Over the past few weeks the stress of moving has gotten to me. And while I did my best to do lots of yoga, deep breathing and affirmations, the stress made itself known through poor eating, lack of sleep and less-than-lustrous skin. My poor face was in need of some serious TLC!
I’ve been making the move to more natural care products lately, something I’ve wanted to discuss on the blog here, but never got around to it! So I figured this was a great opportunity to give you guys an alternative to store bought, artificial and chemically loaded facemasks and creams.
I’d been wanting to try out a couple different facial masks I’d discovered through Pinterest but when I looked at all the various ingredients and what they did, I figured I could concoct my own that would help address all of the individual issues I was having! Thus this avocado, strawberry and turmeric facemask was born!
Each of the ingredients has it’s own role to play:
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avocados are high in fat and water therefore they are incredibly moisturizing and they are also very high in Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant. Avocados are your friend for youthful, plump, healthy skin!
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strawberries contain a compound called salicylic acid which is anti=bacterial and astringent! That means it’s great for fighting acne and oily skin. You’ll find it’s a common ingredient in store-bought acne creams and washes. It also acts as an exfoliant, helping to slough off dead skin cells.
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matcha is powdered green tea which is super high in antioxidants and polyphenols which help prevent the aging of the skin and help with inflammation
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turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory both taken internally and applied externally, helping with skin conditions like acne. It also helps even out skin tone, reduces appearance of wrinkles and helps to exfoliate!
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almond milk is high in vitamin E which is a potent antioxidant
Therefore this mask is great for people with acne-prone skin, or even just oily or combination skin. It will help reduce oil without drying the skin out and leaves it feeling plump and fresh!
My skin began as tired, dull and with breakouts..
I found that after using this for a couple days my skin looked significantly brighter and not nearly as red!
Avocado, Strawberry and Turmeric Mask
Makes enough for ~5 masks
- 1 small avocado
- 1/2 cup strawberries
- 1 tsp matcha
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 cup almond milk
Either mash the strawberries and avocado with a fork or add to a processor and process till smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Apply to the whole face and allow it to dry for 20 minutes or so. Rinse off with warm water and pat the skin dry!
Store covered in the fridge for up to a week. This feels amazing when applied to the skin all cold from the fridge!
For those of you who are worried this will stain your face because of the turmeric- I promise you, it doesn’t! It washes off very easily. The only time I noticed a slight yellowish tinge to my face was on the 5th day of using it straight. All it took though was wiping my face off a bit better and problem solved. Also, while each ingredient has a role to play, feel free to skip out on ingredients based on availability or individual skin concerns.
One final note, as with any skin product, make sure to test in on a small patch of skin first to make sure you don’t react to it.
Wish me luck on my first day of classes everyone :)
Always up for a homemade beauty treatment – many thanks :)
My pleasure :)
Waw! What a great &home-made remedy! :) I can’t wait to try this out! :)
Thanks Sophie :)
way to pamper yourself! sounds like a wonderful way to relax!
It really was! And much needed :)
Thanks for the recipe! I always love new, natural beauty products! :)
My pleasure :)
I am so impressed that you were able to come up with your own facial mask from ingredients we likely have already. I do have acne-prone skin, but since becoming vegan and switching to more natural skin products- it’s gotten dramatically better except around a certain time every month. I think I’m going to try this out the next time my skin flares up and I need pampering! :-)
Thanks Kristy! It really helped my skin so I hope it helps yours too!
Lots of luck Gabby :) And I think I may try this after I make it home – travel always does odd things to my skin (which tends to be dry anyway, but gets drier when away!).
Thanks :) I hope you like this mask- my skin always get dry and gross after travelling so I can totally relate!
all the best for your classes..!:) i am feeling old :)
i love something i can throw together for my skin with things i have at home! and it doesnt hurt that you can eat it too:)
Awww never :)
I know, that’s how I figure it’s good for my skin- If I would eat it, it’s a-okay ;)
Oooh Gabby! Never mind putting it on my face – I’d like to eat a bowl of this as pudding! hehehe. Last winter my friend and I were doing homemade masks all the time. Often manuka honey/olive oil/egg white. It felt amazing.
There’s something more luxurious about homemade masks isn’t there? Must be just how fresh and pure they are :)
Fun! I love how natural this is and even better homemade :)
I LOVE Ava Anderson Organics- completely Chemical Free and an amazing company, you should check them out!
