How to make face mask recipes ideal for your face

Honey or clay-based face mask picked to meet the needs of your face helps clean pores, sheds dead skin cells, hydrates and moisturises the skin, and treats common skin concerns.

The pampering experience of a face mask can provide multiple health and beauty benefits. A regular application is ideal for maintaining good skin that leaves you with a radiant complexion. Some face masks aid skin elasticity that prevents sagging, wrinkles, and other telltale signs of ageing, while others help you combat acne.

Applying a face mask is relaxing; it also boosts circulation and blood flow, which helps your face self-heal while re-energising your mind. And with the following simple homemade recipes, you don’t have to go to a spa to enjoy the benefits of boosting your appearance and the overall health and longevity of your skin.

How to make a face mask with honey

Honey is a beautiful ingredient to add to tea or take by the spoonful when feeling under the weather, especially from the stress of living in Lagos.

Beyond its sweetness, honey is a sought-after ingredient in skincare. The golden liquid is packed with antioxidants that act as powerful anti-ageing agents and help fight wrinkles, besides its natural antibacterial properties.

Here are five recipes for honey face masks you can make from a few simple ingredients found in your kitchen.

How to make honey and banana face mask

Bananas are packed with potassium and vitamins A, C, and B-6 and are suitable for moisturising and brightening skin.

Combined with the anti-inflammatory qualities of honey, the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of turmeric, and the flaking effects of yoghurt, you will get the ideal concoction to brighten and soften tired-looking skin.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of raw honey
• A ripe banana (including the peel)
• 1 teaspoon of full-fat yoghurt
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

Steps

1. Slice the banana peel with a knife and then mash the peel and the banana with a fork in a small bowl.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until they become a thick paste.
3. Apply a thin layer of the mask on your freshly cleaned face.
4. After 20 minutes, rinse your face with warm water and gently pat it dry.
5. Use a light moisturiser on your face after the mask.

Immediately, you will notice how much softer your skin feels. If you have fair skin like Destiny Etiko, the turmeric might leave a faint yellow tint on your skin. Do not panic; it will go away within a day or two.

How to make honey and olive oil face mask

Olive oil is excellent for dry skin as it contains several antioxidants, including vitamin E. The combination of honey and olive oil will leave your face feeling succulent.

Instructions

1. Mix equal parts oil and honey.
2. Add a few drops of essential oil for a pleasant aroma to the mask.
3. You could add earthy scented patchouli oil as it benefits dry, cracked skin.
4. Then apply your honey and oil mask evenly on a freshly washed face.
5. Rinse off with warm water after allowing it to stay on the face for about 20 minutes.

How to make honey, avocado, and lavender face mask

Do you have red and irritated skin? These ingredients combined in this mask are the perfect antidote. The fatty acids in coconut oil and avocado help hydrate and calm your skin. This face mask smells as lovely as it feels mixed with the antioxidants from honey and a few drops of lavender essential to soothe any redness.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
• 1/4 ripe avocado
• 2 drops of lavender oil

Steps

1. Mash the avocado in a bowl and mix it with the other ingredients listed.
2. Apply a face mask brush to paint a layer of the mask on your face.
3. Let it sit for about 20 minutes.
4. Rinse off with warm water.

You cannot but only admire how silky your skin feels afterwards.

How to make honey and lemon face mask

Lemon is rich in vitamin C and helps reduce skin damage and lessen the oil in your skin. This two-ingredient face mask will leave your skin feeling refreshed.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon of raw honey

Steps

1. Squeeze half a lemon in a bowl with a tablespoon of honey and mix thoroughly.
2. Apply the mask to your face with a face mask brush or improvise with your fingers.
3. Allow your skin to soak up all the nutrients from the mask for 15-30 minutes.
4. Rinse off with cool water and follow up with a gentle moisturiser.

How to make honey and clay face mask

This combination is for acne-prone skin. Honey is antimicrobial, making it an excellent ingredient for drawing moisture into the skin while killing acne-causing bacteria.

Ingredients

• Green clay
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• Water
• Milk

Directions

1. Mix two parts liquid to one-part clay.
2. Mix in a bit of honey.
3. Add some more liquid if the clay is too dry.
4. Apply the mask and allow it to stay on your face for around 15 minutes.
5. Wash off the mask with a warm cloth.

How to make a face mask with clay

We are through with the golden honey-based face masks. Let’s move to something green and argil. A green clay mask is for oily or inflamed skin as it absorbs oils, removes dead skin from the outer layers, and can help dry out acne.

Ingredients

• 1½ tablespoon of green clay
• ½ tablespoon of kaolin clay
• 1½ tablespoon of aloe vera gel
• 1 tablespoon of rose water
• 2 drops of rose acne-reducing essential oil (optional)

Directions

1. Mix both clays in a bowl.
2. Add the aloe vera gel, rose water, and other oils and mix.
3. Apply to the skin and let sit for about 20 minutes.
4. Rinse with a warm, steamy washcloth.

How to make clay and oil face mask

Clay is excellent at removing grease, but using a hydrating oil can get the purifying benefits of clay, which maintains your skin’s moisture levels.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of green clay
• 1 tablespoon of apricot kernel oil
• 3 drops of essential oil

Directions

1. Mix the necessary and apricot oils.
2. Apply the oils to the clay.
3. Add a few drops of water.
4. Stir to combine.
5. Apply an even layer of the mask on your face.
6. Let it dry for about 10 minutes.
7. Rinse it off with a warm washcloth.

How to make clay and egg white face mask

Egg whites, the technical term being ‘albumen’, are antibacterial, which is excellent to combine with clay that helps your pores.

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons of white bentonite clay
• 1 tablespoon of cornflour

Directions

1. Mix the mask ingredients in a bowl.
2. Apply to your face and allow it to dry.
3. Wash off the mask with a warm cloth.

Conclusion

You don’t have to break the bank to achieve an effective skincare routine. You can easily take advantage of ingredients found in your kitchen. If you’re experimenting with essential oils or any ingredient outside your kitchen or haven’t used them before, start with a patch test to ensure you don’t have skin sensitivities. Remember that just because a product is natural, like honey, doesn’t mean it works for everyone.

Finally, if you have made more masks than you need, do not throw the rest away. You can store it in a closed container in a refrigerator. Ideally, water-based face masks will last up to a week, while oil-based ones can last for up to four weeks.