DIY face masks are a lot of fun if you want to add something new to your self-care routine! I hate sifting through endless Insta and Youtube clickbait thumbnails showing outrageous ingredient combinations when I’m just trying to find a DIY face mask that will actually work. I swear to god if I see one more teenybopper trying to convince their audience that mixing Elmer’s glue with charcoal vitamin caps is a good idea…….
Here are three tried and true DIY face mask mixtures that are fast to make, cheap, and you’ll most likely have everything in your kitchen already! And if you don’t have the ingredients you probably needed to go grocery shopping anyway.
DIY Honey and Yeast Face Mask Recipe
First up is a diy face mask recipe that is great for dry skin! The two main ingredients in this simple mask are honey and yeast. Yeast is chock-full of amino acids, proteins, antioxidants, and vitamins, like B6 and B12. Yeast is also an antioxidant and helps strengthen skin structure + produce healthy skin cells by neutralizing free radicals. It also helps retain moisture, so all around yeast is a pretty damn perfect face mask ingredient!
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp of active yeast
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp warm water
- 1 Tbsp rice flour
First off mix together your yeast, honey, and warm water and let the mixture sit for 2 minutes. Next, we’re going to thicken the mask to make it easier to apply. Add in the rice flour and mix extremely well. Next microwave the mixture for 15 seconds; you’ll be left with a jelly texture that will easily smooth onto the skin. Rinse off with warm water after 20-25 minutes.
DIY Basil and Oatmeal Facemask Recipe
Here’s an oldie but a goodie with an added twist! I’m sure everyone knows oatmeal is great for soothing irritated skin; you’ll definitely know this if you’ve ever given your kids an oatmeal bath. All skin types can benefit from an exfoliating scrub but it can be tough to find one gentle enough if you have sensitive skin.
What are the skin benefits of oatmeal and basil?
Oatmeal is a great face mask ingredient for sensitive skin because it can exfoliate and moisturize at the same time! Oatmeal contains zinc that can help reduce inflammation and kill acne-causing bacteria. It also helps to soak up the excess oil from the skin. Oats also contain compounds called saponins, which are natural cleansers. They remove the dirt and oil that clog pores and help exfoliate skin. Those soap nuts that you hear people raving about also contain saponin; it’s how they get a foamy consistency from just natural ingredients!
The basil in this mask is completely optional. I’ve added basil as well because it’s beneficial for acne prone skin due to it’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Basil also contains Vitamin C which brightens skin and promotes collagen production.
I pulsed the oats in my blender for a few seconds before mixing to get a smoother paste but this is optional if you prefer a rougher texture. I did notice this applies much easier after blending since it’s a smoother consistency so I recommend taking the time to break down the oats.
Ingredients:
- 1/8 Cup Oats
- 2 Tbsp Basil (fresh is best but dry can be used in a pinch)
- 1-3 Tbsps of hot water
Mix the oats and basil together then slowly add water until you’ve reached a paste-like consistency. The oats will soak up water so if you let this sit too long you can revive the mask by adding a bit more water. You can also swap out the basil for a different add-in, this oatmeal mixture is a great neutral base for any herbal mask mixture. You could add rose, coffee, charcoal, practically anything! Leave the mask on 15-25 minutes then rinse off with warm water, and you’ll be left with amazingly soft skin!
DIY Coffee & Honey Face Mask Recipe
There was no chance of getting through this lineup without a coffee scrub. They smell amazing and feel great! If you’d also like to learn about an all over scrub I have a handy dandy coffee body scrub tutorial here. I used french roast grounds for this mask (just because that’s what I drink) but you can use any type of ground. Just keep in mind, different grounds will have different levels of exfoliating action. French roast is very fine so my mask was on the lower end of the scrubby spectrum.
What are the skin benefits of coffee?
Besides the obvious exfoliation benefits, coffee also contains caffeic acid. This acid is an antioxidant, increases collagen production and helps combat prevent premature aging. Caffeic acid has also shown antimicrobial characteristics so it’s helpful for acne prone skin as well!
Ingredients:
- 1/8 Cup freshly brewed coffee grounds
- 2 Tbsp Honey
Instead of used grounds you can also microwave your honey and some fresh grounds for 15-20 seconds. This will ensure the honey has absorbed some of that coffee goodness. I started off by massaging the mask in circles on my face and then left it on for 25 minutes while I bummed around the house. Don’t massage this into your under eyes but feel free to pat some extra mask under the eyes after massaging it in. The caffeine does wonders for dark circles and helps brighten dull skin.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes out, or if you have any recipes of your own that you’d like to share!