You’ve probably seen it on Pinterest. You may have even tried one or two of the homemade face mask recipes you found online. Egg whites mixed with lemon juice that promise to shrink pores and tighten skin. Banana face masks promise clear and glowing skin based on the ingredients contained within its yellow peel.
But are these masks really beneficial for your skin? The short answer to this is no. In fact, some of these ingredients may be causing damage to your skin. But don’t get me wrong, certain natural ingredients can have a hydrating or exfoliating effect when used correctly, but to get any of the vitamins and nutrients you’re trying to nourish your skin with, whole foods aren’t going to be that great. you achieve this.
The science behind skin care products
Dermatologists and estheticians work closely with cosmetic chemists. They spend a lot of time researching ingredients and formulating products so that they can provide consumers with the best and most effective products that will deliver a variety of results on the skin.
If taking care of your skin were as simple as going to the refrigerator and choosing what to mix in a mask that day, why would you spend so much time studying these ingredients and figuring out how to achieve these results on your skin?
There are so many factors and ingredients that go into making a formulation. And unfortunately, applying a whole food to the face to achieve these same results is not going to happen.
The skin and its absorption process
Think of your skin the same way you would the rest of your body. If you eat healthy foods and hope to get the proper nutrients your body needs from those foods, then you must digest them so that the nutrients can be transported directly to where they need to go. Without your body breaking down food, there is no way for your body to absorb the nutrients that food provides.
The same goes for your skin. You can’t put a whole food (yes, even the juices or pureed version) on the skin and expect the nutrients in those foods to be absorbed into the skin and used as they should be. Nutrients need a way to be absorbed by the skin.
This is what the scientists who are formulating these products are doing. They extract the beneficial ingredient and formulate it together with other ingredients so that your skin can penetrate properly.
So save those bananas for snack. You will get more benefits from your healthy foods by eating them.
Harmful Ingredients
Some ingredients commonly found in homemade face masks can harm your skin if used topically. Lemon juice, for example, should never be applied directly to the face. It will cause severe dryness of your skin and could actually cause more acne than you originally had by removing the natural oils you need. It disrupts the acid mantle of the skin and can also cause sensitivity due to this loss of protection.
Egg whites can also dry out the skin. That tension you may feel after applying this mask is not a good sign that the mask has worked. You should never have a tight feeling after cleaning or applying a mask, as this is a sign of dehydration of the skin and you should hydrate it as soon as possible.
Egg whites can also carry bacteria, such as salmonella, which you risk spreading all over your face.
Safe ingredients to use
If you are still determined to use a DIY face mask or any type of DIY skin treatment, I recommend using Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, sugar, yogurt, or honey.
Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, and sugar can be used as body scrubs. If you use a sugar or Himalayan salt scrub on your face, be very gentle and only do 3 strokes on your face to avoid excessive exfoliation.
Yogurt and honey can provide additional hydration to the skin, so these are always homemade options that you can use. If you’re feeling more crafty, you can even choose to add essential oils to the mix.
Always be careful when treating your skin and know what you are putting on your face!
