Tag DIY skincare

A summer favorite moringa face mask 

*please note this post may contain affiliate links and I may receive a small percentage of any sales generated from associated links.

It’s that time again and that means bring out the diy moringa face mask, y’all! This is another awesome recipe that tightens pores, evens out the complexion and, is anti-aging. Not only that, this fan favorite also adds lots of moisture and hydration. As always, be sure to check with your dermatologist to make sure you’re not allergic to any of the ingredients. Since I have sensitive combination skin, I always do a small test patch to make sure and you should do the same.

Why this is a summer favorite

Although I love summer weather, I also know it can age and dry out your skin if you don’t protect and nourish your skin regularly. Also, if you’re not a fan of mystery ingredients, fillers, etc in your skincare, you’ll love this recipe too! Aloe Vera gel, moringa, and rose hip seed oil are the stars of this diy face mask recipe. For me, selfcare does not end with diet and excercise. selfcare also includes ensuring that your skin (a major organ), is gets what it needs too. This is just one of many recipes I’ve created to protect, nourish and fight signs of aging. You can check out another favorite right here (when you click on the link). Also, visit my YouTube channel to watch how I bring these ingredients to life and join my selfcare community!

The Ingredients

1. Rose hip seed oil (organic)

2. Aloe Vera gel (organic variety)

3. Moringa powder (organic)

4. Kaolin clay (organic, lead free)

5. Vitamin E (food grade supplement)

6. Carrot seed oil

7. small glass jar with airtight lid (use only for skincare, 15 pack!)

Skin benefits of this DIY moringa face mask

There are so many awesome skincare benefits in this face mask that I’m gonna keep it short and sweet. First of all, the aloe vera gel is super soothing, refreshing and tightens the skin naturally. Not only this, it loaded with nutrients that help calm sensitive skin as well as adds moisture to the skin. For the summer, this is definitely one ingredient I can’t leave out of my skincare routine. The vitamin E, rose hip seed and carrot seed oils, are packed with anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and youth-promoting nutrients that make this this perfect addition to your summer skincare regime.

As always, be sure to do a patch test to make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients in this face mask. So, make sure you check with your healthcare provider if you’re not sure or if you’re taking any medications, etc.

How to use it

After mixing all of the ingredients together until your have a smooth paste, liberally apply it to your face (or body) and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Again, make sure that you do a patch test to make sure you’re not allergic to any of the ingredients. Next, rinse off the moringa and aloe face mask with tepid water and gently rub it off with your hands in gentle upward sweeps. Then, pat off the excess water and apply our moisturiser and or serum to finish off your treatment.

Protecting your lovely locks

Who doesn’t love the herbaceous scent of rosemary essential oil? Combine that with tea tree oil and a few other choice ingredients, and you’ve got magic! We all know that we need to nourish and protective our hair and scalp throughout the year, especially those cold and dry winter months. So it was a no-brainer for me to craft my own rosemary hair growth spray that had all of the benefits I want without the additives. f you have sensitive skin like me, you’re constantly on the hunt for hair and scalp sprays, oils, etc that boost moisture and promote growth. After spending copious amounts on money on many black hair care products, I’ve come to realize that DIY-ing some of my hair care is the way to go.

Why I love my rosemary oil

I not only love herby essential oils and infusions, I’ve found that they also work well for my sensitive skin from head to toe. This rosemary hair growth spray is a natural offshoot of that. Rosemary essential oil has so many skin health benefits as well as tea tree oil. When I first came up with this recipe, I had already tried store brands that made similar claims. But when I read further, I found most of the beneficial ingredients all the way at the bottom of the list! So with some research of my own, I tried a variety of ingredients that had the benefits I wanted. Rosemary has a history of being great for hair and scalp health and so does tea tree oil. Other ingredients like lavender, almond oil, etc equally contribute to skin health.

Why a  rosemary hair growth spray rather than an oil

While I’ve always been a fan of hair oils, I’ve since found that water-based sprays work better and are less prone to build up and mess. I get all the benefits of the essential oils and natural moisture from the water itself. The aloe vera gel gives the hair an extra boost of hydration and strengthens the hair as well. Not only that, it enhances elasticity (reduces breakage) and shine!

By DIY-ing my own rosemary hair growth spray, I get all the benefits and non of the added chemicals. This is not my only DIY recipe for 4C hair. You can check out another awesome spray right >>here<< ! As with any thing else, always check to make sure you don’t have a sensitivity to any of the ingredients. This is one of the main reasons why I started DIY-ing a lot of hair and skincare products. I got tired of expensive products that either didn’t deliver or irritated my scalp or skin.

