Most of us will have tried using expensive skincare products, looking everywhere and ending up upsetting either our bank account, our skin, or both.
The journey to healthy skin is indeed long, and requires extreme patience. Having said that, your skin should also be able to be happy with those products. How often have you researched about products specifically for your skin condition, and the internet told you more about cosmetology than actual remedies? What if I told you that the remedies are right there in your kitchen and not on those shelves?
I never grew up with fancy products. Every time I asked my mother to purchase me a product, she would end up saying, “Fancy products do not make your skin happy, you just need to feed it the right food.” Now, buying something because your favourite actor endorses it is tempting. But let me tell you there are many benefits of using natural products for your skin. As an Indian, I have always used natural products for everything - skin, hair, nails, you name it. So when I am writing this blog, it is because I have tried all of these remedies. The products that you will be using are widely used in the ancient Indian therapies of Ayurveda, and often hold up well in comparison to the big companies who sell harmful products, damaging your skin, the environment and your bank account too. Ayurveda has amazing benefits for every aspect of the human body, but that’s a conversation for another day...
Benefits of using natural skincare products
As I’m sure you already know, there are hundreds of reasons why using all-natural products for skin is beneficial. Here are just a few:
1. They’re cheap
Ha, right off the bat. If you’re on a tight budget *cough* students *cough*, then trust me, it’s your saviour. Natural products such as turmeric, yogurt, honey, lemon, potatoes, and tomatoes are readily available in your cupboards. And instead of letting them go to waste, you can use them as a part of your skin care routine.
2. They’re environmentally-friendly
Well, it’s quite obvious. You don’t have to worry about all the packaging, plastic or otherwise, that comes with store-bought products. You just take a spoon, mix ingredients in a bowl and ta-da, you have a face mask! I don’t blame you if you’re reluctant to get your hands dirty, but using your fingers avoids any waste generated through gloves or other tools, too.
3. Skin friendly
Natural products are a great alternative to harmful chemicals that can damage your skin in the long term, and personally, I find them much more effective and reliable. They’re gender neutral too – making your own treatments at home avoids all of the heavily gender based marketing of the big skincare companies and allows you to choose ingredients based solely on your skin type. But again, all-natural products are suitable for every skin type.
So, onto the main part of this blog! DIY face mask recipe which are all natural. I will be giving you 10 recipes (some ingredients can be found in every household, while some will need a little bit of investment).
Let’s begin!
1. Yogurt and turmeric
Okay. This might sound really weird, but hear me out. Using yogurt (plain, of course) has many benefits for your skin that you might not know about. Yoghurt on its own can help you moisturise your skin, fight acne, target pigmentation, reduces dark circles (I’m looking at you, students) and many more. Then add the benefits of turmeric - this helps you in bringing the natural glow of your skin with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps in reducing acne scarring. Need I say more? Okay, another - got a paper cut? Or scraped your knees? Sprinkle some turmeric! My Indian heritage built up my immune system really well, and I am not joking when I say using turmeric and yogurt for anything is helpful.
Recipe: take 2 tablespoons of yogurt, add 1 tablespoon of turmeric. Mix them well and voila! Your face mask is ready. Apply it with your hands (pre-made tools!) and leave it for 15 minutes before washing it off with cold water.
2. Aloe vera gel and lemon
Aloe vera has been used since the time of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt (Cleopatra doesn’t want you to know her secret!). Aloe vera was used for many purposes, including removing sun tan and dark spots; they also used it to cure skin conditions. And we all know what lemon does.
Recipe: you can use an aloe vera plant you have or any organic aloe vera gel. Put the gel in a bowl (just enough to cover your face) and few drops of lemon juice into the gel. Mix it with your fingers, and leave it for 20 minutes. After that wash it off with cold water. Don’t use moisturiser after using the mask - aloe vera’s got you covered!
3. Lemon and honey
Okay, this is for my fellow people with oily skin. I got you. Using lemon helps clean your skin, reduces oil secretion, and gets rid of the dead skin cells. And honey has many anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties that help in reducing oil secretion, further avoiding those pimples that ruin your mood.
Recipe: mix lemon extract and honey in a bowl. Apply it on your face and let it dry for 15-20 minutes. Wash it off with cold water. This face mask will leave your skin supple, happy and remove oil. You can use it for underarms too, if you want to get rid of dark armpits.
4. Chickpea flour and yogurt (ft. honey and turmeric)
Chickpea flour is not only good for eating, but also does wonders for your face. It acts as a cleansing agent, while the aforementioned yogurt helps in moisturising - best buddies indeed! This face mask is good for dry skin.
