Makers Gonna Make: DIY Natural Facial Mask for Spring

Hello! I’ve been quiet for way too long but I swear I had a good reason! I’ve been cooking up something new. For most of my adult life, I’ve had a very difficult time writing. Talking on the other hand, is no big deal to me. So, rather than continuing to force myself to write (clearly, not very successfully), I’m starting a video series along with the blog to get my thoughts and fabulous recipes out there. The new series is called Makers Gonna Make (surprise, surprise), in it I’ll be featuring DIY recipes of all kinds, other tips, hopefully some maker spotlights and tours. Feedback is welcome! Check out my first video below along with an extended transcript of the video. Tell me how the mask making goes!

I’m sharing a simple spring natural facial mask recipe. With each changing season, you need to think about changing up your skincare routine. Now that we’re into spring, it’s time to undo some of the damaging effects of winter. Winter can seriously f*#%k-up your skin. The intense drop in temp (ok, not in most of CA but everywhere else) combined with increased use of heating = a moisture zapping and irritating environment for your skin. By spring, skin can be dry, flaky and red.

To combat that damage and prep for the weather change, the best thing you can do is gently exfoliate and moisturize the heck out of your skin. Contrary to popular belief, when exfoliating, the gentler, the better. Particulate exfoliators, like crushed walnut shells, can actually cause micro-tears in your skin, furthering irritation. The best way to gently exfoliate is with a soft sponge/organic cloth and/or AHA infused face wash or mask.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids are powerful, but gentle, way to exfoliate the top layer of skin, aiding cell turn over and instantly brightening complexions. AHA’s are naturally found in sour milk (kinda gross) and yogurt (thank goodness they’re is an alternative to option one), citrus fruit and apples. All make solid smoothie ingredients (obviously excluding the milk) and can be whipped together with a few other ingredients to make a mask. Yay for multi-tasking. The other important skin soothing step to getting skin back to glowing is moisture (I explain more below). Let’s get down to it!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tbsp full fat yogurt (thick is best)
• 1/8-1/4 tsp lemon juice (we use Myer lemons from my friend Molly’s tree in the video) Note that lemon juice/oil can make skin more sensitive to the sun so keep that in mind when you decide to make and apply the mask (ie Sunday night, instead of Sunday morning – perfect pre-GoT)
• 1/2 tsp local honey (why? Because it soothes skin, hydrates and can help clear up blemishes)
• 1 strawberry or 2 blueberries (why? Because they contain a whole lotta antioxidants which help fight free radicals, i.e. they help slow down the aging process of cells – dropping serious knowledge on you guys right here)

Tools:
Small bowl, whisk, spoon, facial brush (optional) and clean hands

1. Take a small bowl, add 1-2 strawberries/blueberries and mash
2. Add 1/8-1/4 tsp of lemon juice and mix thoroughly
3. Add 1 tsp of honey and mix until fully incorporated
4. Add 1-2 tbsp yogurt
5. Mix together with spoon or whisk until blended well

Apply to clean damp skin using facial brush or fingers, being very careful to stay away from eye area (lemon juice + eyes = a lot of expletives). Gently massage mask into face using small circular motions. Leave mask on for about 5-10 minutes (perfect time to read your favorite book, blog, magazine and maybe sip on some Rose). Rinse mask off with luke-warm water, pat skin dry, apply toner if you have it (I like plain old rose water or orange water), apply favorite serum or face oil (I’m loving Trilogy right now and of course my bath + body oil), then a light to medium weight moisturizer (I like Birdy Botanicals and Aesop). Apply mask 1-2 times a week and skin will be in lovely shape in no time.

Thanks for watching! Check back for more videos and don’t forget to follow Etta + Billie on Instagram,Pinterest and Facebook.