It’s summertime and once again our yearly ritual of trying to squeeze every possible minute outside worshiping the sun begins! As always though annoying little things like work and responsibilities always seem to get in the way of perfecting our lovely tan and receiving our much needed boost of Vitamin D! However, as we are all pretty well aware by now after years of news reports and medical warnings, exposing the skin to the sun all day long can affect it really badly. It’s now just downright stupidity if anyones ignores these warnings or just simply forgets to protect themselves against dangerous UV rays by not wearing an SPF. I would also suggest to everyone that making sure they hydrate their skin really well after a day in the sun is another necessity. I personally always like to give my skin an extra moisture boost by preparing and applying my own face mask using natural ingredients that target my skins particular needs. I have 2 DIY recipes, both of which I have used repeatedly since summer started, that I absolutely love. They are really simple, fast face masks to make yet both are super efficient, antioxidant-rich and ultra-moisturizing. Hopefully you will see the same sorts of benefits I have by using them regularly through the summer months too.
First of all, and as always, before applying any mask it is important to exfoliate to remove dead skin and improve blood circulation. Doing this helps your skin absorb the ingredients of the face mask more easily…….and of course as always……don’t forget to clean your face completely too!
Spirulina and Chlorella Face Mask
Ingredients:
2 tsp Manuka Honey
1 tsp Organic Spirulina Powder
1 tsp Organic Chlorella Powder
½ tsp Aloe Vera
½ tsp Organic Rose Hydrolate
½ tsp Organic Cucumber extract
All these ingredients are available on Aroma-zone or Amazon.
Benefits of ingredients:
Honey is the base of most of my DIY masks and I love using it as it’s full of goodness. It softens, soothes and protects the skin being one of nature’s great natural moisturisers.
Spirulina is loaded with antioxidants, if you haven’t ever read up on this amazing algae then have a look online at some of its spectacular health giving properties. It improves elasticity, prevents wrinkles and aging and gives a rosy glow to the skin. Spirulina has a particular smell which is reminiscent of the sea (not a huge surprise seeing as it’s algae) but don’t get put off by this as once it’s mixed with honey the smell pretty much disappears.
Seeing as they are both Blue-Green Algaes, Spirulina combines really well with Chlorella so I always add some to the mask as they help to increase the skin’s firmness and tone.
Rose Hydrolat helps to soften skin and cucumber extract is an excellent moisturiser which gives a healthy glow. Aloe vera is great to use as an after sun to heal and moisturise.
Directions:
Mix all the above ingredients in a small bowl until they form a paste and then apply this mixture onto your face and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes. When the time is up rinse the mask off thoroughly with warm water. One little tip I will give you is that I find by far the simplest method of removal is to wash the mask off while you shower as it’s so much easier and makes less of a mess than doing it over a sink.
Raw Cacao Face Mask
Ingredients:
2 tsp Manuka Honey
2 tsp Organic Raw Cacao
1 tsp Kaolin Clay
1 tsp Organic Almond Oil
½ tsp Organic Rose Hydrolate
½ tsp Organic Cucumber extract
All these ingredients are available on Aroma-zone or Amazon.
Benefits of Ingredients:
I’m warning all of you now……you are going to want to eat this mask! It smells amazingly chocolaty, so much so that I defy you not to try and remove it by licking it off your face. I use similar moisturising ingredients to the previous face mask recipe but this time instead of using algaes I use raw Cacao powder! Cacao powder is rich in antioxidants and helps increase blood flow to the skin, keeping it healthy and glowing. I combine it with Almond Oil which nourishes the skin and protects it from drying out. Kaolin clay is predominantly used due to the fact it adds texture, as otherwise the mask doesn’t sit well on your face, however Kaolin is also a great clay to soothe the skin and so does two jobs for the price of one.
Directions:
Mix all the above ingredients in a small bowl until it forms a paste, apply the mixture onto your face and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes. When the time is up, rinse off with warm water. Once again I would highly recommend that you remove this mask when you shower.
My skin feels totally moisturised, smooth, soft and with a lovely healthy glow after using either of these masks. Another little tip that I learned during my research and experimentation is to add a spoonful of Spirulina, Chorella or Cacao to juices/smoothies to get the full benefit of these superfood ingredients! Let me know what you think of my mask recipes in the comments below as I would love to hear what your favorite DIY mask for summer is?
