I absolutely love spring. Everything looks beautiful and cheery outside-even when things are bad in the world.
Spring also brings some really nutritious produce. Two of these are strawberries and carrots.
When coming up with ways to pamper my troubled skin, I got the idea of using strawberries and carrots as an ingredient in face masks. In this post, I will be discussing the use of these in beauty treatments and provide the recipes for the masks.
About masks in general
Using a face mask that you make or buy is a great way to pamper yourself. It can be seen as part of a skincare routine and/or part of a self-care routine.
There are many different types of face masks that can target different skin types and issues. What you have to do is figure out your particular needs and look for a face mask product or recipe that will meet them.
Face masks are best when done after cleansing and toning (if you use a toner in your skincare routine). Having clean skin means that the mask can really penetrate your skin. According to experts, face masks are to be left on for no more than 20 minutes otherwise dryness of your skin may occur.
Do not put any mask near your eye area. This is a really delicate part of the face and masks may dry it out/irritate it.
Doing face masks two to three times a week may help your skin out a lot when combined with other great products that are used daily.
Strawberry mask: Why and how
Strawberries are very healthy for us! They are included in many expert’s lists of best fruits to include in our diets.
Because of their healthiness, they are also great for skin. Let’s take a look at the key constituents they contain in the following list:
- Vitamin C- Strawberries contain a high amount of this vitamin. It gives a ton of antioxidant support which in turn benefits the skin by way of providing anti-aging, complexion evening and complexion brightening. It also reduces inflammation so it may be good for calming acne.
- Resveratrol- This is a phytonutrient found in strawberries. It reduces inflammation, has antiaging properties, provides antibacterial effects, and brightens the skin.
- Vitamin B6- This vitamin has some anti-inflammatory benefits and also may help to balance hormones (imbalanced hormones may lead to acne in some).
- Manganese- This is a trace mineral that provides antioxidant benefits to the body.
- Ellagic acid- This acid is high in antioxidants and may help fade dark spots.
- Anthocyanins- These flavonoids are what gives certain foods/plants their red, blue and purple colors. They contain a high amount of antioxidants, have antibacterial properties and may ease inflammation.
- Quercetin- This flavonoid is said to be great for reducing inflammation, itching and it also provides antioxidant benefits.
See why a strawberry face mask may do some good? I sure did!
I didn’t feel like just putting strawberry on my face would be quite enough. Here is what else I decided to add to the face mask and why:
- Rosehip oil: This is high in vitamin A, vitamin C and fatty acids. These nutrients give it the ability to provide antiaging, acne fighting and skin tone evening benefits.
- Full fat, plain yogurt: Yogurt contains lactic acid which is one of the alpha hydroxy acids that are found in a myriad of skincare products. This means that adding it into a face mask will provide antiaging, anti-acne and skin tone evening benefits.
- Honey- This has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. All of those together mean that it can help fight acne, even skin tone, provide antiaging benefits and soothe irritation.
As you can see, adding these three ingredients turns this strawberry face mask into something more powerful and beneficial. It makes it good for people who are struggling with acne/acne-prone skin, dullness, dark marks and for those that have signs of aging that they want to get rid of.
Here is the recipe for you to try:
Spring Strawberry Face mask
Ingredients-
- 1 cup, washed, whole strawberries
- 2 tbsps. full fat, plain yogurt
- 1 full squirt of rosehip oil
- 1 tbsp. honey
Instructions-
- Cut the leafy tops of one cup of whole strawberries off and thoroughly wash them.
- Put the strawberries into a blender and blend until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Blend it all together.
- Pour the mask into a container that can be sealed. Apply some all over your face and let it soak in for up to 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
- Seal up the container and store in the refrigerator. The mask is good for three days (you could do this schedule: face mask day/off day/face mask day).
Super easy! You could also substitute frozen strawberries for the fresh ones. Just thaw them out first.
Carrot mask: why and how
Carrots are really popular to eat around the world. They also have wonderful health benefits that make it a great choice for our skin.
Now, let’s take a look at a few of the goodies carrots have in them:
- Vitamin A- Carrots are very high in this vitamin. It helps with anti-aging of the skin, fighting acne, preventing acne and reducing inflammation.
- Vitamin K- This vitamin helps our bodies heal and our blood to clot properly.
- Beta-carotene- This is an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in our bodies. It is an antioxidant so it is very healing and provides protection for the skin
- Potassium- This is an essential mineral that provides moisturization when used in skin care products.
Carrots also contain good amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese just like strawberries do. This comes to mean that carrots do have some of the same benefits as strawberries do. However, carrots have more power when it comes to its acne fighting capabilities.
Here is the ingredients I chose to add to this mask:
- Pumpkin seed oil- This oil is full of things like zinc, vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, iron and vitamin A. It is great at fighting acne and provides anti-aging effects.
- Honey- This was added to add some extra moisturization along with even more antibacterial and antioxidant effects.
These three ingredients together make for a mask that is great for people who deal with acne-prone, oily and uneven skin.
Here is the recipe for you to try:
Spring Carrot Face Mask
Ingredients-
- 1 large carrot, washed and peeled
- 1 squirt of pumpkin seed oil
- 1/2 tbsp. honey
Instructions-
- Boil a pot of water. Add your washed and peeled carrot to the water. Boil until it feels tender when you push into it.
- Take the carrot out of the water and mash it up into a bowl until it is creamy. Mix in the pumpkin seed oil and honey.
- Spread on your face and leave on for up to 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
This recipe makes one face mask. If you are going to be using it later after making it, store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container for no more than three days.
Try one out!
Your skin may thank you for doing these face masks (or ones like them) weekly. I plan on using the carrot one weekly and using rosehip oil or yogurt in it.
Do you do any face masks ever? If so, what kind do you use?
Thanks for reading!
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