Face masks

[Paul-InMe]

There are certain areas of my skin which i dont feel will improve from diet alone, the likes of my nose and forehead are covered in blackheads so i was thinking about facemasks and which i could use to help.

The problems are blackheads and dead skin, which ones would be most helpful for this type of thing? I remember reading about asparagus masks but have tried searching for it and cant find it now.

[cara4art]

One thing that is REALLY helpful for pulling gunk out of the pores, plus exfoliating the skin is the oldie-but-a-goodie Aztec Secret bentonite clay mask, mixed with an equal part of raw apple cider vinegar, and left on for at least 20 minutes. Bentonite has a powerful drawing action on anything that it comes into contact with(hence its use in some forms of internal cleansing too), and the ACV is a natural alpha hydrox acid which exfoliates. Since this is a very powerful mask, it is best done at night, because you will be a bit red for a half-hour afterwards. Apply a soothing cream like shea butter or coconut oil afterwards, and you've got a complete treatment before bed. Skin does really come out smooth, and pores cleaned out. Mask has a nice tightening effect too, which you will feel already while it is on your face. What I do is mix a tablespoon of ACV in with a tablespoon of the Aztec Secret bentonite(it's a fine powder)in a little glass bowl until homogenous and smooth and then apply. You can get the Aztec Secret at almost any health food store, and it's pretty cheap too - a big container will last you months of bi-weekly, or even weekly treatments.

[klomasius]

I agree with the clay, it has great drawing powers. I use a milder clay, french argiletz, usually green (Good for detox and removing impurities and pollutants from the pores) and sometimes the red argiletz clay (good for minimising capillaries and undereye shadows.

For the dead skin, I reccomend pawpaw treatment. Smear the inside of some papaw skin onto the face, allow it to dry, smear again and also allow this layer to dry, then wash off with warm water and a face cloth. Papaw contains a natural enzyme calle papain, which eats the dead skin off the face, leaving silky smooth living skin.

As an ongoing moisturiser/cleanser, I use coconut oil massaged into the face, and steamed off (30 seconds with a hot face cloth, then wiped off) this gives a deep clean and helps to remove oily impurities on the skina dn in the pores. This gives AMAZING results!

[hapahaole]

I use glycolic acid products. I like Reviva Labs stuff. I also use the clay mask with ACV as mentioned above. I think the key is to keep up with it though because skin cells turn over fast. I tend to slack so I have yet to see a huge improvement.

[juliebove]

For blackheads, a grainy scrub is best. I used to use cornmeal mixed with a little honey and lemon juice. If you don't use honey, you can use some oatmeal mixed with warm water.

[buffalogal]

I also use the bentonite clay with the ACV or just plain water probably once every week or two. As it dries, you can actually feel the clay harden and start yanking those blackheads and any other stuff in the pores out.:) My nightly routine includes the oil-cleansing method using castor oil and raw coconut oil and then applying raw shea butter to do its stuff while I'm sleeping.;) I also swear by my loofa - it just sloths off all the bad stuff. In the morning, my skin is sooooo soft and pores are non existent! I never ever get blackheads, whiteheads, pimples or any other skin breakouts. I remember years ago when I was in high school how I struggled with very bad acne which included all of the above and left me with acne scars. Today at 61 I never have any skin troubles and my acne scars are completely gone. I also have very few wrinkles, and I'm really proud of my skin. When I see people who knew me (and my very bad skin) back in high school, they just can't believe how beautiful my skin is now. I look way younger than most of my former classmates - especially the ones who used to be sun worshipers - their skin looks like leather now.:( That's sad. Just find what works for you and do it! There's beautiful skin in your future too!!:D

[hilarya_m]

Rock on buffalogal with your great skin and 61 yo self :)

[Eva]

I sometimes use the mask by Tonya Zavasta http://beautifulonraw.com. It's got some texture and would be nice for something like blackheads. It's really quite nice.

