You’ve probably seen it on Pinterest. He may have even tried one or two of the homemade mask recipes he found online. Egg whites mixed with lemon juice that promise to shrink pores and tighten skin. Banana masks promise clear, glowing skin based on the ingredients contained within their 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 moisturizing or exfoliating effect when used correctly, but for any of the vitamins and nutrients you’re trying to nourish your skin with, whole foods aren’t going to be as good. you achieve this.
The science behind skin care products
Dermatologists and estheticians work closely with cosmetic chemists. They spend a great deal of time researching ingredients and formulating products so they can provide consumers with the best and most effective products that will deliver a variety of skin results.
If taking care of your skin was as simple as going to the fridge and choosing what to mix into a mask that day, why would they spend so much time studying these ingredients and figuring out how to deliver these results to 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 expect to get the proper nutrients your body needs from those foods, then you need to digest them so 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 juiced or mashed version) on your skin and expect the nutrients from those foods to be absorbed by the skin and used as they’re meant to be. Nutrients need a way to be absorbed through the skin.
This is what the scientists who formulate these products do. They extract the beneficial ingredient and formulate it along with other ingredients so that your skin can properly penetrate.
So save those bananas for snack time. You will get more out of your healthy foods if you eat 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 the skin and could actually cause more acne than you originally had by stripping away the natural oils it needs. 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 tightness you may feel after applying this mask is not a good sign that the mask worked. You should never have a feeling of tightness after cleansing or applying a mask, as this is a sign of dehydration of the skin and you need to hydrate it as soon as possible.
Egg whites can also carry bacteria, such as salmonella, which risks spreading all over your face.
Safe ingredients to use
If you are still intent on using a homemade face mask or any type of homemade skin treatment, I recommend using Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, sugar, yogurt, or honey.
Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, and sugar can be used as a body scrub. If you use a Himalayan salt or sugar scrub on your face, be very gentle and only do 3 passes over your face to avoid over-exfoliating.
Yogurt and honey can provide extra hydration to the skin, so they are always homemade options that you can use. If you’re feeling craftier, you can even choose to add essential oils to the mix.
Always be careful when dealing with your skin and know what you are putting on your face!