Honey Lime Face Mask to Balance Skin

Honey is sweet and softening, lime is sour and tightening. Together these two
ingredients can help to balance the skin, whether it is too oily or too dry. This honey lime face mask, using fresh lime juice and raw organic honey, is a super sweet natural treatment to create more beautiful skin. It is easy to make, so try it two times a week to see how well it improves your skin.

Raw, high-quality honey is first of all nourishing. It contains antioxidants, amino acids, and other nutrients to help protect and repair skin. Honey is one of nature's best tools for softening the skin. Dry and aging skin will benefit from the moisturizing properties of honey. Anyone who is prone to blemishes (aren't we all?) will appreciate the anti-bacterial properties. Putting honey on the face in a homemade facial is a great way to make it so bacteria cannot survive on the skin.

Lime juice adds some collagen boosting vitamin C, some exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids, and some great natural astringent action. Being very acidic, fresh lime juice is great for tightening and toning the skin. Add some lavender essential oil for an extra harmonizing kick. Lavender calms and normalizes, and like all essential oils it is anti-bacterial.

To make this balancing honey lime face mask, you will need:

• 2-3 tablespoons raw honey
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 drops lavender essential oil

Warm the honey and lime juice in a sauce pan over a very low heat, just until warm and soft. Move to a bowl and add the lavender. Smear over a clean face and neck, leaving on for twenty minutes. This is a great before bed mask. I like to wear it while soaking in a honey and milk bath for a double softening and cleansing skin treatment. This is a honey and lime heaven on earth pampering treatment. Relax, close your eyes and simmer in natural honey and citrus. Rinse well, splash the face with cool water and moisturize.

Exfoliating Oat Face Mask to Remove Dead Skin

With dried oats you can easily put together a homemade exfoliating facial to help
scrub away the surface layer of the skin, encouraging new cell growth. This face mask to remove dead skin combines oats with yogurt, honey, and patchouli essential oil to nourish, moisturize, and renew, as well as exfoliate.

The lactic acid in the yogurt also has an exfoliating action, helping to release old skin cells. Honey (use raw, organic honey!) is anti-bacterial and it helps to keep the skin soft and supple with humectant properties. Patchouli is the perfect essential oil to enhance this homemade mask. It is great for promoting healthy tissue regeneration, stimulating new cell growth. Patchouli has a balancing, toning effect on the skin and it is good for all skin problems, from acne to dryness.

To make this oat face mask to remove dead skin, you will need:

• 3 tablespoons dry oats, crushed or lightly ground
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 3 drops patchouli essential oil

Stir together the yogurt and honey. Add the patchouli and then stir in the oats. Wash the face with warm water and then put on the mask. Leave it on for five minutes. Then, scrub the mask into the face using fingertips. Rub in a circular motion, focusing on the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin for about two minutes. Rinse well (try rinsing over the kitchen sink to minimize the mess). Pat dry and put on your moisturizing lotion.

Tomato Honey Olive Oil Face Mask to Replenish Dry Skin

For dry, brittle skin, drink lots of water, eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies, tofu, and eggs, and use this honey olive oil face mask with fresh tomato. It is perfect for replenishing the skin with nutrients to nourish and protect. With humectant honey to help hold in moisture and fatty acids from the olive oil to form a protective barrier against moisture loss, this homemade treatment is perfect for balancing dry skin. Add some fresh tomato for some topical beta-carotene and lycopene to give this traditional mask an extra anti-aging edge.

Warning! Regular old processed honey and olive oil are not optimal skin care ingredients. Use raw, organic honey for the maximum amount of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for the skin. Raw honey also has anti-bacterial properties, which is great for acne protection. Use extra virgin olive oil as well. The higher quality, unrefined oil may be a little pricier, but it is the only way you are going to create a facial for your skin that is loaded with vitamin E and anti-bacterial action.

To make this tomato honey olive oil face mask, you will need:

• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped tomato

Stir the honey and olive oil together. Finely dice half a plum tomato, three or four cherry tomatoes, or about one-quarter of a medium tomato to get your two tablespoons of fresh tomato. Smash the tomato dices with the back of a form or muddle in a mortar and pestle. Mix into the honey and olive oil so the juice from the tomato is well blended into the mask.

Gently cleanse the face and then dab dry. Apply this super moisturizing mask for dry skin over the face. Leave it on for fifteen minutes. Rinse well. For these extra sticky masks (as in all homemade honey facials) I wear the mask before taking a shower so I can rinse it off in the shower. Finish with a toner, such as distilled witch hazel or rose water, or even try Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Toner, and then moisturize.

Rose and Egg Face Mask to Tighten Skin

This is an aromatherapy twist on the classic egg white facial. It combines whipped egg white, which refines pores and pulls the skin together, with two astringent essential oils — rose and lemongrass. If you have sensitive skin, skip the lemongrass as it can be irritating. The rose and egg combine to create the ultimate face mask to tighten skin, ideal for oily skin or for an anti-aging skin tightening treatment, or to help reduce large pore size, which is often tied with excess oil production and acne.

