Here at HCX we’re partial to a girly night in equipped with chick flicks, pizza, onesies and of course the number 1 sleepover accessory, a facemask. Easily bought from shops like Boots, we don’t ever think of the alternative- making them yourself. Not only is this a great way to save money and have fun, you also learn more about the ingredients you’re smothering over your face and why they’re beneficial for you! So we decided to have a traditional girls sleepover and test out some recipes for you all.
Firstly you need to identify your skin type; oily, dry or combination. You have oily skin if you have particularly shiny skin (especially in the T-zone area) and a great way to test whether you have this type of skin is to press a napkin to your forehead and if it has oil residue on it once you pull it away, you have oily skin! Although this may sound a bit gross, it’s definitely worth doing- and oily skin ages better than dry skin ladies so that’s something to celebrate! You have dry skin if it feels tight, especially after cleansing, and you have a tendency towards flaking, red patches and fine wrinkles (but that’s something we hopefully don’t have to worry about yet!). Finally, you have combination skin if you think you have a slightly oily T-zone and drier cheeks; experts say around 70% of women have this type of skin so chances are this is probably you. Once you know what skin type you are you can then decide which mask to use!
Oily Skin
Perfect for students, this recipe uses ingredients which you are more than likely to have in your cupboards already. You need:
· 1 banana
· 2 tbsp of honey
· Juice from an orange or a lemon
Basing this on prices from Tesco, 1 banana costs 12p, a whole jar of honey costs 99p and a lemon is 30p, it means that this face mask (and a lot of extra honey) will only cost you £1.41– what a bargain!
So here are the very easy instructions of how to make and use this Banana Facemask:
1. Mash up the banana in a bowl until it’s very smooth
2. Stir in the honey (use a blender if you want it to be extra smooth)
3. Squeeze some lemon juice into the mixture
4. Apply it carefully to your face for 15 minutes
5. Wash off with a cool washcloth (or something you don’t mind getting banana on!)
6. Use your regular moisturizer to finish
And there you have it! This remedy should leave your skin with a radiant glow, and when you wake up the next morning you’ll definitely see and feel the effects.
Why does this work? Well, bananas have vitamin C in them which helps to clean skin and prevent inflammatory diseases. It also helps to speed the healing of blemishes, which we all know is a good thing! Also, bananas have a very high potassium content which helps to get rid of acne bacteria whilst exfoliating dead skin cells- top marks all round.
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Dry Skin
This DIY recipe looks like and has the consistency of a shop-bought mask, but is way more fun to make! All you need is:
· ½ an avocado
· ¼ cup of honey
Again using Tesco prices, a pack of 4 avocados is only £1.75 and again a jar of honey is 99p which means this homemade facemask is a mere £2.74, plus extra avocados to make some yummy salads or even some guacamole!
How to make this Avocado Face Mask:
1. Peel and mash the avocado in a bowl
2. Add the honey and stir
3. Apply it to your skin and leave it for 10 minutes (it will harden slightly)
4. Then rinse your face with a cool washcloth and you’re done!
The guinea pig that tested this out for HCX definitely looked like she had the best facemask on and it settled on her face really well (no dripping onto her clothes!). It left her skin feeling moisturized and refreshed, so it’s definitely worth a try.
Why does this work? The oil in the avocado acts as an emollient (a moisturising treatment) and avocados are a great source of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant and also biotin (vitamin H) which is needed to maintain healthy skin- all the nutrients needed to help get rid of your dry skin (and if you eat of bit of the mask too, that will help prevent brittle hair and nails!)
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Combination Skin
A fantastic remedy for your combination skin only requires two ingredients, and is described as “moisturising and soothing”. It may not look or feel like your ordinary 99p mask from Superdrug, but trust us, it’s worth it! To make this you need:
· 2 egg whites
· 2 tbsps of plain yogurt (or greek yoghurt)
Every student house has a carton of eggs in it, but in case you don’t- 6 eggs from Tesco costs 97p and a small pot of plain yoghurt costs 45p. This means the grand total for the mask (and enough eggs to bake a cake with) is £1.42 which is incredibly cheap!
Again the instructions are very simple:
1. Separate the egg whites and place them in a bowl
2. Add the yoghurt and mix
3. Spread this over your face and remove with a warm washcloth after 3 minutes
Once you wash this mask off your face you will instantly feel revitalized and cleansed. The only thing that needs to be remembered about this facemask is that you need to wear a towel around your neck when you do this (it has quite a thin consistency so you don’t want it dripping onto your clothes!).
Why does this work? Yogurt is packed with vitamins and proteins which are essential for skin care, and research shows that yoghurt cleanses and moisturises skin! Also, the egg is just an indredible ingredient, providing the mask with sources of vitamins A, B, D, E and also selenium which is a mineral that helps prevent spots- the perfect remedy after all those nights out.
So ladies, there you have it, why don’t you treat yourself to a hard-earned night in and have fun with your friends by testing out these facemasks? They’re quick and easy to make, cheap, and to tell you the truth it provided us with a lot of giggles– definitely worth a try. Just remember to wash up the bowls you use on the night as they’re not a pretty sight in the morning!
Photo credits: www.pinterest.com, weheartit.com