Recipe: all you need is 2 tablespoons of gram flour (raid Tesco’s world food section), 1 tablespoon of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of honey, and a dash of turmeric. Mix them evenly to make a smooth paste. Apply it on your skin for 5-10 mins and wash off with cold water. Using this regularly will be extremely beneficial. As the yogurt moisturises your skin, the honey will clean it, and the turmeric will work as an antiseptic, which will maintain your skins pH level. This will heal your dry skin naturally.
5. Multani Mitti (Fuller’s earth) and lemon juice
I’ll never miss an opportunity to sneak in my all-time favourite ingredient, fuller’s earth. What can I say; in my experience it’s singlehandedly a cure for everything. My mother has this and Heena (for her hair) in her beauty treasure closet. I recall her using fuller’s earth, mixing it with rose water and milk and applying it to her face. And now she looks younger than me (cries in acne). Multani mitti is a very ancient cure for all skin related issues in India - it cures acne, deeply cleans and even facilitates blood circulation, leaving you with radiant skin.
Recipe: mix 2 tablespoons of both of the ingredients with some turmeric (I did warn you that turmeric is used in everything!) and if you can get some sandalwood powder, use half a tablespoon of that too. Make a smooth paste (which can be achieved quickly if you use your hand) you can add milk if you want (if you’re lactose intolerant, I’m sorry the world is not kind.) Once the paste is formed, apply it on your face and leave it there until it dries. Be patient! Wash off with cold water. You can also try just rose water and Multani mitti together by themselves.
6. Tomatoes and Multani mitti (Fuller’s earth)
Well, you bought it already, so why not use it to its full potential? I’d like to make it clear that tomato doesn’t only exist to add flavour in your food. This fruit is actually a natural sunscreen. It’s used frequently in Ayurveda due to its high concentration of antioxidants. This high concentration helps in preventing any cellular damage, making your skin look young by slowing the ageing process.
Recipe: take two tomatoes and make puree. Mix it with fuller’s earth and form a paste. Apply it to your face and even neck. Leave it till it dries (usually 20 mins), wash off with cold water and you will have a hydrated face, so you can freely drink all night and not care about your face getting dehydrated!
7. Rice flour and tomato
Rice flour is great for your skin - this combination of ingredients will brighten your skin, make your skin smooth and remove dark spots.
Recipe: take 1 tablespoon of rice flour, mix it with 2 tablespoons of tomato juice (if you have dry skin, try adding almond oil, too). Mix all of them and form an even paste, leave it on your face for 10 minutes and wash it off with cold water. All done!
8. Coffee and honey
The first time I wanted to bring some Western culture in my life, I decided to try coffee. It didn’t work for me, so my mom ended up experimenting with it. But if you’re surviving mainly on coffee, why not let it help your skin, too? This face mask will exfoliate, hydrate after you’ve pulled an all-nighter, help get rid of acne scars and also reduce puffiness. Coffee – good for more than just Dalgona and Instagram!
Recipe: mix 1 tablespoon of coffee grounds with 1 tablespoon of honey, into a paste. Apply it to your face, leave it for 10-20 minutes and then wash it off with (you guessed it) cold water.
9. Potato and lemon juice
Now hear me out, this face mask will not only make you look good, but also help with dark armpits or other areas that you need to even out. Potato has vitamin C and potassium. You all know how good vitamin C is for your skin, as every brand on this planet tells you that. So, coming back to potato, these compounds help you get your natural glow. It won’t be solid, it’s in liquid form, so I suggest using a cotton ball.
Recipe: grate potato and put it on a cotton cloth. Squeeze out the juice, then mix some lemon juice in with that, and, if you want, add some honey. Mix them properly and apply it on your face with a cotton ball and leave it for 10-20 minutes. Wash off with cold water.
10. Banana and honey
So, you bought a banana and now it’s going off? Don’t throw it away, wasting food is bad! (I can hear my mom yelling at me from India if I ever throw anything away.) To avoid that, we’ll use the banana and its benefits to pamper our skin. It is common knowledge that banana has vitamin B16, which is super beneficial for your skin.
Recipe: mash the banana and add a tablespoon of honey. Leave it on your face for 15-30 minutes, and then wash it off with cold water.
That’s all for my beauty tips, but always remember that drinking enough water and exercising are also super important parts of keeping your skin healthy! Take care of yourselves!
Author: Prerna
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