A New York City Health and Beauty Blog

Four Pure, Effective Homemade Masks for All Skin Types

I’m probably preaching to the beauty blog-reading choir here, but skincare obsessions are a bit of a thing with me. (I’m still in the honeymoon stage with my citrusy Trader Joe’s set.) Nearly a decade ago, there was an extremely unique skincare and beauty shop in the mall called Skinmarket, which has sadly long since closed. I went almost every weekend until it did, and the coolest part by far was an ice bar with freshly made masks you could purchase by weight.

I thought of Skinmarket during the last big snowstorm, around about day four of my frosty captivity. Masks are cool because unlike, say, serums, most people have the necessary ingredients for at least one awesome mask on hand. Here are five treatments you can make with very common pantry/medicine cabinet staples.

1.)Avocado: Okay, part of me feels like it’s a sin to waste perfectly good almost-guacamole by smearing it on my face. But utter deliciousness aside, avocados are rich in Vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin A is multi-beneficial, but prized for its exfoliation abilities. C renews skin, and E heals. Mash half an avocado with a fork and apply to skin. 8-10 minutes is a good benchmark time for mask application. I would use the other half to make a sandwich while I wait.

2.) Oatmeal: For those of us with itchy, easily irritated skin, oatmeal is really a miracle ingredient. When I was in beauty school, we did a relatively long facial section on oatmeal, and were told it “force feeds” moisture into the skin. While that may be a bit of hyperbole, oatmeal is very hydrophilic. Aside from that, oatmeal has long been used as a calming ingredient to soothe ailments like eczema. Cook 3/4 of a cup of oatmeal with 1/3 of a cup of water, and let it cool slightly. Spread warm- not hot- oatmeal over facial skin, and leave for about ten minutes. Dampen the mask a bit, and remove.

3.) Baking Soda: This isn’t a mask per se, but I have tried bucket loads of exfoliant in my career. Nut scrubs and pit scrubs tend to be a bit harsh, with jagged edges causing “micro-abrasions” in delicate facial skin. Even pricey exfoliants can be a bit lackluster- but mix a bit of baking soda in with your regular cleanser or even combine it with water to create what is hands down the best skin scrub I’ve ever used.

4.) Honey: I touched on honey briefly last week, but this is another seriously awesome one-ingredient skincare powerhouse. This is not the least messy mask there is- I had a dedicated honey mask brush- but in addition to a strong ability to trap moisture, honey is antibacterial, full of vitamins and antioxidants, and it just gives skin an indescribable glow. Warming the honey a bit- about ten seconds in a ramekin in the microwave- will make application marginally less sticky. A very warm washcloth will help with removal and steam in some extra moisture.

Do you have any favorite pantry staples for beautiful skin? Ever made a homemade skincare potion?

Five Masks to Combat Winter Dryness for All Skin Types

When you’ve been out in the biting cold, aside from a hot shower, nothing feels as soothing as a treatment mask. Winter tends to dehydrate both oily and dry skin, predisposing the former to imbalance-related breakouts and compounding tightness or overall dryness in the latter. Being a treatment product (and not sitting on skin for super-extended periods like your moisturizer or foundation), your mask options are a bit more flexible. Here are five that will restore at least a bit of your skin’s summer suppleness.

1.) Eve Lom Rescue Mask: This British import from cult brand Eve Lom only hit stateside a few years back, and the facials are stuff of legend. (I was lucky to experience one back in 2008, and it seriously lived up to the hype.) The product is uber-creamy, and like the equally nourishing cleanser, leaves skin impeccably soft and smooth, even in the presence of arctic-blast temperatures.

2.) Dr. Hauschka Rejuvenating Mask: Dr. Hauschka is a bit of a polarizing brand, but something about chilly weather really brings out my love for crunchy, earthy products. Hauschka’s health food store vibe just feels like skin cuisine, and the products feel unrefined in a good way, like it could have been whipped up in the blender. Wheat Germ Oil and Quince Seed Extract are high up on the ingredients list, along with a slew of natural oils to replace moisture sapped by indoor heat and outdoor winds.

3.) Fresh Rose Mask: Fresh is another line that feels… well, Fresh. The products smell like fancy personified, and Fresh Rose Mask is no exception. The shiny, deep caramel-hued formulation contains Rosa Damascena Flower Water as the top ingredient, with Rose Hip Oil (a fantastic dry oil that’s full of vitamins) and Jojoba Seed Oil not too far behind. The 100ml container should last until the first crocuses make their appearances.

4.) Aspirin and Honey Masks: With a bevy of spa professional items at my disposal as a facialist, I spent one winter using these two masks almost exclusively on clients. Honey masks are sticky- I used a bulk powder and a brush- but this may just be the first treatment product used by humans, and honey is an amazing natural humectant. Aspirin masks are beneficial for all skin types- soothing irritation, exfoliating, and balancing both oily and dry skin. If you’re uninitiated, dissolving 4-6 tabs of uncoated aspirin and re-moisturizing the dry mask after 10-15 minutes creates a natural if slightly messy scrub.

5.) Kiehl’s Algae Mask: Seaweed is one of the most popular treatment ingredients, due to a super-high concentration of vitamins and minerals. This mask also contains Chamomile to soothe, as well as Calendula and antioxidant-heavy green tea.

Do you have a cold weather treatment routine? What’s your favorite elixir for winter dryness?