Kitchen Cabinet Facials for Oily Skin

During the summer months, the soaring temperatures, high humidity, and constant application of sunscreen can make oily skin worse. But do not fall into the trap of trying to dry out oily skin. This will create a vicious cycle as you skin attempts to balance itself out and produce MORE oil. Instead, use gentle ingredients that decongest the pores and help to regulate oil production. Here are four easy face masks that you can make from ingredients already found in your kitchen cabinet!

Baby Love

This facial mask was developed for newborns, so it's going to leave you baby soft! It was developed for baby acne but will work on any sort of acne. The probiotics in the coconut yogurt help to eat up bad bacterial on your skin that can be causing these outbreaks. The good bacterial will neutralize the skin, the honey works as an anti-microbial, the oats help exfoliate, and the turmeric takes down inflammation caused by pimples.

Ingredients:

Aloe It's Me

Aloe vera is great for sunburns, but did you know the cooling and soothing benefits are also great for irritated acneic skin? It's cleaning and astringent qualities also make it the perfect ingredient to absorb excess oil. This power plant also has anti-inflammatory properties that work wonders on irritated skin and zits. If that doesn't convince you to get one as a house plant, I don't know what will! Oh, and it's also super cute.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Banana 
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1 Aloe Vera leaf
• 1 TBSP honey

This mask is perfect for oily skin, because it is antibacterial and anti-microbial, and it cools and soothes irritated skin. It naturally hydrates and moisturizes the skin, and the honey works to absorb excess oil from the skin.

Directions:

1. Cut the aloe vera leaf into a 1 x 1 inch and expose the gel underneath.
2. Scrap the gel out.
3. Put it in a blender with honey.
4. Apply to skin in a thick layer.
5. Leave on 10-15 minutes.
6. Wash with cold water. 
7. Pat dry with fingertips until skin is damp. Immediately follow with a nourishing serum and moisturizer, and optional oil. This will help the skin rebuild to replace the dead skin cells exfoliated off. Think of this step as a protein shake after a work out, but for the skin!

Sweet As Pumpkin Pie

Looking to combat redness that comes with inflammed or irritated skin? Pumpkin is rich in zinc and trace minerals, which help eliminate that crimson hue. Apple cider works to reduce inflammation and promote clear pores.

Bonus - this homemade mask smells (and tastes) like pumpkin pie! You can eat any left over mask as a pumpkin pudding snack.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup fresh pumpkin puree (or from a can)*

• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

1. Start with clean skin.
2. Combine canned pumpkin puree (Use fresh pumpkin if you prefer, but it’s more time consuming.) with apple cider and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix. Add a tsp of nutmeg (optional).
3. Apply mixture to face using your hands or a make-up brush. Avoid getting too close to your eyes.
4. Let mask set for 15-20 minutes.
5. Gently wash off the mask with cold-warm water.
6. Pat dry with fingertips until skin is damp. Immediately follow with a nourishing serum and moisturizer, and optional oil. This will help the skin rebuild to replace the dead skin cells exfoliated off. Think of this step as a protein shake after a work out, but for the skin!

Clay Day

This face mask will clear up your face, improve blood circulation, and remove excess oil and dead cells from skin. Your pores will get decongested, allowing them to breathe and getting rid of anything clogging the oil ducts. Fuller's earth works to pull toxins from the skin because of a difference in electrons and isotopes that you don't need to know about. The point is: this is backed by science. And who are we to argue with science? Apply this mask twice or three times a week. 

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Take two tablespoons of fuller’s earth powder and soak it in water for half an hour.
2. Add a tablespoon of rose water. If the mixture is still too thick, then you should add some water to it to give it the perfect mask consistency.
3. Add one tablespoon of milk if you want to avoid over-dryness.
4. Leave on for 12 minutes.
5. Rinse off with luke warm water, gently scrubbing. This motion will help to exfoliate off the dead skin cells, leaving your pores declogged and your skin clear.
6. Pat dry with fingertips until skin is damp. Immediately follow with a nourishing serum and moisturizer, and optional oil. This will help the skin rebuild to replace the dead skin cells exfoliated off. Think of this step as a protein shake after a work out, but for the skin.