DIY Cucumber and Oat Face Mask

This 3-ingredient recipe is a great natural remedy for dry winter skin.

For anyone in cold regions, the winter can be tough on our skin, with the cold outside and drying temperature control indoors. This face mask is a great option to nourish and hydrate your skin again, using only edible ingredients. Cucumbers have long been used for their soothing properties in natural beauty, and oats are known for their ability to hydrate.

Not only will you avoid any questionable chemicals that are too often found in cosmetics, but oats, cucumber and honey are gentle enough for most sensitive skin.

That said, it’s a good idea to pick up an organic cucumber. The Environmental Working Group has put non-organic cucumbers on their “Dirty Dozen” list for several years running, meaning they’ve found concerning levels of pesticide reduce on this fruit. (Yes, cucumber is considered a fruit.)

Ingredients
1/2 cup cucumber, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons ground or whole oats
1 teaspoon raw honey

Step 1

Peel and roughly chop enough cucumber to fill a half-cup measuring cup. I used about a quarter of an English cucumber.

Step 2

Using a blender or food processor, mix the oats, cucumber and honey. The consistency should be like a paste. If it’s too thin, add more oats.

Step 3

Spread the paste thickly over your face and neck, and let it set for 15 minutes. For an extra bit of spa-treatment, place round slices of cucumber over your eyes, flipping them half way through the 15 minutes.

Step 4

Rise the mask off with warm water. Follow with your daily moisturizer of choice.