Having healthy, glowing skin depends largely on lifestyle factors, such as diet, sleep, and exercise. Topical treatments can also be very effective, but they are relatively expensive. If you enjoy DIYs or if you have a limited budget, you can do facial treatments at home with inexpensive ingredients that offer well-known skin benefits that even professionals acknowledge as effective.
The Problem: Dull Skin
Dull skin is often the result of the piling up of dead skin cells. Yogurt is a natural source of lactic acid, which provides gentle exfoliation, helps to reduce inflammation, and brightens the skin. The enzymes contained in the yogurt break down the substance that holds dead skin cells together, peeling them off and revealing fresh skin. A study evaluated how a face treatment containing yogurt affected the skin and it was found to successfully improve brightness and elasticity of the skin.
The Remedy: Yogurt Mask
Things You’ll Need
- Plain yogurt, preferably local and organic
- Cotton ball
- Bowl
- Optional: honey, preferably local and organic
- Spoon
Instructions
With a cotton ball, apply yogurt all over your face avoiding the eye area. Leave on for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse with lukewarm water. Pat the skin dry.
If you have dry skin, add a tablespoon of honey and mix it with the yogurt. Apply with a cotton ball to your face avoiding the eye area. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse off with lukewarm water, and pat the skin dry.
Adding honey improves the moisturizing qualities of the yogurt mask due to the humectant properties of honey, which help to attract and retain moisture.
The Problem: Dry skin
If your skin lacks luminosity because it is dry or because it has been exposed to environmental factors like wind, sun, and extreme temperatures, avocado is a great ingredient to include in your homemade face mask. Avocados are very rich in nutrients such as Vitamin A, E, B12, K, C, and fatty acids. It’s softening, nourishing properties help with replenishing and healing the skin, as suggested by a 2013 study.
The Remedy: Avocado + Honey Mask
Things You’ll Need
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Fork
- Knife
Instructions
Mash the avocado pulp with a fork until the consistency is creamy and even. Add a tablespoon of honey and mix. Apply to the skin with a spoon. You may apply it even on the under eye area to soothe it and moisturize it, but make sure not to get too close to the eyes. Leave on for 15 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water. Pat the skin dry.
The Problem: Sun-Damaged Skin
If you have overdone your daily dose of sun and you have noticed photo damage, you can naturally renew your skin to get a glowing complexion with the help of green tea. Green tea has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which early studies have shown effectively help the skin cells to heal and regenerate. It is also considered an effective anti-aging ingredient because it counteracts the effect of free radicals.
The Solution: Green Tea Masks
Here are two simple green tea-based masks to choose from that you can make by mixing the green tea powder with either honey (best for oily/blemish prone skin types), or avocado (best for dry/mature skin types).
Green Tea + Honey
Things You’ll Need
- 2 green tea bags or 2 tablespoons of powdered green tea
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- Bowl
- Spoon
Instructions
Mix the green tea with one tablespoon of honey, and apply to the skin. Leave on for as long as 20 minutes, rinse will lukewarm water, and pat the skin dry.
Green Tea + Avocado
Things You’ll Need
- 2 tablespoons of powdered green tea, or 2 bags of green tea
- Half avocado (ripe)
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Knife
- Fork
Instructions
Mash the avocado until creamy and then add green tea powder to it. Mix well, apply to the skin avoiding the eye area, and then rinse off with lukewarm water. Pat the skin dry.
