Homemade Facials & Face Masks

November 13, 2009 General Interest

I recently received a fabulous gift to get a facial at Le Pli spa in Harvard Square.  While I’d love to say that this happens frequently, I would be lying.  But while I was there, my estetician Helen gave me some great pointers for keeping my skin healthy with some cheap, easy, and fun at-home facials and masks.

I find it amazing that the elements for maintaining healthy skin (Vitamins A, C, E, B complex, lecithin, etc.) can be found in our very own cupboards!  I found a couple of great article online to get you started.

This first article from about.com seemed to be the most well-organized and simple list of face treatments so I’d recommend starting there.

But this article was also fun, as it listed out masks by age (best mask for your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s) and some other interesting ideas.

Prior to writing this blog post, I decided to give an at-home treatment a whirl.  I started with the “natural exfoliant for all skin types” (see below).  I mashed up a little brown sugar, olive oil, and a bit of water to form a paste.  I gently rubbed it into my skin then rinsed with a wash cloth.  Then I followed with a bit of moisturizer and was amazed at how my skin felt…smoother than a baby’s bottom!  No more expensive exfoliator for me….

So rather than letting the winter blues take over your skin- brighten it up with a kitchen concoction that is fun, cheap, and easy.  Enjoy!

Natural exfoliant for all skin types
Mix a tiny amount of brown sugar with olive oil in your palm. Once it turns into a paste, massage into your face. Cure chapped lips by mixing brown sugar with honey and massaging into lips. (Lena Korres, founder of Korres Natural Products, and makeup artist Jemima Kidd, in the July 2008 issue of Cosmo)