Quarantine Beauty – Natural Face Masks To Try While In Self Isolation
Since we all have nothing but time on our hands these days whilst practicing social distancing and WFH, we can finally try and keep up a regular beauty routine with home-made face masks that previously we just never got around to!
These masks are easy to make, with your average pantry staples and you can just put them on for 20 minutes before heading into the shower.
1. Banana Face Mask
Bananas are found year round, they are easily available and they probably are in your kitchen right now. The simplest thing to do is to just mash up a banana into a smooth paste and wear it as a mask for 20 minutes. This will leave your skin feeling super soft and moisturised. Additionally you can add a bit of honey and yogurt in the mix – this makes a great fast mask too. Bananas in your face mask is also good for treating acne and dark spots, as well as being anti-aging. Additionally if you have oily skin pair the banana with lemon juice and honey.
2. Lemon & Sugar Scrub
Our second mask also doubles as a scrub. Mix juice from one lemon (or 4 limes) with 1/4 cup olive oil and a 1/4 cup sugar. Now take the sugary mask and lightly scrub your face with it – the sugar will dissolve then leave it on for about 15-20 minutes. If you follow this routine every day I promise you, you’ll end the week with clear, even toned and glowing skin. The only downside is that you have to make this mask fresh everyday as it doesn’t keep well – the sugar dissolves within a few hours so you can’t use it as a scrub anymore without adding more sugar.
3. Oatmeal Mask
The oatmeal mask is a quick pick me up for tired skin. Combine 1/2 cup hot—not boiling—water and 1/3 cup oatmeal. After the water and oatmeal have settled for two or three minutes, mix in 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 small egg white. Apply a thin layer of the mask to your face, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. The only thing you need to be careful about is not clogging your drain; I find keeping a strainer on your drain helps!
4. Yogurt Mask
The everyday, wonderful mask. Mixing yogurt, almond oil, honey is always a great idea! As a mask it’s pretty great for every day, your skin feels super pampered and velvety smooth after it and you can tweak quantities for your skin needs. I have dry skin so I add more almond oil. If you have oily, add a bit of lemon. This is quick to make and in the upcoming summer days, it’s a great pick me up for parched skin.
5. Strawberry & Honey Mask
Another one for oily skin, and since it is strawberry season – mash up 2-3 strawberries, add some honey and apply on your face. Additionally massage in gently on your face for at least 2 minutes. Wash with warm water after 15 minutes. Strawberries are packed in vitamin C, so they’re great for dark spots and lightening acne scars. This mask is brightening as well as nourishing, and if you have dry skin, just improvise by adding a little bit of almond oil to restore some much needed hydration to your face.
A note when applying face masks – always apply in a gentle circulation motion. A light face massage during application also releases tension and improves blood circulation which results in better looking skin. Some masks can be a bit tricky to get off – so if you’re using warm water (never hot!) then immediately follow it by washing with cold water to close the pores.
It might sound a bit ambitious but if you’re able to keep a regular beauty routine with a face mask every day, and given that our exposure to dust and pollutants is minimal these days, you’ll be coming out of this quarantine with skin that beams!
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