We Tried 5 DIY Face Mask Recipes So You Don’t Have To

Um, excuse me? You’ve got food on your face.

The unfolding coronavirus (COVID-19) situation means that we are all dealing with a lot of uncertainty and change to our day to day routine. At Gritty Pretty, we want to help you navigate through this time. We’ll be sharing self care advice and tips on how to look after your body and mental health. If there are any topics you want Gritty Pretty to cover, please send us a DM on Instagram.

So, you’ve got some more time on your hands and you want to indulge in a little TLC? A little R&R? A little self-care? I don’t blame you. But there’s a problem – you can’t remember the last time you treated yourself to a beautiful store-bought face mask and you’re certain that the manky clay one sitting in your bathroom cabinet hasn’t moved for the last five years. My advice (if you’d like it) is to skimp on the out-of-date beauty products and indulge in a little home-made, skin-loving concoction.

There are plenty of DIY face mask recipes out there. There’s ones to soothe acne, ones to boost hydration, ones to calm the skin and ones to brighten. What’s more, contrary to popular belief, they are actually just as effective as their store-bought competitors (Hailey Bieber even whips them up).

Before you dive in the deep end of homemade face masks and use all the very valuable ingredients you currently have in your pantry, I thought it would only be fair if I tried them out first. That way, you’ll know which ones are worth sacrificing half an avocado for (tough gig, I know).

Recipe 1: The Hydrating Mask

You Will Need:

• 1/2 an avocado
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• A handful of oats

You Will Find…

…that while it is hydrating, the mess means it almost isn’t worth it. When I say this mask is messy – I mean it is messy. I blame it on the lack of adhesive ingredients because the honey is not strong enough to bind oats and avocado to your skin. With all that considered, the mask itself was hydrating and left my skin feeling a little smoother than before. Did I notice anything dramatically different, though? Not necessarily. But, hey, if you’ve got a spare 10 minutes to spend lying still on your back with a face mask on, by all means go for it.

Recipe 2: The Calming Mask

You Will Need:

• 1 egg yolk (save the white and whip yourself up a meringue, because, why not?)
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of oats

You Will Find…

…that this mask actually does what it says it will. I left this bad boy on my skin for about 10 minutes and when I took it off, my skin was definitely glowing. I put it down to the honey and olive oil for giving that burst of plump dewiness, but also think the egg yolk helps in firming and tightening the skin. At the moment, due to what’s going on in the world and heightened stress, I have developed a patch of dry, rash-like skin on my chin. Often after washing my face this can turn bright red but post-oat the rash was noticeably calmer. The only downside of this concoction? Like the aforementioned hydrating mask, it’s pretty messy. The oats are quite hard to stick to your face (as you can imagine) so it’s probably one to save for when you can lay down and not move for 10 minutes. That is to say: probably best to avoid when partaking in the homeschooling rush. 

Recipe 3: The Acne Fighting Mask

You Will Need:

• 1 tablespoon of manuka honey
• 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

You Will Find…

…that this will likely be your favourite, as it is mine. I’m not going to lie to you – the thought of putting turmeric all over my face was scary. What if it stains my skin? What if it stings? What if I’m a literal Oompa Loompa in my Zoom meeting tomorrow? But all of the worries washed away with the mask itself. Leave it on the skin for 10 minutes and remove with warm water to reveal even, glowing skin. Manuka honey is the grunt of the formula due to its antibacterial properties that help prevent and treat acne. I also noticed that the rash on my chin had gone down significantly. The next day? My skin was super even and the texture had improved to the touch (with clean hands of course). Hands down my favourite of the lot.

Recipe 4: The Antioxidant Mask

You Will Need:

• 1/4 of an Avocado
• 1 Tablespoon Cacao Powder
• 1 Tablespoon of Honey

You Will Find…

…that you may want to eat it before applying to your face. Not necessarily due to the ingredients but more so due to the chocolate-y smell and brownie mix texture. I was tempted, believe me. Aside from the aroma, this mask is also great at boosting the brightness and glowiness (yes – that is a word) of your skin. I left it on for around 15 minutes, and found that my skin looked smooth and bright after removing it. The only downside? It is a pain to remove. Due to the thick texture, it took a while to wash off my skin and the brown colour means it gets, kind of, everywhere. But, if you’re willing to risk the cleanliness of your sink for five minutes while you remove, the skin benefits are aplenty.

Recipe 5: The Pore Minimising Mask (aka The Hailey Bieber)

You Will Need:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of honey

You Will Find…

…that if Hailey Bieber loves this mask, you likely will too. Probably the easiest DIY mask to make, this pore minimising concoction was one of my favourites. The egg left my skin feeling firmer and tighter (in a good way) and the honey gave the mask a little flexibility so I could still move my mouth as the mask dried. I didn’t notice a monumental difference in the size of my pores, but they did seem a little smaller and my skin tone was definitely more even, which I love. Leave the mask on for as long as it takes to dry and harden slightly and then wash with warm water to reveal a noticeable glow. Now – where’s my Justin Bieber?

Have a DIY face mask recipe that we don’t know about? Leave it in the comments below!

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