Everybody needs a spa day sometimes. Whether you’ve finished the worst week ever, or you’re just particularly run down, nothing beats a girls’ night full of mani-pedis and homemade facial masks. With so many natural recipes for facials on the internet, it’s hard to know what information you can trust. This weekend my friend Stella and I combed through pages and pages of recipes and chose some of the most intriguing to try, with mixed results.
Mask #1: Banana
Needed:
- 1 Banana
- Plain yogurt
- Honey
Directions:
- Mash the banana into a smooth paste
- Mix in ¼ cup of yogurt and 2 tablespoons of honey
- Apply gently to your face
- Let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water
The banana recipe worked really well. The desired effect is moisturized and soft skin. Once my skin was dry it was so soft, I didn’t want to put the next mask on! My only issue was the smell, you will be smelling banana for the next week, but if that’s not something you’d mind, definitely try it out!
Mask #2: Yogurt
Needed:
- Plain yogurt
- 1 Orange
Directions:
- Juice the orange (include some pulp)
- Mix juice with 4 tablespoons of yogurt with the juice
- Slather onto face
- Let sit for 10 minutes, then gently rinse
The yogurt mask was supposed to clean the skin and tighten pores. I wasn’t the biggest fan because there were no noticeable or obvious differences in our pores. We had to really inspect our face in order to see the results. Our faces definitely felt less greasy afterwards, so the cleansing aspect of the mask served its purpose. I’d recommend this mask if you’re looking for a natural helper for extra grease!
Mask #3: Lemon
Needed:
- 1 Lemon
- Olive oil
Directions:
- Juice the lemon
- Add ¼ cup olive oil to the lemon juice
- Let sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse completely
*Warning: do not use this mask if you have any open cuts, acne, etc. on your face!*
With this recipe, we ran into a little trouble. Lemon juice, as we managed to forget, will sting when applied to open cuts. Stella was forced to wash this recipe off her face almost immediately. Despite our mishap, I thought the mask felt more revitalizing than the intended exfoliating element. I wasn’t too pleased with the result, but I ran into a friend on the way back from washing my face, and he could not stop raving about how great my skin looked. In summary, I’d give this recipe a mixed review.
Mask #4: Egg
Needed:
- 1 Egg
- Lemon juice
- Honey
Directions:
- Beat egg
- Mix in 1 tablespoon of honey and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- Apply the mask
- Let sit for 30 minutes and then rinse
This mask was definitely the weirdest of the above masks we tried. It felt a little ridiculous slathering an egg all over our face. This mask moisturizes dry skin, while treating oily skin simultaneously. I feel like the dual action of the mask is definitely an addition to an already weird yet cool facial. But I really liked this recipe!
All other photos belong to Author