The best branded masks may win on the efficacy front, with their ability to offer better ingredient delivery mechanisms and overcome some of the difficulties with absorption, but DIY masks are prized for their inexpensive, accessible and customisable nature. The two oldest medical systems, Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, offer some time-treasured recipes for healthy, glowing skin. These can be tailor-made with ingredients you are familiar with. Try these:
Honey-apricot mask (for normal skin)
½ cup honey
2 apricots, peeled and coarsely chopped.
Instructions:
Measure honey into a glass bowl. Add the apricots and mix together with a wooden spoon. Apply it to your face and neck and massage gently with fingertips. Leave on for 10 mins and rinse. Pat skin dry with a soft towel.
Aloe vera clay mask (for dry skin)
6 tsp clay
2 tsp aloe vera juice
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A splash of spring water.
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together and apply it to your face and neck and massage gently with fingertips. Leave on for 10-20 mins and rinse. Pat skin dry with a soft towel.
Raw honey mask (for combination skin)
2 Tbsp of raw honey.
Instructions:
Add 2 tsp of hot water to 2 Tbsp of raw honey into a cup and massage gently. Leave the mask on for 3 minutes and then rinse this off with water. Pat dry with a towel.
Tumeric-apple cider vinegar mask (for pigmented skin)
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp organic apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp of organic raw honey
½ Tbsp milk or yoghurt
1 drop lemon essential oil or fresh lemon juice for additional skin brightening (optional).
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl to a smooth paste. Apply it to your face with fingertips. Leave on for 10-20 mins and rinse. Pat skin dry with a soft towel.
Chamomile-chrysanthemum mask (for oily skin)
1 Tbsp each of dried flowers (chamomile, dandelion, mint, buckwheat, chrysanthemum)
5 Tbsp clay.
Instructions:
Use a blender, grind the herbs together into a powder. Add the clay and then add 5 Tbsp of hot water, a spoon at a time, until a paste-like consistency forms. Apply the mask and dry for 30 minutes. Rinse off with water and pat face dry with a towel.
Oatmeal-yogurt mask (for rosacea-prone skin)
2 tsp oatmeal
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp plain yoghurt (Greek is best)
1 tsp raw organic honey
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients until combined. Brush evenly on to face; oatmeal tends to make this mask feel gloopy, so don’t worry if it’s not smooth. Leave on for about 15 minutes, rinse with lukewarm water. Pat dry and follow with a mild moisturiser.
Tumeric-honey mask (for acne-prone skin)
4 Tbsp of clay
1 tsp of ground turmeric
1 tsp of honey (manuka is especially good to fight acne).
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together and spread the mask on your face. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes until dry. Rinse off and pat dry.
Daily Telegraph
