Lockdown day 10. How are you getting on? The weather here in the north of England has gradually turned greyer and cooler this week. I'm missing my sunshine dose of Vitamin D! Besides that, all is well. I'm catching up on paperwork, household chores, painting, fixing, planting and tidying.
Today I want to share with you some ideas for homemade mud masks. I was chatting with a friend yesterday about the impact of stress on our skin during these strange, anxious times and that's made me even more conscious of self care.
Looking after ourselves can be that extra little bit more difficult when we can't go for a relaxing lunch with friends or enjoy a beauty treatment to brighten our day.
Benefits of Healing Face Masks
Clay and mud masks are intended to sink deep into the skin to remove contaminants, so using them regularly can help keep acne and oil under control. Face masks can also brighten the skins appearance, as they work by drawing impurities and toxins from well beneath the surface.
The ingredients I'm going to use in these face masks today all offer skin healing benefits. The base for all masks is Agar Agar which is actually a seaweed. It's commonly used as a substitute for vegan gelatine so I bought mine ages ago for £7 here on Amazon and use it in dessert and jelly recipes.
Agar Agar is actually perfect for making face masks, because not only does it soften and moisturise skin, it's rich in minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and copper.
I'm also using matcha powder, turmeric and a blend of skin purifying herbs including chamomile and red clover - all of which work to soothe redness and inflammation, making these the perfect masks to calm acne, facial eczema and rosacea.
Skin Soothing Self-Care
When it comes to implementing selfcare, taking extra care of our skin during stressful times is vital. We can often react negatively to stress by consuming more alcohol than we'd like or by eating sugary foods for instant gratification.
If you find yourself particularly stressed, taking time out to indulge in caring for yourself is a wonderful way to place the importance back on your well-being.
Enjoying a relaxing bath, pampering your skin or creating fun homemade recipes such as these face masks are really simple and inexpensive forms of skin soothing self-care.
Matcha Face Mask
When you think of Matcha Powder your mind probably goes to that mid afternoon pick-me-up, since most of us have only even thought to drink it as a green tea. But matcha has heaps of anti-inflammatory properties, it's great to apply it to the skin as well, so that it can work to reduce the redness associated with chronic skin conditions such as rosacea.
Matcha is gentle for all skin types and this mask is designed to exfoliate and eliminate dead cells, which then rejuvenates underlying skin to improve and brighten your complexion.
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp agar agar powder
1 tsp matcha powder
1/2 cup hot water
METHOD
Mix both powders together in a bowl
Boil the kettle and slowly add a spoonful of boiling water at a time to the powder, stirring continually
Eventually your powder should reach a paste consistency thick enough to brush onto your face. Allow to cool sufficiently so as not to harm the skin, but apply whilst still warm
Apply, leave on for 10 - 20 minutes, then rinse off well with warm water and a natural hydrating cleanser
Now apply my Vitamin D Face Cream
Repeat two to three times a week for best results
Turmeric Face Mask
First a note of caution ... turmeric has a tendency to turn everything in its path orange! If you're using your best fluffy white towelling band, now might be the time to grab something less precious.
You may like to try this turmeric face mask to help reduce acne and any resulting scars. The anti-inflammatory properties in turmeric can target your pores and calm the skin. Turmeric is also known to reduce scarring.
Using this face mask followed by massaging in a few drops of my scar minimising oil forms a powerful combination for tackling acne prone skin.
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp agar agar powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 cup hot water
METHOD
Mix both powders together in a bowl
Boil the kettle and slowly add a spoonful of boiling water at a time to the powder, stirring continually
Eventually your powder should reach a paste consistency thick enough to brush onto your face. Allow to cool sufficiently so as not to harm the skin, but apply whilst still warm
Apply, leave on for 10 - 20 minutes, then rinse off well with warm water and a natural hydrating cleanser
Now massage in your scar minimising oil
Repeat two to three times a week for best results
Skin Purity Tea Mask
My skin purity tea combines the perfect blend of herbs to promote skin health from within. With soothing chamomile and calendula, plus red clover which has been shown offer improvements when applied to the skin in cases of sores, burns, and chronic skin diseases including eczema and psoriasis.
Not only is it great to enjoying drinking this fragrant cuppa, it's perfect when applied as a concentrated jelly mask.
INGREDIENTS
2 tsp skin purity tea
1 tsp agar agar
METHOD
Place the agar agar powder into a bowl
Add the loose leaf tea to a mug and pour just enough boiling water over the herbs to cover them. Essentially you're making a super strong shot of tea! Strain the liquid tea and gradually add it spoon by spoon to your agar powder
Stir continually and the mixture should form into a thick jelly
Have fun applying it to your face! Allow to set for 10 - 15 minutes, then wash off using hydrating cleanser and warm water
Apply a generous layer of face cream for radiant results!