We all know the winter conditions can be tough on your skin but it doesn’t have to be a strain on your bank account either. Forget top of the range skincare moisturizers and products that Cheryl Cole swears by. Why splash the cash in store, when you can create your own natural, cheap as chips skin solutions at home? This winter it’s all about having a girly night in with your own homemade face masks.
Everyone’s skin is different and all facial types have specific needs. Most people suffer from dry skin in the winter but fear not if this does not apply to you!
There is a simple recipe for oily or acne prone skin easily made up from random items you or your housemates may have lying around in the cupboards at home. Dig out a forgotten, ripe banana from the back of the cabinet, a spare couple tablespoons of honey and a squeeze of lemon and mix them all up. A blender does provide the best results but mashing them up with a big spoon works too for all the poor students who can’t afford fancy kitchen appliances. When it’s a nice gooey mixture, apply generously to the face and leave on for around 15 minutes. Your housemates have a good laugh at how ridiculous you look, snap some pics and put them on twitter. When you’ve heard enough jokes about smelling like a gone off banana, rinse it all off and get your camera ready while your friends take their turn. The acidic natures of the lemon really help reduce redness of spots and pesky pimples. The honey and banana are fabulous for moisturising the skin while leaving it feeling soft but not oily, like some products.
For those of you who are feeling the cold wind causing your skin to become rough, flaky and under nourished, try a mixture of avocado and honey. Mash up the avocado in a bowl with two tablespoons of honey until it resembles a very smooth guacamole. Add this to the skin for about ten minutes (try to avoid people using you as a Dorito dip) then wash it off. Avocados and honey are natural moisturisers so they are perfect for dry skin. They will also probably be less harsh on the skin than that new face cream you wanted to try as there are no nasty chemicals, not to mention less harsh on your purse.
Combination skin, basically people who can’t figure out which group they belong to, can benefit from homemade recipes too. Take one tablespoon of powdered milk, a spoon of the recurring honey and two drops of oil. This should make a slightly unappealing paste resembling curdled porridge, but if you just go with it and leave it on your face for 15 minutes, you should see results. Milk is mild and not at all harsh, so it’s great for moisturising sensitive skin. Unless you are lactose intolerant, in which case I probably wouldn’t recommend this one…
Another brilliant moisturiser for winter skin is the cocoa solids in dark chocolate. But let’s be honest here, you melt that and mix it with a cup of milk, and it’s more likely to be moisturising the inside of your stomach not your face…
These are just a few of my suggestions that I hope you will enjoy trying out over the Winter season but if you want more inspiration there are lots more recipes for you to try online too!
Image Source:
Liv Johnson