So, how does it work? Egg white tightens (you will feel it tone the skin with a pulsating sensation from the increase in blood flow like you would with a clay mask). This helps to create a smoother complexion. It won't eliminate fine lines or clear up blackheads overnight, but it is a great, natural pore reducing treatment. Egg is also a great source of amino acids for the skin; you may as well feed your face while refining pores.

Both rose and lemongrass are wonderful astringent essential oils that are ideal in skin care recipes. They tone and tighten, while also helping to keep the skin clear and bacteria free. Both rose and lemongrass also have a calming effect.

To make this face mask to tighten skin, you will need:

• 1 egg white, whipped
• 3 drops rose essential oil
• 1 drop lemongrass essential oil (omit if sensitive)

Add the egg white to a non-plastic bowl. Add the essential oils. I used lemongrass (and have sensitive skin). It is slightly irritating for the first three or four minutes of wearing the mask. Using it is definitely optional. Next, whip, whip, and whip. With a wire whisk it does take four to five minutes to create a nice, frothy, nourishing skin tightening mask. I recommend savoring a piece of chocolate while whisking for a few antioxidants, and to make the egg whisking more fun.

Cleanse the face, rinsing with warm water. Apply the rose egg foam over the skin, being careful of the eye area. Leave this mask on for twenty five minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Dab with rose water for an extra toning treatment. Your face will instantly feel softer and smoother. Finish with your skin moisturizer.

Clary Sage and Parsley Face Mask to Purify the Skin

Rich in chlorophyll, parsley is one of nature's best cleansers. Try it mixed in a
smoothie for a fresh green drink for the body. Use a parsley face mask to purify the skin. This green is also a good source of vitamins A and C, both of which help to protect skin cells from damage and repair and build new skin tissue.

Add clary sage essential oil, with its astringent, antiseptic, oil-balancing properties, and this homemade face mask is ideal for anyone who has oily skin and is vulnerable to acne breakouts. Jojoba oil, which is the base of this facial, is also great for reducing oil and preventing clogged pores. It is also a natural source of vitamin E for the skin. All together this facial gives skin a detoxifying boost, while also cutting back on excess sebum production.

To make this clary sage and parsley face mask, you will need:

• 1 bunch of fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons of jojoba oil
• 3 drops of clary sage essential oil

For the steam prep treatment (optional):

• 2 cups of freshly boiled water
• 3 drops of peppermint or rosemary essential oil

Soak the parsley in room temperature water (use filtered, distilled or bottled, not tap) for ten minutes. Chop and then muddle to break down the herb (this helps to make the beneficial compounds in the parsley accessible to the skin). Add the jojoba oil to a bowl. Add the clary sage and then stir in the parsley.

To open pores before applying this mask, soak a wash cloth in a bowl of the hot water and peppermint or rosemary essential oil. You can also toss a peppermint tea bag in the water if you do not have the essential oils. Place the cloth over the skin, leaving it on the face for about thirty seconds. The warmth and the mint or rosemary will boost blood circulation, stimulating and opening the skin so it can absorb more parsley detox benefits.

Gently dab the face with a cloth to dry and then smear on the mask over the face and neck. Leave on for about twenty minutes. When finished, wipe off most of the mask with a cloth (you may want to rinse the parsley from the cloth in the kitchen sink to keep the bathroom sink clean). Rinse the rest of your face with cool water. Pat dry. Tone with a dab of witch hazel for an oil-reducing finish and then moisturize as usual.

Jasmine and Coconut Oil Face Mask for a Super Moisturizing Treatment

If you have dry skin, at all, then a coconut oil face mask is for you. It is rich, loaded with moisturizing, softening fatty acids, and it smells like heaven. Combine with jasmine essential oil, one of the best essential oils for the skin, and you have a simple but potent skin smoothing facial. Anyone with dry skin or who wants to help smooth out fine lines can benefit from a homemade coconut mask. For oily skin or serious acne, this facial can feel too heavy.

So what's the scoop on coconut oil for skin care? Well, first, the fat. The fatty acids in coconut oil are different than what is found in other vegetable oils such as sweet almond or olive oil. They are mostly medium chain fatty acids, which form a barrier to slow moisture loss and to protect the skin from bacteria. Even eating coconut oil (try it as a natural sweetener for your tea or coffee) can help to plump and soften the skin. Anti-microbial and intensely enriching, this tropical oil is a great asset when it comes to protecting and softening your skin. Soft, supple skin is much less prone to developing fine lines and wrinkles. Aside from the fatty acids, coconut oil is a nourishing source of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant and a key nutrient for skin healing.

Jasmine essential oil is a perfect complement to coconut. It helps to relieve dry skin, while also cleansing and toning. Jasmine also has a wonderful sweet floral smell that goes well with coconut and it is very uplifting to the psyche.

To make this moisturizing jasmine and coconut oil face mask, you will need:

• 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, extra virgin highly recommended
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 3 drops of jasmine essential oil

Soften the coconut oil by placing in a pan over boiling water. Then add the coconut, honey, and jasmine to a bowl and stir together. Apply to a clean face. Leave on for twenty minutes. Rinse well by wiping with a warm wash cloth and then splashing the face with cool water. After a coconut oil facial you really don't have to use a moisturizing creme as with other face masks. Use once a week if you have very dry skin, rosacea, or if you are beginning to see fine lines.