Taking care of your face is extremely important, yet it’s something that many people neglect to do effectively. The sheer range of products available on the market is enough to confuse even the most ardent skin-care connoisseur, not to mention the cost of many of them. A good skin-care routine (including facial masks, cleansing, toning and moisturizing) need not be complicated or expensive however. Facial masks in particular are easy to make at home using ingredients that are, in many cases, readily available in your fridge or pantry. These recipes for facial masks will make skin care easy, affordable and a real treat.

Strawberry Cleansing Mask

This mask will draw impurities out of your skin, making it feel refreshed. Simply mix a ½ cup of ripe strawberries with a ¼ cup of cornstarch and apply it to your face and leave on for 30 minutes, avoiding your eye area. Then simply rinse away.     

Peach Pore-Tightener

Blending one ripe peach with an egg white and applying it to your face for 30 minutes is an excellent natural way to tighten and close the pores on your face.

Orange Oily-Skin Mask

This very simple mask is an effective way to draw excess oil out of the skin and improve your complexion. Squeeze an orange into a bowl, and add enough flour to make a fairly thick paste to spread across your face. Leave the mask on for 20 minutes before washing it off.

Avocado Moisture Mask

Re-hydrate your skin by mashing the flesh of a ripe avocado with a dash of olive oil, and applying it to your face. This skin care facial mask is particularly good to use when the weather is dry and windy.

The above recipes are only a few examples of literally hundreds of facial masks that you can make. Other commonly used ingredients include cucumber (for its soothing and clarifying properties), pineapple, apple (for potassium), natural yogurt and oatmeal (to gently soothe your skin).

One of the biggest advantages of using homemade facial masks in your skin-care routine is that you know exactly what you’re putting on your skin. With commercially available beauty products, it can be hard to know exactly what’s in them, and how your skin will react. Tied in with this is the cost factor. If your skin reacts badly to a homemade mask, you can simply not make it again, or find a different recipe. If the same thing happens with a store-bought product, you’ve blown your money. Another big advantage of making your own facial skin care masks is the element of variety. It’s much easier, cheaper and more interesting to experiment with different homemade masks than it is to buy different beauty products!

If you keep these facial skin care tips in mind, taking care of your face can be deliciously cheap and simple. Smooth, clear and hydrated skin needn’t be more than a walk to your refrigerator away!