The chilling season of winter is notorious for giving your skin a tough time towards the end of the year, as the cold climate dries out the natural oils found in your skin and one too many hours of central heating can leave your face feeling congested. With many of us spending more time at home now, we have the hours (and ingredients!) to try our hand at creating some homemade facemasks to give our skin the nourishment it deserves. In the name of self-care, VOIR have some tailored recipes for you to cook up for your skin this winter. Thank us later.
The calm and collected mask:
This oatmeal and honey-based mask is great for calming down irritated skin, which is often a sign of the PH level of your skin being too high. Oatmeal is the active ingredient which neutralises the PH of the skin, while the yoghurt cools the irritation, and the honey provides nourishment.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup hot water
1/3 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoon honey
1 small egg white
Directions:
Mix oatmeal and hot water together, then let sit for two minutes. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, combining well. Apply a thin layer to face. Wash off after 15 minutes.
The all-rounder mask:
Perfect for combination skin, this mask aims to take away any excess sebum while providing a shot of moisture to balance things out.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon brown rice flour
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon fresh apple juice
Directions:
Mash the avocado with a fork in a small bowl. Sprinkle in rice flour, combining until you make a paste. Stir in apple juice. Apply mask and allow to dry. Rinse off with warm water.
The acid polisher mask:
The natural chemical peel. Infused with the fruity acids of pineapple and exfoliating texture of coconut shreds, this mask sloughs away dead skin cells to reveal a fresh face of baby soft skin. Great for those with the dryer skin type.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons avocado
1 teaspoon fresh pineapple juice
1 teaspoon raw honey
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut, shredded
Directions:
Mash the avocado until smooth. Stir in pineapple juice, honey and coconut shreds. Apply a thin layer to skin, avoiding the eye area. Let sit for 10 minutes before using gentle, circular motions to exfoliate dead skin cells. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
The face quenching mask:
For the thirstiest of skins, this mask uses royal jelly; one of natures most treasured moisturisers to give skin the deep hydration it needs to feel and look supple in any weather.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons thinly shredded coconut
1 tablespoon royal jelly
1 tablespoon vanilla-flavoured almond milk
Directions:
Mix coconut shreds with royal jelly. Add almond milk to the mixture to achieve desired texture. Spread on cleansed face and neck and wait for 15 minutes. Rinse with water and pat dry.
The cool-as-a-cucumber eye mask:
Because your eyes need attention too. This minty concoction gets your blood circulation in motion while providing antioxidants to decrease irritation and de-puff your eyes if you’ve had more late nights than you need.
Ingredients:
5 sprigs mint
1/2 cucumber
Directions:
Blend the mint and cucumber in a blender to form a puree. Soak a cotton ball in the solution, then pat it around your eyes. Leave on for 20 minutes before rinsing off.
Words by Sophia Zenonos
Graphics by Sophia Zenonos