I will have to check out that company! Thanks for the tip :) I am always looking for good alternatives!
It was so fun making this mask- although I looked pretty funny when I had it on, as my parents and roommate had no problem telling me ;)
Oh, and good luck!
hehe thanks :)
I love this idea! I always have big plans to make DIY beauty care stuff, but I never actually do it. Thanks for the inspiration, maybe I’ll actually try something for once! :)
I hope you do Raechel! Making your own beauty products is so satisfying!
Hello! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I like it!
My skin has never been better, since I finished Dr. Fuhrman’s Six-Week-Plan. I have very sensitive skin, so I never uses anything but natural remedies, and a mask like yours is just perfect! So I have all the ingredients except the maca, so I’ll make my husband and me a mask tonight :-)
Have a lovely day! Enjoy your classes! I’m that kind of girl who always have to learn new stuff ;-)
Thanks so much Oly, I’m glad you like it!
Oh and it’s matcha not maca, although either way, the mask will still be lovely without it! Let me know how you like it!
Yes I’ve missed school so much and while I think it will be hard getting back into the swing of things (so much work already!), I think I’m going to love it!
Looks fabulous Gabby! I always forget the healing power of putting foods ON my face, not just IN my face. A great reminder, I might just get on this soon! Hope you settle in okay! X :)
hehe thanks Shira! i’m guilty of forgetting about it too, but it’s a great way to use up little bits of produce- even banana peels are amazing for your skin! I am trying to get better at this ;)
Yes! I love homemade anything – especially beauty products. This is great. The perfect stuff to put on your skin is always the stuff you would EAT…right. Can’t get better than that. Thanks for sharing!!
You’re so right! Why would I put anything on my skin, that is readily absorbed, that I wouldn’t put in my mouth?
Can I just get a spoon and eat this!?
I love DIY beauty products…. tumeric is amazing stuff – I use it in a bunch of stuff, especially when I have my eczema break outs. LUCK LUCK LUCK to you… how exciting :)
Thanks Lou :) First day went well, it’s going to be a TON of work though! I hope I can find a way to balance everything without wearing myself out! Either way, it will be worth it ;)
Homemade face masks are the best! Best of luck with classes!
Thanks so much Alaine! I think I’m going to love them :)
I always go with:
avocado
plain yogurt
honey
lemon juice
and my skin never looks better then after this mask!!!
every other day or so I wash my face with left over coffee grounds mixed with coconut oil and honey… I tell you, the best “soap” I have ever used on my face!!! My skin is clean, smooth and my pores are less visible! I do not use any commercial soaps in between, just water and sometimes apple cider vinegar.
Nice ones! I love using homemade remedies!
Aaaaah good luck with school! So exciting! :) What classes are you taking?
What a great product! That’s so funny, my first thought was concern about the turmeric ;) I should definitely try this, my face gets angry from stress and I break out big time when I detox. It sounds nice and soothing too! Thanks for the tip!!
Thanks Sarah! My first 2 classes are nutrition and the environment and ayurveda so should be awesome! Looks like it will be a ton of work though. I hope I can balance everything.
I hope you like the mask! Let me know if you try it!
GOOD LUCK!!! Not that you need it, you’re gonna do great! :)
And thanks for this awesome facial “recipe”! I’m going to try it, I’ve been really oily lately!
Aww thanks Barb :) hope you like it!
Best of luck my dear friend :D
And loving this awesome homemade face mask!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks Uru! You’re making me feel just a little more confident :)
Wow, this face mask looks fabulous! I can’t wait to try it out. Best of luck to you, Gabby, my dear!
Thanks Ali! You’re a sweetheart!
That face mask sounds great, and I’m so glad it helped your skin. Sorry the stress has been getting to you. Moving is so stressful. I have moved once a year for the last 15 years and it’s so nice to finally be settled somewhere after such a long time.
I hope you enjoy your classes today and I can’t wait to hear all about them too!
I’m a stress case even in the best of circumstances so it didn’t come as a surprise to me! I’ve moved a lot in the last few years as well, I really hope this one is at least a 2 year thing!
I’ll be sure to share the details!
can’t wait to hear about your classes! good luck!!
Thanks Sara! So nervous!