By now you’ve probably heard about facial masks, especially if you’re online reading beauty blogs like this. Everyone from the Kardashians to your hair stylist to your neighbor’s grandmother is talking about them, and for a good reason. Facial masks do amazing things for your skin, and are a crucial and often overlooked step in anyone’s beauty routine. Read on to find out what they are, what they do, and how and why you should make your own facial mask!

What Is A Facial Mask?

Natural facial mask for skin.

A facial mask, or face mask, is a pasty product that you apply to your face, let sit, and wash off, usually once or twice a week. It can be made out of pretty much anything, and have almost as many different effects. What all facial masks have in common is that they’re able to treat the face on a much deeper and intense level than most products.

The most common uses of facial masks are to deep clean the skin and pores, relax and tone the facial skin, remove excess oil, increase circulation to the face, reduce wrinkles and blemishes, and help your face regenerate healthy new cells.

Since masks are much stronger and dense than daily moisturizers and face washes, they’re able to do all of this in a much shorter amount of time and give your face a huge healthy boost. They also help make the skin supple and relaxed, which allows your other products to really sink in deeper and thus be even more effective than usual.

Facial masks can be made out of anything from black clay and mud to yogurt and bananas. The trick is to find one that works well for your skin type, and for the effect that you are trying to achieve. One mask will be perfect for dealing with acne and oily skin, while another mask will specialize in rejuvenating dull and aging skin.

Each condition will have a different recipe that is perfect for it, although the most common ingredients in DIY facial mask are things like bentonite clay, honey, milk, avocados, eggs, coconut oil, essential oils, and other nutrient rich compounds.

You may already have your perfect facial mask waiting in your pantry, or you might need to take a trip to the health food store to find some exciting new products. In any case, there is something for every condition and budget, as long you’re willing to experiment, and aren’t opposed to the idea of putting food on your face.

Why To Go DIY For Facial Masks

DIY for personal care.

The problem with commercial face masks is that they are commercial. Meaning that they are produced as cheaply as possible to give you the quick results that you want now, without caring about what it will do to your skin and health later, after that initial great feeling wears off.

Just take a look at the ingredient list and you will often find parabens, which help keep bacteria from spoiling the product, but have also been extensively linked to breast cancer and hormonal imbalances. Kind of low to sell this to a market of mostly women looking for healthy skin, isn’t it? But it’s cheap and effective, so the companies keep on using it instead of finding a safer alternative.

You’ll also find mineral oil, which may sound nice and healthy but actually seals the skin, denies it oxygen, and contains no nutrients whatsoever. Look a little further and you’ll find Propylene Glycol, which has been reported countless times to cause allergic reactions and irritation.

The list goes on and on: chemical fragrances, acids, synthetic colors, sulfates, and literally hundreds of toxic combinations that their scientists cooked up in their labs while wearing protective suits and oxygen masks.

On top of all that, many of these commercial masks are simply ineffective and will not give you close the results the advertisements and labels promise. Then you get stuck with an entire $50 tub of fake mud that doesn’t help you and can’t even be used to fill your flower pots. That’s why I’m a huge fan of homemade, DIY facial masks.

When you make your own facial mask, you are in control of exactly what goes into it, and you can make one batch at a time. Just check out our DIY Argan Oil Face Mask and DIY Avocado Fask Mask for example. You can create and use a face mask, see how it feels, and then adjust it, tweak it, and customize it until you get exactly what you need. They’re also fun to make! Let’s look at some super simple yet effective recipes.

DIY Facial Mask For Acne, Blackheads Recipe & Guide

DIY facial mask for blackheads.

Acne is caused by pores getting clogged by dead skin, dirt, bacteria, and sebum (oil). If the pore closes over the foreign elements, it forms a little puffy bump, and becomes a whitehead, or may even just remain a red and irritated bump. Alternatively, if the pore remains open with these foreign elements clogging it, the air oxidizes the trapped oil, and causes the oil to turn dark brown or black – similar to the way a cut apple will turn brown – and forms what is known as a blackhead.

The best way to deal with blackheads is to pull the dirt and bacteria to the surface and remove it that way, and one of best ways to achieve this is with a clay mask. Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients we will be using.

• Bentonite Clay: When combined with water or liquids, has an incredible ability to suck up and absorb toxins, dirt, chemicals, and even heavy metals. It is also rich in minerals such as magnesium and calcium.
• Oats: Contains anti-inflammatory properties, as well as saponin which acts as a gentle cleansing agent for all skin types (here’s your chance to responsibly play with your food).
• Tea Tree Essential Oil: Famous for it’s antiseptic properties, as well as being a known effective acne treatment for centuries.
• Water: Nice and wet. This is what gives the mask its workable consistency.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Bentonite Clay.
• 1-2 Tbsp of distilled water (you can also boil it yourself and let it cool).
• 1 Tbsp Ground Oats (you can also blend regular oats into a powder with your blender).
• 4 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil.
• 1 Non-Metal bowl.
• 1 Non Metal spoon.

