mix in a bit of lemon juice. You will need the following:
2-3 strawberries mashed very well (blender works well) 1 t. lemon juice
Combine the strawberries and lemon juice. Lather the mixture onto your face after you have washed it with warm water. Leave on for 15 minutes and then rinse off with warm water, using your fingers instead of a cloth. Rinse with cold water to close your pores. The added lemon juice gives a bit more “kick” to oil removal.
9. Anne Hathaway’s Favorite Fruit is Banana
Hathaway suffers from dry skin. Her remedy is a face mask made up of 1 banana, 2 T. honey and just a bit of water. Apply to your face and wait for 20 minutes. As smooth as the best moisturizer you can buy! A variation of this mask is to add some lemon juice to act as a pore cleaner and also to lighten dark spots which tend to show up with middle-age. Here is the recipe:
1 very ripe banana mashed 1 t. honey 1 t. fresh lemon juice (from a real lemon, please)
Mash the banana until it is lump-free and mix in the other two ingredients. Wash your face before using. You should layer the paste on pretty thickly and leave if for at least 15 minutes. Wash your face with warm water but no soap. Beautiful and super cheap.
10. Tyra Banks Declares War on Acne Breakouts
Banks’s answer is to mix baking soda with a small amount of water until you have a paste. She is “sold” on the effects of this paste, but cautions that it should not be used more than 3 times per week. Baking soda has been a known exfoliant for years and an ingredient that can help to clean out over-productive oil glands. When red with other common household ingredients, however, you can get even better effects. Here is a two-step process that will leave your pores cleaned out and give your skin a wonderfully smooth finish. Step One: Mix 1 T. water with 1 ½ T. baking soda. It will be a thick liquid. Slather the mixture on your face and leave it on for 10 minutes – longer if your skin is super oily. Step Two: Mix 1 T. baking soda with 1 t. orange juice (no pulp). Rub this mixture in in a circular motion and leave on for 20 minutes this time. Rinse your face clean and apply a good moisturizer. Our skin is important, and our facial skin probably the most important of all. After all, it is the very first piece of this largest organ of our body that is seen by others. We feel good when our face looks good. And that “feeling good” can enhance our mood, our attitude, and our whole outlook on an otherwise busy and stressful day. Featured photo credit: Daily Dot via dailydot.com
