Sure, we love impulse splurging at Sephora as much as the next gal, but if your wallet is feeling a bit, um, thin right now or you’re looking for ways to supplement your skincare routine without leaving your home, why not try a few DIY face masks? On this week’s episode of The Glow Up, beauty director Jenny Jin guides us through an at-home facial using ingredients lying around our kitchen (because face it, that’s where we spend most of our time these days). Watch as Jin slathers on a homemade yogurt and avocado mask (a recipe from famed esthetician Joanna Vargas) and tells us how it stacks up against the store-bought stuff. Then check out five nourishing recipes for every skin concern here.
Turmeric Face Mask: This pantry staple has all sorts of good-for-you properties and is a major anti-inflammatory agent. If you’re looking to clear up adult acne (the true bane of our existence) or just perk up your skin a bit, mix some turmeric, honey and aloe vera for a soothing and smoothing mask. (We love these recipes.)
Banana Face Mask: We all know bananas are high in potassium, but did you know you can apply them topically to receive some of their benefits?
Not only that, bananas are a good source of vitamin C, biotin and manganese—all nutrients your skin will soak up. Mix a mashed banana with honey and lemon juice (to add some exfoliating acidity to the mask), apply to your face for ten minutes and reap the benefits.
Coffee Face Mask: We’re all for finding more ways to incorporate our life force morning cup into our lives. The same caffeine that perks you up actually has skin benefits like fighting inflammation and reducing redness. To use it topically, mix ground beans with milk and lemon juice, forming a thick paste that you then slather onto your face for ten to 15 minutes (while you slowly sip your brew).
Avocado Face Mask: All the vitamins and fats that make avocados so good to eat also give them healing properties when it comes to skin masks. Opt for the avo if you’re looking to add some elasticity and brightness to your visage. Simply combine half an avocado with hot water and honey to make a simple, soothing paste. Keep it on for ten minutes, wash it away and bask in your own glow.
Egg White Masks: What can’t the humble egg white do? The high-protein liquid, when incorporated into a face mask, can help tighten skin and shrink pores. So long as you can handle the eggy scent, you can buff and brighten up with these ultra-effective masks. We love the easy-as-can-be egg white and oatmeal rendition. Just mix enough oats into your egg whites until they stick, slap the mask onto your face and then wait 20 minutes before rinsing off.