Aloe vera mask

This mask is the easiest to make. Aloe vera has gentle, soothing and cooling effects on the skin. It is often recommended for scalded or irritated skin. It is also really good to use on the scalp as it stimulates hair growth. You can find aloe vera plants at Walmart.

Get one or two aloe leaves; cut them into smaller rectangles leaving out the pale end of the leaf and the prickly sides of each rectangle. Using a knife, slice each rectangle into two, down the middle. Scrape out the gelatinous, transparent inside of each leaf. To get as much of the gel out, you can either blend the gelatinous layer or cut it into smaller pieces. Then, filter out the chunks. Apply the mask to your face and leave it to dry, before rinsing it off.

Turmeric mask

This mask has been proven to help tackle the issue of hyperpigmentation. Turmeric helps reduce skin irritation and wrinkles. The milk in whole milk yogurt has natural anti-inflammatory properties and is a mild exfoliant. Lemon has lightening properties while honey has antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Honey also helps hydrate the skin without leaving it oily.

Most of the materials needed for this mask can be found in your kitchen cupboard or a quick trip to the grocery store. For this mask, you will need two tablespoons of ground or juiced turmeric, one ripe lemon, one tablespoon of plain, whole-milk yogurt and one tablespoon of natural honey. Be careful when making this mask as Turmeric stains and is really difficult to get out of fabric.

Get a bowl and a spoon or anything you want to use to mix the mask. Add in all your ingredients, mixing them thoroughly. Feel free to add in a bit of aloe gel, but be careful so your mask still keeps its paste consistency and does not become too runny. Apply the mask to the targeted area, as the mask can also be used to target dark armpits, leave it to dry or for three minutes.

Avocado mask

Avocado targets blackheads, reducing their visibility while restoring the skin’s natural shine. You will also need egg white and lemon which both have astringent properties which makes your pores look smaller and your skin look firmer.

From the grocery store, get one ripe avocado, one egg  and one ripe lemon. In a bowl, add the peeled slices of the avocado but do not include the seed. Squeeze the juice out of half of the lemon and add the egg white into the bowl. Mix the ingredients till it forms a paste-like consistency. You can add aloe gel or honey to the mask if you want to achieve any of the looks the other ingredients give.

Feel free to mix in the ingredients as you want to make a mask personalized just for you. Please note that lemon juice is acidic and can irritate your skin, especially those with sensitive skin. Remember to always perform a patch test before you apply it to your whole face if you are not sure whether or not you are allergic to any of the components in the masks.