What you will need 

1. Rosemary essential oil

2. Peppermint essential oil

3. Organic almond oil

4. Filtered water or distilled water

5. Organic aloe vera gel

My thoughts

Like I said before, I’ve tried almost every hair growth and moisturizing product out there for natural hair, and not been impressed. Apart from that, most of them either don’t have the amount of the beneficial ingredients they claim, or they’ve got extra stuff that’s just bad for you.

This is also why I say, ingredients matter and knowing what’s in your food and personal care products matter. To be honest, when I created this rosemary hair growth spray, I was only thinking of myself, family and friends. Then, it occurred to me that other folks could also benefit, especially if they want to avoid harmful ingredients. As much as these mega corporations would like to believe how complicated and exclusive it is to make, it really isn’t. This is a simple recipe and can be further enhanced depending on what benefits you’re looking for. On another note, if you have sensitivities or are taking certain medications, consult your health care provider!

Bringing it together

In a ceramic or glass container, combine your almond oil and essential oil blend. Next, add in your aloe vera gel and mix thoroughly before adding in the filtered or distilled water. After mixing, transfer a portion of your mixture to a spray bottle and vigorously shake before spraying and applying to your hair. In general, this rosemary hair growth oil keeps well in the fridge for a few days and a new batch made fresh every couple of days. Check out the YouTube video below for this recipe!!

Time for that Pink clay mask once again!

In my opinion, an anti aging face mask is always in season, regardless of the time of year. If you follow me on Instagram @tonyetariahhealth you’ll know that I love skincare, especially clean beauty, and skincare DIY. Over the years, I’ve tried a lot (literally) of the department store and boutique brands but, few have stood the test of time. I’ve gotten frustrated with reformulated favorites that now irritate my skin or are just plain ineffective. Let’s not talk about the ridiculous amounts of money I and other women have spent on this stuff. This is one of the reasons why I love my DIY pink clay face mask! It will tighten, tone, smooth, and, soothe all in one.

in full discloser, as an amazon affiliate, this post does contain affiliate links and I do receive a small percentage of any purchases made using these links!

The deal with skincare

The reality is that no matter how great or miraculous the product, creams, serums, and face masks are, they’re not the cure-all for poor diet, no selfcare, and a lack of a decent skincare regime. My mom used to say, “what you eat shows up on your skin”, and she was right! The actual magic happens when you combine a skin-nourishing diet and a regular selfcare routine; which by the way, includes skincare. That means eating a lot of colorful vegetables, fruits, and limiting your consumption of processed foods and meats. The older I get, the more confirmation I get that, eating healthy foods, especially a plant-centered diet, makes a huge difference in the aging process. This is even truer for the skin because it’s our largest organ and is also the most exposed to the elements. That’s a win on every one of these skin-loving ingredients!

Why the pink face clay mask?

Believe it or not, I’m crazier about what it does than the actual color of this DIY face mask. The fact that it’s pink is just a little extra and if I try hard enough, I can make myself believe that I’m actually that girly girl, but I’m not! The pink comes from the combination of red and white clays that come together to give the pink clay its color. Some recipes for this face mask DIY have added rose essential oil or rose water for additional benefits and effect. I also love this mask to kick off the spring because the color just screams spring and my skin feels baby-soft afterward! I have to confess, I’m kinda addicted to these DIY face mask recipes because they work so well. Check out another favorite of mine right here and here too!

So what’s in this pink clay mask?

First, obviously the pink clay and then a few other skin-loving ingredients. I always try to make sure that I use ingredients that are anti-inflammatory and soothing to sensitive skin since that’s my type. Also, I add in ingredients that will boost skin elasticity, fight fine lines and wrinkles,  as well give tons of moisture! So for this favorite, I’m using pink clay as the base and aloe vera gel as the liquid for this face mask. Remember, if you’re going to use it on your skin, make sure your ingredients are all-natural, organic, and free from pesticides and other chemicals.

My ingredients

4 Tablespoons of Pink clay

1/4 cup Organic Aloe Vera gel

1 Tablespoon raw honey

5 drops of rosehip essential oil

2 drops lavender essential oil

What these ingredients do for your skin:

The pink clay helps to improve the skin’s elasticity, and cell renewal and gently exfoliates the skin to leave it feeling smooth and soft. The aloe vera gel is anti-inflammatory, moisturizes, reduces infection and acne as well as reduces the appearance of blemishes. For those who don’t know, raw honey is anti-inflammatory, heals the skin, balances bacteria on the skin (i.e. fights acne), naturally exfoliates the skin, and promotes skin renewal. Honey also fights free radical damage (anti-aging), is rich in ant-oxidants, and boosts hydration and moisture. Rosehip essential oil protects against sun damage, hydrates, and is packed with the same nourishing properties of both honey and aloe. Finally, a lavender essential oil also evens out the skin tone, reduces wrinkles, and soothing to the skin.