You could also put some honey on those spots, let it sit for a while, then remove with brown sugar and water. :)

And the bentonite clay sounds great too! I just haven't tried that myself to compare to my ideas.

Good luck! I know what it's like to have troubled skin -- but I'm thankful to be done with those days with raw food etc.!! :)

[hapahaole]

This morning I put on a mask made of 1 T. ACV and 1 T. of Aztec Secret bentonite and after having it sit for about 30 minutes, maybe a little more. I peeled pieces of the clay off and looked at the underside. To my amazement it sucked out oil like those Biore pore strips do. I've never looked at the dried up mask before so I had no idea. Of course it is 12 hours later and my face is still splotchy and red. I'm going to try and keep this up and see if it helps clear up my blackheads!

[coco]

i have used the bentonite clay w vinegar, interesting stuff. it should come w a warning that it bubbles up like crazy when first mixed though! and 20 mins is good, 30 may be too long. less is more sometimes.

i've used the french clay too but only the white, the green and black sink into my skin and make pores look even worse! but the white is good. a noticable difference when i use it.

pawpaw = papaya in case anyone is confused about that post above. it's alright for skin but i prefer rubbing on a piece of fresh pineapple, it has bromelain in it which i have found better than papain at removing dead, dry, dull skin. rub it all over, let it dry and rub over again, let dry then rinse. again, more is not more so don't leave it on for too long before rinsing off!

baking soda is an excellent scrub, it is very gentle with super fine grains but does a terrific job exfoliating. some of those natural scrubs made with crushed shells (apricot kernel, almond etc) are actually very hard on the skin. they have very sharp edges and make microscopic cuts on the face which can encourage drying, flakiness and invite bacteria in. not so nice.

crush up aspirin and make a paste of it and water, the acytecilic acid (i am sure i spelled that wrong) is a gentle but effective peel, just leave it on to dry for about 10-15 then rinse. good for wrinkles, lines, dull skin etc.

oatmeal can be ground into flour in a spice mill and made into a paste as an incredible cleanser. it's so nice and particularly good for irritated or broken out skin. you can mix it w different things to suit your skins needs of the moment. cucumber for soothing, vit e or aloe for healing, honey (if you use it) for softening, etc etc etc.

carrot seed oil is one of the best anti-wrinkle treatments around. i have added it to jojoba and castor oil to cleanse with using the oil cleansing method which is great for all skin types, cleans very well including pores and leaves skin perfect w no need for moisturizer, even in winter.

i use a few drops of chamomile oil in an eye oil from burt's bees but some jojoba with a touch of vit E and the chamomile would do just as well. chamomile is good for under eye circles.

well, i could talk about this all day! i have some very good books w natural recipes for all kinds of beauty treatments. so much of it sounds like you're going to the kitchen to make a snack! so fun.

[margoss]

a good natural bristle brush is good. I bought one that's a brush/ oval shape that's harder & a bumpy side for massaging. I read about dry brushing. This has helped me so much. Be very gentle. Gently circle your face while dry then shower. I always did it wet but dry is much better. Diluted acv is a great astringent tome.

[Paul-InMe]

One thing that is REALLY helpful for pulling gunk out of the pores, plus exfoliating the skin is the oldie-but-a-goodie Aztec Secret bentonite clay mask, mixed with an equal part of raw apple cider vinegar, and left on for at least 20 minutes. Bentonite has a powerful drawing action on anything that it comes into contact with(hence its use in some forms of internal cleansing too), and the ACV is a natural alpha hydrox acid which exfoliates. Since this is a very powerful mask, it is best done at night, because you will be a bit red for a half-hour afterwards. Apply a soothing cream like shea butter or coconut oil afterwards, and you've got a complete treatment before bed. Skin does really come out smooth, and pores cleaned out. Mask has a nice tightening effect too, which you will feel already while it is on your face. What I do is mix a tablespoon of ACV in with a tablespoon of the Aztec Secret bentonite(it's a fine powder)in a little glass bowl until homogenous and smooth and then apply. You can get the Aztec Secret at almost any health food store, and it's pretty cheap too - a big container will last you months of bi-weekly, or even weekly treatments.

