Homemade Face Mask No. 14: Youth-Boosting Milk Mask
Try it: Right before your high-school reunion
Why it works: The honey in this homemade face mask helps draw moisture to the skin, while saturated fats in the whole milk lock it in. Yeast contains antioxidants that, studies suggest, stimulate wound healing in scientific studies, making it a glow-boosting ingredient for a dull dermis.
Ingredients:
2 ounces whole organic milk
1 small packet dry active yeast
1 tablespoon honey
3 to 5 drops vanilla extract (optional)
3 tablespoons rice flour
Directions: Start by warming the milk in a microwave or pan, making sure not to overheat it. Sprinkle the contents of the yeast packet over the warmed milk and mix with a fork. Add honey and vanilla extract and mix again. Dip a cotton ball into the mixture and apply to the face and neck.
Add rice flour to the remaining mix, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well, until mixture thickens. Apply a thicker coat on the face and neck and allow mask to dry for 15 minutes. Scrub with fingers over the sink to remove.
Try it: During the summer, when you need extra sun protection
Why it works: This homemade face mask is all about the lycopenes, a good chemical found in tomatoes, which studies say help improve collagen production and fights skin-damaging free radicals.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 cup tomatoes, peeled and crushed
1 egg white
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a paste. Apply to clean skin and leave on for ten to fifteen minutes. Rinse off the mask and follow with a hydrating gel, if needed.
Homemade Face Mask No. 12: Skin-Restoring Avocado Mask
Try it: When your skin is all kinds of confused
Why it works: Brown rice flour soaks up excess oil, while the healthy fats in this avocado mask balance oil production. That way your skin doesn't go into overdrive to replace lost moisture. Combination skin ladies -- this homemade face mask is for you.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon brown rice flour
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon fresh apple juice
Directions: Mash the avocado with a fork in a small bowl. Sprinkle in rice flour, combining until you make a paste. Stir in apple juice. Apply mask and allow to dry. Rinse off with warm water.
Homemade Face Mask No. 11: Acne-Fighting Greek Yogurt Mask
Try it: When all signs point to an impending breakout
Why it works: The Greek yogurt in this homemade face mask contains the probiotic Lactobacillus, which may help kick inflammation and acne to the curb. This Greek yogurt mask is also loaded with lactic acid, an alpha-hydroxy that gently exfoliates skin.
Directions: Split open the probiotic capsule (if you have one) and mix it with the Greek yogurt in a small bowl. Apply the mixture to your face with a cotton ball. Wash off with warm water after 10 minutes. Pat dry.
Homemade Face Mask No. 10: Redness-Reducing Chamomile & Kale Mask
Try it: While watching "Game of Thrones," "Homeland" or any other nail-biter TV show that stimulates the production of the stress hormone, cortisol
Why it works: This homemade face mask is packed with anxiety-reducing goodies. Chamomile is used in many skin-care products to tamp down inflammation and calm irritated skin. Kale is rich in antioxidants and skin-rejuvenating vitamins A, C and K, which soothe UV damage and help eradicate free radicals.
Ingredients:
2 to 3 kale leaves
1 cucumber
2/3 cup chamomile tea, cooled
6 mint sprigs
15 ml Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost (optional)
2 teaspoons pectin
Directions: Blend fresh ingredients together. Add the pectin until it thickens. Apply to freshly washed face and leave for 10-15 minutes. Rinse well.
A small-batch, locally sourced, artisanal beauty product is to me what Christmas is to five-year-olds.
While I love the beauty benefits of all-natural products, I don't always love the price tag. Those "made in the USA" and "gluten-free" labels translate to higher prices. That's why I'm equally obsessed with homemade face masks. It's a chance to play chemist in my very own skin apothecary and it costs a fraction of the price of my precious Fair Trade products.
We've rounded up some of the best face mask recipes from dermatologists and beauty experts that deliver skin-healing, glow-inducing magic. Whether you need an avocado mask to hydrate parched skin or an egg-based facial mask to tighten pores, these are the best homemade face masks for your skin.