What to use in a DIY Facial Mask?

Some people have been asking me abut ingredients for home made facial masks. Here are some grocery store ingredients that I have seen on pinterest and other DIY facial recopies that are supposed to be good for your skin (specifically the skin on your face). I discussed with an esthetician about each one to see if it did something good for your skin, bad for your skin, or nothing at all.

• Lemon - brightening and invigorating (but only in small amounts! To much can be harmful!)
• Lime - brightening and invigorating (not as effective as lemon though)
• Orange - brightening and invigorating (not as effective as lemon or lime)
• Ginger - if it is powdered it is generally ineffective, and minced won't do much, however juiced ginger provides antioxidants and improves circulation.
• Sugar - Harsh Exfoliant that Strips the Skin! Do not use this on your face! 
• Avocado -moisturizing 
• Tea Tree Oil - clarifying (helps with acne) but make sure you only use 1-4 drops in your mask! To much can do more harm than good! 
• Dry Oatmeal - Nothing
• Cooked Oatmeal - calming, great for sensitive skin, and is a good base or filler for your mask. This however needs to be real and natural oatmeal, not Quaker Oats instant oatmeal.  
• Coconut Oil - antibacterial and hydrating
• Olive Oil - hydrating
• Banana - nothing
• Lavender - calming and reduces redness
• Apple - nothing
• Kale - antioxidants, can help rebuild cell wall strength and lessens the appearance of dark circles. Most effective when lightly cooked in the base of the mask
• Cocoa Powder - some anti aging effects
• Pomegranate - Anti-aging
• Cucumber - Hydrating and refreshing
• Cinnamon - Clarifying for Acne
• Honey - Antibacterial and Pore Refining
• Raw Eggs - the white do nothing, but the yolk has proteins in them that can be good for skin and help reinforce it. 

So what is the key for making a goo at home facial mask? You have to start by choosing the masks overall function. If you are wanting to brighten and hydrate, clarify and fighting acne, calm your skin and reduce redness, or do an anti aging mask. You need to choose a base (cooked oatmeal, coconut oil, olive oil, and mashed avocado are recommended) that lends itself to your cause. For example avocado would be a great base for something hydrating, but might not be the best choice for something clarifying. Then choose no more than 3 ingredients to add. If you have to many they may trip over each other and cancel each other out, or be to strong for the skin on your face! You also want to make sure your base and ingredients mix well together. Choosing a lot of liquid ingredients with nothing thicker, paste like or powdery  may cause you to end up with a mess at the end that is less than effective.

Here are a few of our favorite combos! The best way to combine these is with a food processor or a blender on a low speed setting.

Brighten and Hydrate
2 mashed Avocados
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tbs Juiced Ginger (OR 1 tbs coconut oil)
1/4  mashed Cucumber

Clarify and Fighting Acne
1/4 cup of Honey
3 Drops of Tea Tree Oil (we like The Body Shops!)
3 tbs or Cinnamon
1 mashed Avocado

Calming to Reduce Redness
1/2 cup of Cooked Oatmeal
4 drops of Lavender Essential Oils
1 raw Egg Yolk

Anti Aging Mask
1/2 cup of Coconut Oil
Warm it on the stove (do not boil it) and then add 1/4 cup of chopped kale
Let the kale simmer in the coconut oil for about 10 minutes
Now add 1/4 cup of Cocoa Powder
and 2 tbs of Pure Pomegranate Juice
Stir together and removes from the stove before applying

***Thanks to Ayla Farmer for answering my questions, skin therapist at the ULTA Salon in Salt Lake City and to Shay, Sierra and Britt82 for asking this question***