Thanks for all your replys:)

I think im going to give this one a try as it seems a few of you are fans of the clay. I dont know if im going to be able to get it in the UK so can i just check is the product you mean? http://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Secret-Indian-Healing-powder/dp/B0014P8L9W

[cara4art]

" think im going to give this one a try as it seems a few of you are fans of the clay. I dont know if im going to be able to get it in the UK so can i just check is the product you mean? http://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Secret-I.../dp" - Paul InMe

Yes, that's the one!
To other posters, I've had varying luck with the other things. For one, I can't use leave-on glycolic acid products, I get bumps and irritation every time, unless the percentage is well under 8% and then it doesn't really do any good when it's below 8 anyway. But I can use acidic products that are on the skin for a short amount of time, like the Aztec Secret mask, or a couple of commercial glycolic acid/salicylic acid cleansers. Aspirin is a natural source of salicylic acid, which is the main one that cleans out pores. In the mask I described, the clay draws the stuff out, while the ACV exfoliates the skin's surface. If skin is on the sensitive side, you could just mix water with the clay, or just diluted ACV and water(equal parts.) The mask can make the skin blotchy for awhile like I mentioned, hence the advice to do it in the evening or on a day when you don't have to see anyone outside your house - LOL! For me the redness subsides after an hour or so, and I have slightly sensitive skin. Your mileage may vary, as they say - LOL!
Regular scrubs just rough up my face - I've tried sugar, cornmeal, baking soda(really bad - it basically REALLY irritated my face). If you can use scrubs, do be very careful - the ones with nut shells, or even whole nuts ground up, can have sharp edges that although they might work in the short term, they make micro-tears in the skin making it rougher over time, especially if you scrub hard.
Another possibility which is pretty simple which I've tried for mask is add a teeny bit of Vitamin C powder(ascorbic acid), about the size of a matchhead or less, to a couple of teaspoons of ground up oatmeal and a teaspoon each of ACV and honey, and leave that on the skin for 10-15 minutes. Another simple one is a bit of lemon juice mixed thoroughly in with some avocado into a smooth paste and applied - the avocado is very nourishing and moisturizing, and the lemon does its alpha hydrox function in helping the exfoliation.
Hope all of this helps!

[coco]

oh yes, avo is high in copper which is tremendously good for skin! i am remembering about coffee grounds too, a great skin treatment.

aztec secret is just bentonite clay, it's findable in most health food stores and even some pharmacies.

[buffalogal]

Before you order it and have to pay for shipping, check at the health food stores in your area. I've even seen it in the "health food section" at a regular grocery store. I hope it works great for you and that you are happy with the results!!

[DebB]

Would it be okay to use an avocado on the face that's too ripe to eat, past its prime to eat? If so, I'll stop composting them and use it on my face instead! *Ü*

[coco]

i don't see why not, so long as it isn't rotten of course. i think there is a recipe in a book i've got with an avo hair treatment too, sort of like a hot oil treatment. i'd rub the avo all over, wrap in a plastic bag then in a hot damp towel with a dry towel over top. let sit about 15 mins, rinse well and shampo. should leave hair super soft and shiny.

[DebB]

i don't see why not, so long as it isn't rotten of course. i think there is a recipe in a book i've got with an avo hair treatment too, sort of like a hot oil treatment. i'd rub the avo all over, wrap in a plastic bag then in a hot damp towel with a dry towel over top. let sit about 15 mins, rinse well and shampo. should leave hair super soft and shiny.