Directions

Add the clay and the oats to the non-metal bowl. Then add in enough water to make it a spreadable mask, you’re looking for a nice workable paste consistency. Lastly, add in the essential oil. You can also add a few extra drops of another essential oil that you have found works well for your skin.

When you’re done mixing it all up, use the mask immediately. Apply the mask evenly all over your clean face, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then wash it off gently but thoroughly with a warm wet washcloth. After it’s completely off, pat your face dry with a soft towel. Use this mask no more than 1-2 times a week, as more could irritate the skin.

8 DIY Facial Mask To Keep The Skin Hydrated https://t.co/1GotsB5mQC pic.twitter.com/CXRxWIJjMk

— Sara Soria (@sarasoria93) February 25, 2017

DIY Facial Mask For Dry Skin Recipe & Guide

Battling dry skin can be uncomfortable, itchy, and embarrassing, especially if it’s your face we’re talking about. Fortunately, it can be greatly helped with this face mask made specifically to nourish and moisturize your skin. Let’s take a closer look at the 3 key ingredients we’ll be using.

• Coconut Oil: Helps to provide instant moisture to the skin, largely because of its healthy saturated fats. These fats also help the skin lock in and retain moisture in the future. There are also a million other amazing components to coconut oil, but we’ll leave it at that for now.
• Banana: Contributes a masky texture, while also adding a healthy dose of potassium and antioxidants. Maybe babies mashing bananas all over themselves were onto something?
• Frankincense Essential Oil: Helps stimulate the skin cells to regenerate faster and replace the dead flaky cells. Also helps your body regulate its sebum production, so you’ll produce more natural oils, as well as tighten up and heal some of the wrinkles and marks caused by the dryness.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil.
1 Ripe Banana, Mashed.
3 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil.
1 Fork or Spoon.
1 Small Bowl.
A few drops of other essential oils that you have found work for your skin, such as lavender or geranium oil (completely optional).

Directions

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon or a fork until completely and evenly blended. Then, apply the mask evenly to a clean face, let it sit for 20 minutes, rinse it off thoroughly, and pat your face dry. When you’re done, moisturize your face. You should be able to use this mask as often as you like, just pay attention to how your skin is reacting and cut back on it’s use if you notice irritation.

DIY Facial Mask For Oily Skin Recipe and Guide

When it comes to oily skin, you need a few things to happen in order for the skin to correct. You need your pores to tighten up, so they retain the oil better. You also need your sebaceous glands to stop overproducing oil, so your skin won’t just get all oily an hour after the mask is off.

Finally, you need to get your skin nice and clean, since open oily pores are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to get trapped and form pimples. Let’s take a look at the key ingredients we’re going to use to achieve all this.

• Bentonite Clay: Offers the ability to help absorb the excess oils, and it’s ability to suck out the impurities in the pores and kill the bacteria that’s plotting an acne breakout.
• Apricot Kernel Oil: Utilized its astringent properties which help tighten your pores, while since it’s such a light oil it penetrates right into the skin without leaving any extra grease behind.
• Palmarosa Essential Oil: Utilized for its ability to regulate your skin’s sebum production, as well as its power to fight bacteria and even viruses that can cause more severe acne in oily environments.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Bentonite Clay.
1 Tsp Apricot Kernel Oil.
3 Drops Palmarosa Essential Oil.
A Dew Drops Warm Water.
1 Small, Non-Metal Bowl.
1 Non-Metal Fork Or Spoon.

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients into the bowl, except for the water. Then add in a few drops of warm water at a time, until you have a consistent and spreadable paste. When it’s ready, apply it immediately to a clean face, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and wash it off gently with a warm and wet washcloth. Use this mask up to 1-2 times a week, as using it more could irritate the skin and over-dry it out.

We’ve got more DIY where that come from here at Maple Holistics! Try our DIY Foundation and DIY Hair Conditioner today!

Conclusion

There you have it! I bet you didn’t realize that instead of eating your food, you could have been putting it on your face this whole time and had amazing skin! Well it’s never too late to start, and if you’ve been fighting a skin condition without getting real results until now, I highly recommend introducing a customized facial mask into your regimen as soon as you can.

Even if your condition is just that your skin is only perfect, and you want to take it super perfect, a facial mask might just be what you need to give you that edge. So grab your breakfast, and start putting it on your face!