3 Recipes for Moisturizing Face Masks

Don't let winter get the better of you! Rejuvenate your skin with these nourishing DIY treatments.

Winter is here, with its frigid temperatures and drying winds. Your skin will need some extra TLC at this time of year to ensure it stays soft and moisturized. Masks are an easy way to replenish the moisture in your face. Apply a homemade mask and forget about it while doing other chores around the house or watching TV in the evening. Wash off eventually, and you’ll have a glow and a great feeling that will make you want to do it again and again.

1. Activated Charcoal Face Mask

Charcoal may look messy, but it’s a surprisingly effective purifying agent. This mask recipe, from the BLDG 25 blog, is “formulated to draw out impurities and dissolve blackheads.” It uses bentonite clay, which is believed to be good for absorbing toxins, heavy metals, impurities, and unwanted chemicals from the skin.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 capsules food-grade activated charcoal
1/4 tsp bentonite clay
Rose water

Preparation:
Break open the charcoal capsules and place in a non-metallic bowl. Add the yogurt and bentonite clay and mix with a wooden or ceramic spoon. Because activated charcoal and bentonite clay draw out impurities and toxins, it’s important to use non-metallic mixing materials to avoid contamination.Apply to a clean face using your fingers, avoiding delicate eye and lip areas. Leave on for 5 to 7 minutes before rinsing with warm water. Pat dry with a clean towel.

2. Honey and Rose Yogurt Face Mask

The lactic acid and probiotics in yogurt cleanse and stimulate the skin, leaving it clean, firm, and bright. The addition of honey makes it antibacterial. Recipe from Organic Authority.

Ingredients:
6-7 fresh rose petals
2 tbsp organic rosewater
1 tbsp local yogurt
1 tsp manuka honey

Preparation:
Crush rose petals in a bowl and add rosewater, yogurt and honey and mix well. Apply to the skin and leave it for 10 minutes, then rinse.

3. Olive Oil, Milk, and Besan Mask

Besan flour, also known as gram or chickpea flour, has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, prized for its oil absorption properties. Olive oil replenishes the oil in the skin, and the lactic acid in milk tightens and smooths the skin. Recipe from Apsara Skin Care.

Ingredients:
1 tsp besan
4-5 drops extra virgin olive oil
Full fat milk (or non-dairy alternative)

Preparation:
Mix besan and oil. Add small amount of milk in order to form a paste. Apply to clean, dry face. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes, and wash off with water or milk.