Why are so many women so fond of face-based masks? The most obvious answer is that they do some good for the skin. And depending on your goals, you can make your own mask right at home with ingredients from your kitchen. New York-based beauty writer, Julyne Derrick, says, You can use basic ingredients found around the house to make your own simple, hydrating masks. If you have oily or acne prone skin, mud or clay-based masks are great for balancing out your skin. Dry skin will benefit from hydrating masks made from glycerin, honey and oils. Ginseng or green tea masks are great for soothing skin.

Masks (homemade or otherwise) should stay on for 10-15 minutes, should follow with a cleansing and a thin layer of moisturizer.

Here’s a recipe for all skin types:

INGREDIENTS:
1½ tsp green clay (French is preferred)
½ tsp kaolin clay
1½ tbsp aloe vera gel
1 tbsp rosewater
2 drops rose essential oil
PREPARATION:
Mix green and kaolin clays together.
Add in the aloe vera gel, rosewater and oils.
Refrigerate mixture for up to four weeks.

This face mask is one way of taking care of your skin — from the outside. If you want to add nutritional support, consider using CaroC from NutriPlex Formulas. CaroC is a whole food supplement that supplies foods that contain vitamin C and vitamin A complexes as well as rutin and other bioflavonoids, and carotenoids. The skin needs these food nutrients to maintain its elasticity and to keep cells strong and healthy. Unlike vitamin pills, whole food supplements such as CaroC contain a variety of real foods that the body recognizes as building blocks for cellular health. They are not man-made in a laboratory like vitamins and multivitamins.

By the way, if you are really motivated and have a pioneer spirit, you can make all kinds of cosmetic products. Here’s a website that can get you started. However, whenever you see foods, you’ll want to use the organically grown variety. Why? Because the last thing you want is pesticide-laden foods plastered to your face, or any other part of you for that matter. What goes into your skin ends up inside your body. Stick with organic ingredients that do not contain any man-made chemicals. Here’s a good word of advice from the people at treehugger.com if you decide to opt for the store-bought masks, or any other personal care product for that matter, “A word of warning, don’t be taken in by words such as Natural, Organic, or Hypoallergenic on the packaging; you need to make sure that the product has a certified label. You can look for the Eco-Cert label as well as the USDA Organic seal which is used in 80 countries around the world. Using organically produced ingredients ensures that not only are your cosmetics healthy for the environment, but it also means you don’t have to worry about your skin absorbing chemical residues either.”

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