Round Four: Facial Masks

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For some, being sat in a spa is heaven, being made more beautiful and relaxed by the second! But this can be a costly business: Even some of the at home treatments from the store can make your bank account wince! The answer? Make an all natural face mask for yourself. 
These facial masks are rather inexpensive and, because you know exactly what ingredients are going into your product, you know it will be suitable for your personal skin type. Perfect!
There are potentially thousands of facial mask recipes out there, so there will be one that suits your skin's needs. There are a few things that are known for helping certain skin types, however. Citrus, clay and strawberries are great for treating oily skin. Expensive brands include these in their products, look for things like salicylic acid. Avocado is an old remedy for tackling dry or chapped skin. Rose and rose water is a wonderful toner for combination skin. Yoghurt and milks are great as specifics for sunburnt or irritated skin, or perfect as a basic facial mask for all skin types. 
Basic Facial Mask
1 Tablespoon powdered skimmed milk
1/2 peeled cucumber
1 Teaspoon plain yoghurt
This could not be simpler! Purée the ingredients in a blender until smooth. That's it!! Now, apply the mask to your face, but be careful to avoid the delicate eye area. Leave for around 20 minutes to dry, then rinse away. Remember, you are working with fresh ingredients so it is better to make a fresh batch each time (you don't want sour milk and yoghurt on your face for 20 minutes!!)
Banana Mask for oily skin
1 Ripe Banana
1 Tablespoon honey
Few drops of orange/lemon juice
Mix mashed banana and honey together before adding a few drops of the preferred citrus fruit. Apply and leave for around 10 minutes before wiping away with a warm cloth. Done!
Avocado Face Mask for dry skin
1/2 avocado
120ml honey
Mix mashed avocado and honey together, apply to face and leave for 15 minutes. Remove with warm cloth. Getting the pattern here?


It's not only masks that can be made at home. There are plenty of things in the average kitchen to make a face or body scrub to rival the top brands! And, again, it's natural and can be tailored to fit your exact needs. 
Cornmeal facial scrub
6 tablespoons cornmeal
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ground almonds or walnuts
Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl, adding a little water (just enough so the mixture isn't too dry to apply. Remember, you can always add more but you can't take away!) Pack the scrub onto your face and leave for 5 minutes before removing with a warm cloth and water. Beautiful!
Simple white sugar scrub
2 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons warm water
Mix the ingredients together until the sugar melts, as un-melted granules are not good for your skin! Massage into the skin, as you would a normal exfoliator. Wash away with warm water and a cloth. Smooth, revitalised skin for next to nothing!
Remember, as with all beauty products, make sure you are not allergic or intolerant to any of the ingredients you use. The world of DIY facial masks is huge, so the world is your oyster! (Maybe an oyster scrub would work wonders...?)