Preparation and storage of your clay face mask

Now that you’ve got all your ingredients, it’s time to mix it up and enjoy it! First, mix all of your liquid and wet ingredients together in a glass mixing bowl or resealable wide-mouthed jar (you’ll use this to store any extra). Next, add your pink clay and make sure it’s well incorporated into the mixture and forms a smooth paste. To be on the safe side, do a patch test on the inside of your wrist to make sure you don’t have any sensitivities or reactions. Finally, gently apply the paste in smooth strokes over your entire face, avoiding your mouth and the eye area. Let it sit for 5-10 mins and rinse off with warm water and follow up with a serum and or moisturizer. For more face mask ideas, check out this post too!

My love affair with skincare

Y’all already know that I’m a bonafide skincare freak so of course, I have to be on the lookout for awesome ingredients to use in my creations. I don’t apologize for loving skincare because that’s part of my self-care routine. As I get older, I’m learning to be even more mindful of what my body needs especially when it comes to the largest organ of my body! So yeah, it’s important especially when I want to make sure I’m not using toxic creams and brands on my face! This flaxseed and cornstarch mask hits some major skincare concerns for me. This flaxseed and cornstarch face mask is anti-aging, balances, and soothes all in one go.

*Please note that as an amazon affiliate I make a small percentage as a result of any sales generated from the links in this post!

A word on those department stores and luxury skincare brands

Over the years I’ve spent a lot of money on expensive luxury and department store brands. Like a lot of women, I ended up being mostly, underwhelmed. Short of major plastic surgery, most don’t have any more dramatic results than cheaper store brands or homemade skincare. Granted, some of these luxury brands have good results, but you can also DIY a lot of great all-natural treatments and moisturizers in your own kitchen. My flaxseed and cornstarch face mask is just one example. If you’ve read any of my other skincare posts (and on other lifestyle blogs too), you’ll find easy and effective recipes that work too!

The nitty-gritty of my secret weapon DIY face mask

My mom used to say “ your makeup is only as good as the skin it sits on” and that’s the truth y’all! It doesn’t matter how many breakthroughs we make in makeup r &,d. The truth is, healthy skin is a major factor in a flawless look. That being said, who doesn’t want beautiful healthy skin? That doesn’t need any makeup at all?

Even as the years go by, I strive to support and enhance the health and beautiful my skin. I do this through both diet and my skincare routines. This DIY flaxseed and cornstarch face mask include some of my secret ( no longer secret now, lol) ingredients. As always, consult your healthcare provider if you have any allergies or sensitivities before applying any of these recipes.

Nutritional benefits

Flaxseed

They are high in omega-3, fatty acids, a great source of lignans ( a type of photochemical)which may help in fighting breast cancer risks, high in Dietary Fiber, lower bad cholesterol, a good source of high-quality plant protein, may reduce blood pressure, and packed with antioxidants. Not only that, but it may also help you meet those weight-loss goals as well!

Aloe vera gel

Aloe vera has been used for centuries in cooking as well as in herbal remedies. If you don’t know aloe vera gel comes from the leaves of the aloe plant. It’s been used as a herbal remedy for constipation, IBS, and lowering blood sugar and cholesterol. These are just a few of the many health benefits of aloe vera gel!

Cornstarch

While cornstarch is often used as a thickening agent, there’s no real benefit to ingesting it. This is actually one of those things you want to limit, substitute with something else or just toss out of your pantry!

Skincare (topical) benefits

Flaxseed

The omega-3 fatty acids (aka, alpha-linolenic acid) in flaxseeds help to smooth, hydrate, and moisturize the skin. While the lignans help reconstruct broken vessels and skin cells. Omega-3 fatty acids also contain antioxidants that protect and shield the skin from damaging free radicals and UV rays, score! Did I mention the fact that they’re also anti-inflammatory? Score!!

Aloe vera gel

Aloe has been used for skin conditions like burns, dandruff, etc for centuries. Nowadays it’s popular in both skincare and beauty treatments because of its numerous skin benefits. It’s great for treating dandruff, acne, eczema, and sunburn. It also helps to even out the complexion and moisturizes without being oily. Because it’s rich in vitamin E, it helps restore moisture to the skin.

Cornstarch

When applied topically, it soothes skin irritation, like rashes, sunburn, and itching. It also has a gentle exfoliating effect and helps remove excess oil from the skin. Cornstarch soothes redness.

Rosehip essential oil: the secret superpower ingredient!

Widely used since ancient times for its valuable healing benefits, rosehip oil is rich in skin-nourishing vitamins and essential fatty acids. Also, this essential oil contains phenols that have been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties.

