Natural Facial Treatments

All the beautiful makeup in the world applied by the most skilled hand won't mean a thing if you are not starting with a great canvas – your skin! Last week, we offered some natural "recipes" for hair care, and today we wanted to share some well known natural facial masks and cleansers.

Avocado Facial

Avocado is a naturally rich moisturizer, and this is a great mask for dry skin. Remove the pit and then mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture. Massage into the face and neck. Leave the avocado on for 15 minutes and gently rinse off with warm water.

Lemon and Egg White Mask

Squeeze the juice of one half of a lemon into one beaten egg white. Apply a thin layer of the mixture over your entire face. You can either leave this on overnight while you sleep or just for 15 minutes when you need a quick "pick-me-up." Splash your face with to rinse and pat dry. Egg white will help nurture and tighten your skin, and the lemon juice is helpful in lightening blotches.

Under Eyes

To lighten dark circles under your eyes, wrap a grated raw potato in cheesecloth and apply over the eyes for 15-20 minutes. Wipe off any residue and rinse. Follow with eye cream of your choice

Yogurt & Honey Mask Recipe

Mix together 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon almond oil and 1 tablespoon yogurt. Honey stimulates and moisturizes the skin. Egg and almond oil penetrate and moisturize, and the yogurt helps refine and tightens pores.

Egg, Avocado and Clay Mask

Clay is available in powder form at any health food store. Mix together 1 tablespoon dry clay with 1 egg yolk, 1/4 of a mashed avocado and enough witch hazel to create a smooth mixture. Apply this mask to your skin. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse well with warm water. Pat dry. The clay dries excess sebum, and the egg yolk and avocado replenish lost moisture. Witch hazel is an excellent toner.

Facial Exfoliator Recipe

Mix together 2 heaping teaspoons of fine oatmeal and 1 teaspoon of baking soda tsp. baking soda. Add enough water to make a paste. Apply to skin and rub gently. Rinse and gently pat dry. Natural exfoliators can be less harsh on skin than synthetic ingredients.

Banana Wrinkle Fighter Recipe

Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Mash 1/4 banana until it's very creamy. Spread it all over your face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Follow with a quick splash of cold water to close your pores. Gently pat dry.

Grape Cleanser Recipe

Grape juice makes an excellent cleanser for any skin type. Simply split one or two large grapes, remove the seeds and rub the flesh over face and neck. Rinse off with cool water and pat dry.

Oily Skin Mask Recipe

Mix 1 tsp. brewer’s yeast with enough plain yogurt to make a thin mixture. Pat this thoroughly into all the oily areas and allow it to dry on the skin. After 15 or 20 minutes, rinse off with warm water. Follow with a rinse with cool water and pat dry.

The next time you want to treat yourself to a mask or facial treatment, why not take a look around your own kitchen and "feed" your face while making it gorgeous!