Do you love the idea of mixing up your own face masks with our DIY products to treat the ever changing needs of your skin but aren't quite sure where to start?
This is the post for you, my friend!
The bad news, there are so many options it can seem a bit overwhelming at first.
The good news, despite all of the options, it's pretty much impossible to mess this up as it's all really, really good for your skin!
First things first, to make a mask, you'll need to have our exfoliating daily cleanser + masque on hand. This will be your base. It's an all-purpose cleanser and mask combo that was designed to balance all skin types. It works great all by itself mixed with plain water, but if you want to play with DIY mask recipes to treat whatever is going on with your skin at the moment, you can add any of our mask add ins, carrier oils, serums, hydrosols, toner, or, something from your kitchen!
So to make up your own mask, you'll just need to decide what your skin needs and start mixing.
Let's start with the dry ingredients.
Would you like...
Extra deep cleansing?
Choose activated charcoal and/or pink kaolin clay.
Moisture?
Choose sandalwood and/or aloe vera powder.
More exfoliation?
Choose rosehip seed powder.
Repair and/or reduce redness and/or fight acne?
Matcha.
You can choose just one add-in or several. Or, if you want to get really fancy, you can try mask contouring - which means you'll mix up different masks for different areas of your face. I have never done this because I am lazy. Also, my face is pretty well balanced, due to the fact that I use such excellent products. ;)
How much to use:
Start with about a tablespoon of the powder cleanser base, then about 1/4 teaspoon of any of the add ins is plenty. Real talk, I have literally never measured a mask. I sprinkle them in my hands over the sink, and if I accidentally dump out to much... oh well!
It's that simple.
That being said,
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Some of the add ins, like charcoal, matcha, and pink kaolin clay, will be difficult to rinse off if you use too much. In the case that you end up with black or green or pink left on your face after rinsing off your mask, you'll want to follow with an oil cleanse to get everything off.
And, fyi - a little bit of aloe vera powder goes a very long way - you'll notice that just a tiny bit makes your mask a lot thicker and more gel like, which is a great way to beef up the texture.
If you are a neat freak, or someone who likes to be exact, get a little bowl to mix and measure in, and, you can also stir and apply your mask with a (clean) makeup brush if you want to be really fancy! (This would also come in handy if you want to try mask contouring, or so I'd imagine...)
Then what?
If you want more moisture, you can add a carrier oil, facial oil, or serum. You can add a couple drops, or a full dropper (or two.) 3-5 drops is plenty, and works to thicken your mask a bit and keep it hydrated (and activated) longer, where as a full dropper is more like doing an oil cleanse.
Just pick any oil you like, whatever works well for your skin. Or go without!
Totally up to you!
Okay, so then what?
Mix in your liquid!
Water is always a classic.
If you have oily skin, and/or are fighting breakouts, toning mist works great.
If you want more hydration (and gentle exfoliation,) coconut milk or coconut water is awesome.
Hydrosols are... hydrating (and soothing.)
You could also brew a cup of green, chamomile, or jasmine tea. (LET IT COOL BEFORE YOU PUT IT ON YOUR FACE!!!)
And,
if you'd like to add your own essential oils, I'd recommend no more than 3 drops, tops.
Tea tree, frankincense, and lavender are pretty foolproof eos to begin experimenting with!
How much liquid to add:
It really depends on how thick you want your mask to be.
First, wet your face with your free hand.
Then -
Start very small.
Very, very small.
I don't have an exact amount, because it really depends on how much powder you're working with and what consistency you'd like your mask to be.
I typically stand over the sink and just sprinkle a few drops of water at a time into the powder with my fingertips until it's the consistency I want it to be. Keep in mind that the more water you add, the runnier and messier it will be.
More water = Less exfoliation
Less water = More exfoliation
It may take a couple of tries to get the hang of mixing it up just the way you like it, but don't fret. You can always add more powder if you use too much water. If you're worried about it, just grab a bowl from the kitchen!
How to apply:
Whether or not you've added extra exfoliants, your mask will already be gently polishing, due to the stone ground rice flour in the powder cleanser. If you do want to exfoliate, gently massage the mask into your skin using small, circular motions, concentrating the action on any spots you wish to de-flake.
If you don't want to exfoliate and are trying to be very gentle with your skin, use a clean makeup brush to spread the mask on evenly over your skin. Or, just wipe it on very gently on with your fingers.
How long to wait:
These masks will dry fairly quickly, and the kaolin clay pretty much stops doing it's job (which is gently drawing out impurities from your pores) once it's dry.
So, if you're in a hurry, just leave it on about 5 minutes until it dries. I'm a big fan of letting it dry while I brush and floss my teeth at night.
If you'd like to leave it on longer to soak up all of the goodness of whatever it is you've added and to keep the clay activated longer, you'll have to keep your mask moist.
Ways to keep your mask activated longer:
1. Spritz periodically with toning mist or a hydrosol. 2. Add more facial oil or serum during the mixing stage. 3. Lay a damp washcloth over your face whilst wearing the mask. 4. Wear the mask in the shower or while taking a warm bath and allow the steam from the water to keep your mask from drying out.
You can leave it on for 20-30 minutes.
How to take it off:
You can remove your mask however you like!
I typically just splash my face with water under the sink.
If you want extra exfoliation, you can give your face another gentle scrub at this point.
If you don't want extra exfoliation, you can wipe your mask off with a damp washcloth.
If you're having trouble getting everything off, do an oil cleanse.
You will probably want to finish your charcoal mask with an oil cleanse anyway, as it really helps to loosen up the gunk in your pores that the activated charcoal has attached itself to. I know it seems counterintuitive to apply oil to oily or acne prone skin, but you've gotta trust me here. It works.
See this blog post for an oil cleanse how-to.
Then what?
Don't forget to follow with toner or hydrosol and a moisturizer!
I love rubbing toning mist (or hydrosol) over my face with a cotton ball after a mask, just to make sure I got all of the leftover product off.
And I also recommend applying a facial oil or serum to your skin while it's still a bit damp from the toner to lock in the hydration.
And that's it! You've just given yourself a DIY facial, and I promise you, you'll be happy with the results when you wake up in the morning.
But I have so many more questions... help!
Duuuude, calm down.
I'm serious about this stuff being impossible to mess up.
If you're not sure which add-in to try, read the descriptions and buy a sample!
A $4 sample of one of the powder add-ins will provide you with at least 3-4 masks, which is plenty to tell whether or not you're going to like the results, and I'm pretty sure you will.
If you're bugging about about information overload, perhaps DIY isn't for you. No big deal!
I've got a new Green tea + Aloe mask that's all ready to go, so all you have to do is add water and apply.
And I will be releasing more pre-mixed masks throughout the next year, so keep an eye on the monthly beauty boxes for the latest release!
I'll also be posting more exact recipes to follow soon, but in the meantime check these out:
Of course, if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!
Happy mixing.
-XO-
