DIY Beauty: 3 Tested & Recommended Face Masks (+ bonus toner recipe!)

Hello my lovely readers,

Merry Christmas!

I don't know about you, but on Christmas Eve this year I'll stay in, light up some candles (Yankee "Honey glow" is my current fave!) and go on full cozy cocooning mode. I just finished doing my face masks so I can be glowing tomorrow and I'm about to do my nails. Now I just need to make myself a cup of hot cocoa and put on a Christmas flick to set the festive mood.
For today's post I wanted to share with you a couple of DIY beauty recipes that I've put to the test and found to work great on my skin. We all want that radiant, blemish-free, smooth complexion especially now that we have tons of parties and social gatherings to attend! Let's not forget makeup looks best on healthy, pampered skin.

Small disclaimer: I'm not a dermatologist or a beauty expert by any means. The recipes I've found on pinterest (they're quite popular among the pinterest community) or where passed down to me by my mother and other family members. They worked on me but that doesn't mean they will necessarily work on you too, we all have different skin types and problems. I'd highly suggest you try some of the mask on a patch of skin (inside of your wrist for example) prior to applying to your entire face to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction.

1. Acne scar fading mask

This one's quite potent and strong but it works! Results are not immediate, but if you commit to applying this mask 1-2 times a week you will see improvement. I advise you best to apply this as a part of your evening skincare routine. You'll really be able to see a difference in the morning. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon
a spash of lemon (just a few drops) - optional

Apply to the areas where you have scars, it's not a mask you would need to apply all over. You might get a tingling sensation but it subsides. If the sensation is too strong and uncomfortable I'd suggest you rinse it off. Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes, rinse with lukewarm water while massaging gently in circular motions. You might notice that the sections of your face where you applied the mask might appear red. This is due to the exfoliating properties of the ingredients, it will go away. This mask enables cell renewal and therefore speeds up the process of new skin coming through and restoring the scars that were left on your skin from blemishes.

2.  Pore-minimizing/blackhead-extracting mask

This mask works wonders. This one I've been using for years and I swear by it. The results are instant. Your skin looks glowy, poreless, the surface feels baby skin-like and the majority of your blackheads are gone.

Ingredients:
1 egg white
a couple of tissues

After you've seperated your egg, (don't throw away the yolk - you'll use it later!) with a fork try to whip the egg white to break it apart slightly so it isn't as gloopy and hard to work with. A few bubbles should appear at the top. Take a tissue and cut different sections for different face areas (i.e. two rounds for your cheeks, one strip for your nose etc.) With your hand or a brush apply some to the sections of your face where your pores are the most visible or you have the most blackheads (usually the t-zone). . Press the tissue on the skin where you applied the egg white and pat it in so it can stick well to the egg white. It is important that the tissue has stuck really well to the egg white. Once the patch of tissue is on your face glued to the egg white you can also go back in with the white and apply some more on top to ensure that the entire surface of the tissue is covered. You can apply in sections from there to different areas on your face. Let it dry completely. You will feel it harden on your face, the tissue on the skin will be completely dry, you won't feel any wetness. Peel it in an upward motion. Look really close. You will see on the peeled off tissue the extracted blackheads. You might want to repeat the process (I usually do this 2 times). Then rinse off your face with lukewarm water to remove any egg white residue.

3. Replenishing moisturizing mask

This mask is so soothing and softening, your skin will feel like a baby's bum afterwards (especially if you've tried the egg white/tissue mask in advance!). I recently went through a cold (I seriously went through an entire 100-tissue box in ONE day!) and the area around my nose and mouth was so dry from rubbing it with a tissue all the time. This mask soothed the most pesky dry patches on my face that expensive face oil serums couldn't. It is a lifesaver for the winter months. 

Ingredients:
1/2 a ripe banana
1 tsp honey
1 tsp olive oil
1 egg yolk

Mash the banana and mix it in with the rest of the ingredients until it is somewhat smooth. There should be small lumps (If you go the extra mile and put the whole thing in a food processor good for you!). Apply to the entire face and let it dry for about half an hour. You will definitely get a tightening feeling due to the egg yolk drying. Rinse off well with lukewarm water. Apply your moisturizer as per normal.

BONUS skin balancing toner

WARNING! It smells pretty bad but you get used to it. I refrain from applying this when my boyfriend's around lol. I've been including this in my evening routine for a month now and finally all these annoying little blemishes and spots I had been fighting for weeks with fancy skincare treatments are gone. Apple cider vinegar is known for restoring the ph-balance of the skin and killing bacteria. It really has helped with fading acne scars too. It takes time and commitment to a routine to really see the results. Acne scars don't disappear overnight, sadly. Your complexion will look brighter and healthier though come morning if you've applied this in the evening. 

Ingredients:
1 part apple cider vinegar
2 parts water

Mix the two ingredients. Soak a cotton ball in the mixture and dab all over. No rinse necessary.

I really hope you've found this helpful! If you have any mask you swear by please let me know!