DIY Clay & Honey Face Mask

Face masks are probably one of the easiest DIY beauty projects you can tackle.  This mask literally takes two minutes to mix up and it's fantastic at perking up my skin and just generally making it look brighter and healthier.  The main ingredient is green clay, which is full of minerals and is effective at drawing out dirt and toxins from the skin.  It also increases blood flow and acts as a mild exfoliant.  I add honey and essential oils to the clay to pep up the mask even more.

Product Description: Now Foods European Clay Powder is 100% pure and natural and can be mixed with water and customized to your specific skin type.  This mask will help draw out impurities from the pores and remove debris from under the skin, decreasing pore size and improving skin tone.

Price: $4.57 for 6 ounces (170 grams) from iherb

Recipe:

1 tsp green clay powder

1/2 tsp honey

1 drop lavender essential oil

1 drop frankincense essential oil

1 drop Young Living Purification™ essential oil blend

1-2 tsp water (depending on your desired consistency)

Everything together in a bowl

Mix all ingredients together and apply to clean, dry face.  Let sit 15-20 minutes, until dry.  Wash off and (generously) apply your favorite moisturizer. 

All mixed up

My Thoughts: I've played around with the recipe and I'm really happy with it as it stands now.  I aim to use this about once a week, and the recipe makes just the right amount for one mask.  I don't recommend mixing up a larger batch, since once you add the liquids, it will only stay fresh for a day or two.

The essential oils are ones I already use on my face semi-regularly, but you can obviously play around with them as you like.  [I do have to make my usual disclaimer here and stress that you should always ensure that any essential oils you use are high quality and pure.  A lot of essential oils are extracted using chemicals and can be diluted with other junk too, and laws are such that this does not have to be noted anywhere on labels.]

I add the honey, since, as a humectant, it draws in moisture and helps keep the clay from being to drying.  You can also add olive or other oils to moisturize even further, or change up the kind of clay to suit your skin type.  Green clay (usually montromorillonite or bentonite) is good for normal to oily skin, but is not recommended for dry skin.  I have pretty normal skin and I find it necessary to apply a good moisturizer after this mask or else my skin is left feeling tight.  Alternately, white and rose clays are supposed to be milder and might be more suitable for drier or sensitive skin types. 

The requisite green face photo

The Bottom Line: I'm really happy with this face mask recipe.  It's so quick and simple to make and it works like a dream.  If you try it out, leave a comment - I'd love to hear how it works for you!

Also, I purchased the clay from iherb, which is you're new to, you can get $5 or $10 (depending how much you spend) off your first purchase by using my referral code: ITI429.

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated in any way.  All products were purchased by me, and all opinions expressed are my own.