Here are the main benefits of my secret ingredient:

1. It hydrates
2. Moisturizes
3. It’s a natural exfoliant and brightener
4. Boosts the formation of collagen
5. Anti-inflammatory
6. Protects against sun damage
7. Reduces hyperpigmentation

What you will need:

1. 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal ( organic)
2. 1 tablespoon cornstarch (organic)
3. 2 drop rosehip essential oil (secret ingredient)
4. 1 drop lavender essential oil
5. Use enough organic aloe vera gel (you can use filtered water if you have aloe allergies) to make a paste with medium thickness/ consistency; approximately 3 tablespoons.
6. 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder (organic)
7. 1 tablespoon of chamomile water made from steeping dried flowers in hot water for 10mins.

Making your skintastic face mask

Use a small glass bowl (use it only for DIY skincare stuff!) and pour your dry ingredients into it first. Next, add the aloe vera gel, essential oils plus, the tablespoon of chamomile water. Then, gently mix everything together until the mixture is smooth and apply to clean skin. If any remains, simply store in an airtight glass container, place in the fridge, and store no longer than 24-48 hours.

Before you go!

Did you check out my other DIY face mask recipes? My avocado moisture-rich face mask is just one of my favorite recipes guaranteed to lush up your skin! Also, read this article on why women have such a hard time with self-care to help you stop the self-sabotage in 2021!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tonye Tariah is a Holistic health strategist, Coach, and the founder of Freedom at The Crossroads Blog. Tonye helps free women from inaction and unhealthy habits so they can get fit, healthy, and live free. Her belief is that “the cookie-cutter method only works for cookies”. Meaning, she helps each woman in a way that is unique to each her situation. By doing this, she’s better able to help women transform their lives from the inside out. Her ultimate goal is to help women become healthy and empowered through the transformative self-care journey!

Why I love it

This is my number 1 DIY all natural face mask because it helps fight lines, wrinkles and dark spots. It’s loaded with potent ingredients to help naturally fight against the effects of environmental pollution, aging, acne, and acne related scarring.

I can’t say enough about DIY anti-aging face masks and other skincare creations!

Why you need to add a face mask to your skincare routine

The environment does enough harm to our skin without using skincare products that are loaded with toxins and other mystery ingredients. While it’s all good to use skincare products that are all-natural, diet also matters! When I was in my teens and 20’s my mom always went on about making sure I eat healthy so that my skin will be healthy!

She was so spot on! This is especially important for women as we are constantly dealing with hormonal cycles. I really began to tune into this when I start led having some serious health and reproductive issues. Even to this day, I regret that I didn’t start early enough. I truly believe that I could have done more good for my reproductive health and fitness if I had played closer attention to the research that was coming out at the time. Live and learn right?

My skincare story

My DIY anti-aging face mask creations are based on my own experience and that of family and friends. I really encourage you to try your hand at making your own DIY anti-aging face mask and skincare so you know what works for you and with ingredients, you can trust.

The following DIY anti-aging mask uses fresh avocado as a base because of its unique properties. I’ve also used greek yogurt as a base in some of my other DIY skincare.

What you’ll need

This is the list of ingredients you will need for this DIY anti-aging face mask. It will also make enough for approximately three applications.

1. Half of one ripe medium organic avocado
2. One tablespoon of organic turmeric powder
3. One teaspoon of Ceylon powder (this is the best variety to use)
4. Half of one teaspoon of jojoba oil (use the cold-pressed organic variety)
5. One and a half tablespoons of organic raw honey
6. One glass mixing bowl (don’t use plastic)

How to make my DIY anti-aging face mask

Combine all of these ingredients using a hand mixer, processor or mash with a wish or clean wooden spoon. I prefer to use a stainless steel metal whisk to whip everything together and to make sure they are quickly incorporated into my DIY anti-aging face mask.

A quick note

Since this is handmade and has perishable ingredients, this recipe should be kept in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. I keep mine for about a week but no longer than a week and a half.  Remember that there are no preservatives in this mixture so you need to refrigerate your DIY mask. However, I’ve noticed that when I add a few drops of tea tree essential oil, my DIY face masks last longer since the tea tree oil is anti-microbial.

I have so many other recipes waiting to join this one but this is one of my favorite DIY anti-aging face masks. Whenever I make a new creation I always try to make sure I use my must-have ingredients included in most of my recipes.

About the author 

Tonye Tariah is a Holistic Health Strategist and founder of Freedom at The Crossroads Blog. She helps free women from inaction and unhealthy habits so they can get fit, healthy, and live free. Her approach is “the cookie cutter method only works for cookies”! For her, that means she helps each woman in a unique way; helping them transform their lives from the inside out. She’s not about helping you lose weight quick. She’s about changing your habits and helping you fall in love with yourself so you can live a life with pure joy.