Winter can be really rough on skin - cold weather, brisk wind, and dry indoor air all assault delicate facial skin. Summer and hot climates aren€™t necessarily much better, with their extremes of humidity and temperature. A good, soothing facial mask goes a long way to soothing facial skin when it is subjected to the climate and keep it looking its best. Here are some soothing facial mask ingredients and a recipe to use to try them:
Ingredients
Clay - a nice, calming clay forms a good basis for a facial mask. Kaolin clay is readily available, affordable and very gentle on the skin. Other smooth, light clays include any of the French or Australian clays. It€™s best to stay away from heavy clays like bentonite or Rhassoul in a soothing mask for irritated skin.
Oatmeal - oatmeal has been a long-time favorite for soothing sensitive skin and healing irritation. (Think of oatmeal baths for chicken pox or other rashes!) Colloidal oatmeal is basically just very finely ground oatmeal - oat flour with the fiber sifted out, to make it water soluble.
Honey - any raw honey will do. Honey is moisturizing, soothing and lends a wonderful scent to your facial mask
Witch hazel - witch hazel adds the liquid which your facial mask needs to be spreadable, and has astringent properties to cleanse and purify your skin. (If witch hazel is too harsh for your skin, aloe vera juice is a great alternative. Water can also be used if you don€™t have witch hazel or aloe vera juice)
Oatmeal Honey Facial Mask Recipe (all parts by volume)
€¢1 part raw honey
€¢2 parts witch hazel, aloe vera juice or water
€¢4 parts clay of choice - kaolin, French, Australian, etc.
€¢1 part colloidal oatmeal
Combine warm water and raw honey in a bowl and whisk together until well combined. Then slowly drizzle in clay/colloidal oatmeal while stirring, until the mixture has formed a smooth paste.
Apply the smooth paste to your face and let it fully dry (about twenty to twenty-five minutes). Then rinse it off with warm water. Follow up with a good moisturizer, and enjoy your soothed and smooth face.
Please note that this mixture does not contain a preservative and should ideally be used up in one treatment. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days for further applications before discarding.
Feel free to experiment with adding other skin soothing ingredients, such as lavender essential oil and calendula powder to this mixture. Enjoy!