When I was a little girl, my mom was always mixing up homemade facial masks and concoctions to help her nails stay long and strong. She even used common household items (like eggshells) to make plant food and fertilizer. As a result, I love experimenting with DIY skincare recipes. They’re budget-friendly and usually very effective.
Years ago, I found an oily skin oatmeal mask that I loved. You stored it in the fridge so it was nice and cool when you put it on your face. And it smelled like oatmeal cookies – uh, YUM! I’ve since lost the “recipe” for that mask, but here’s one I found that I like just as much.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cucumber
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons ground oatmeal
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
DIRECTIONS:
Place ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until creamy. Place in the freezer for approximately ten minutes to chill. Spread over face. Remember, this is homemade, so don’t expect it to look like a store bought mask. Allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes. Wipe mask off with cool water and pat dry.
How It Works
Each ingredient in this recipe serves a purpose for your skin. The base ingredient, cucumber, creates a soothing feeling and can help de-puff and even out skin tone. Yogurt acts as a moisturizer, and the lactic acid and vitamins found in yogurt nourish the skin and can kill the bacteria that cause breakouts. The oatmeal helps to soak up excess oil from the skin and lock in moisture. Honey has antibacterial properties that kill germs on the skin, and also acts as a moisturizer that can help fade the appearance of dark spots. And lastly, the citric acid in the lemon juice acts as a mild exfoliator that will help remove dry, dead skin cells and allow for new cells to replace them.