Thanks coco! Now - to remember that next time I have an overripe avo....;) *Ü*

[Paul-InMe]

I have now got some Aztec Secret Healing Clay, it says on it use it once a week or more for problem skin. How many times would you recommend to use it? Im trying to get the blackheads out of my nose so using it once a week isnt going to be any good i dont think, would every 2-3 days be okay?

[hapahaole]

I think it depends on your skin sensitivity. For me once a week is enough. My face dries out a bunch and gets flaky after I use the mask. I also start breaking out really bad on my cheeks too. I'm guessing from the mask drawing out all the impurities.

If your face doesn't have adverse reactions then I'd assume you could use it more. Just try it out and see what works.

I love glycolic acid which helps cell turn over and keeps blackheads from forming.

[Rawky Balboa]

I think it depends on your skin sensitivity. For me once a week is enough. My face dries out a bunch and gets flaky after I use the mask. I also start breaking out really bad on my cheeks too. I'm guessing from the mask drawing out all the impurities.


I have the exact same reaction to the Aztec Secret clay mask. I've tried mixing it with ACV & water with same result. It dries my cheeks/forehead/chin out completely & causes dry skin and flaking. If I use it at all, it's ONLY on my oily nose.

My son, however, uses it with no problems. It helped clear up pimples on his face & blackheads on his nose without over drying his skin. Go figure. :rolleyes:

I currently use Burt's Bees Pore Refining Mask. It's 100% natural & does wonders on my combination oily/dry skin.

[margoss]

I put raw avo on my face last week end..didn't want to waste it:rolleyes:. My face has been so oily feeling this week and I had several break outs. I think it's from the avo..may be ok for dry skin but I think it's too much for the other types.

[PammieTaj]

Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask!

[coco]

I put raw avo on my face last week end..didn't want to waste it:rolleyes:. My face has been so oily feeling this week and I had several break outs. I think it's from the avo..may be ok for dry skin but I think it's too much for the other types.

i don't know... oil cleansing (rubbing the face with actual oil once or twice daily) is terrific for oily skin. at first it can be a bit heavy but after a couple weeks adjusting it works amazingly well.
not sure that avo or even oil on the face would make you break out all week long though in any case. i can see a break out the next day maybe. might be something else.

[Paul-InMe]

Is it bad to moisturise straight after using the clay? My face has gone very red after applying the moisturiser afterwards.

[DebB]

I have very sensitive skin too. I found and used the Aztec clay mask last week. I mixed it only with water (I can't imagine what would happen to my face if I mixed it with ACV?) and left it on 15 minutes.

I was really happy with the results. It didn't turn my skin red or blotchy, so I was pleased! It looked like it shrank my pores. *Ü*

[Paul-InMe]

I have very sensitive skin too. I found and used the Aztec clay mask last week. I mixed it only with water (I can't imagine what would happen to my face if I mixed it with ACV?) and left it on 15 minutes.

I was really happy with the results. It didn't turn my skin red or blotchy, so I was pleased! It looked like it shrank my pores. *Ü*

I think i shall try the water instead of the acv next time, im abit red at the mo!! lol.

[cara4art]

to Paul InMe - likely it wasn't the moisturizer, unless you were using one that had irritating ingredients in it. The clay mask IS very powerful, and redness is to be expected for a little while afterwards. Try using something very soothing like shea butter or coconut oil, or even just olive oil afterwards. The redness is temporary and in most cases subsides within about an hour or less. If it continues for much more, then your skin is too sensitive for this. Not recommended for very dry skin types. But for us slightly oily to very oily people, it's great! Although I'm 62, I do have a normal to slightly-oily skin type that needs some exfoliation and pore cleansing. I've tried going without the last two actions, and although the routine was extremely simple(just cleanser and moisturizer)all I got was dull, but moisturized skin, plus even the shea butter wasn't working that great on account of dead skin flakes, making my skin appear and act drier than it would normally. But at the same time, it is too sensitive to use commercial leave-on glycolic acid products, so masks and cleansers that do this are great for me. Hope this helps!