DIY hydrating face masks are not quite the same as my DIY face mask using cosmetic clay, they are much more of a cooling mask without that uncomfortable rock-hard feeling we associate with a standard mask.
My hydrating gel face mask recipe is a wonderful way to de-stress and treat your skin to a well-deserved pick-me-up, so today I’ll show you how to mix this up in a flash.
How Hydrating Face Masks Work
- All of these masks will keep for 2 days without a preservative if kept in the fridge, and 6 months with a preservative if stored in an airtight container. Using a preservative is entirely your choice, as I know many of you try to avoid these.
- Please note that although the water and gum in my hydrating face mask feels very refreshing, they don’t actually offer any advantages to the skin. They simply work as a carrier for all the other skin beneficial ingredients we’ll be throwing in!
- As the gel mask stays on the face for around 10 to 15 minutes and is gentle on your skin, you can use this every day (unlike a regular face mask). Daily use within a routine facial at home with natural products is a great way to get those vitamin-packed oils and clays absorbed into the skin.
- You will notice that I’ve included 3 simple face masks below. Your standard replenishing beauty gel, a skin energising beauty gel and of course my gorgeous aloe vera eye gel that is specially designed to be even gentler around the most sensitive area of the face.
- You’ll find that a lot of the ingredients can be substituted in order to tailor it to your specific needs, so take a look at the ‘make it your own’ section below to get more information on how to do this.
First, Here’s My Replenishing Gel Face Mask Recipe
One of my favorite natural skin care recipes is this gel face mask, it contains rose water with rose absolute essential oil, or a mix of sweet orange water, sweet orange and patchouli essential oil. Both smell heavenly and will regenerate that all-important collagen, leaving your face feeling fresher and younger.
The rice bran oil is great for combating wrinkles and is packed full of vitamin E, further adding rejuvenating qualities to this fantastic recipe.
Replenishing Gel Face Mask Recipe
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Ingredients
- 70 grams Rose Hydrosol (or orange hydrosol )
- 12 grams Rice Bran Oil
- 1 gram Xanthan Gum
- 1 gram Kaolin Clay
- .5 gram Preservative
- 12 drops Rose Absolute Essential Oil (or 8 drops orange, 4 drops patchouli)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients for the gel face mask recipe.
- Add the water and preservative if using together, then sprinkle over the xanthan gum and leave to stand for 3 or 4 minutes. The best way to do this is to place the bowl onto your digital weighing scales and press the tare button (this will reset the scales to zero), add the water to the required amount then press the tare button again. Carefully add the 0.5g preservative, press tare one last time and then add the gum.
- After standing, mix well to break down any lumps that may form to leave a nice smooth gel.
- Whilst stirring drizzle in the oil, followed by the essential oil and mix in.
- Sprinkle in the clay and stir briskly, it can sometimes begin to separate at this point but a good brisk stir should bring it back together.
- Transfer to a suitable stearile container.
- Add a ribbon if its a gift
Notes
- This will keep for 2 days without a preservative if kept in the fridge, and 6 months with a preservative if stored in an airtight container.Â
- As the gel mask stays on the face for around 10 to 15 minutes and is gentle on your skin, you can use this every day (unlike a regular face mask).Â
DIY Hydrating Face Mask Recipe
Get your heels on girls, because if you are heading out to a party or a night out and need a healthy glow, this is the diy hydrating face mask for you! For best results, use a couple of hours before getting ready to let the gel sink in and do its magic.
Favorite essential oils are 6 drops of bergamot and 4 drops of grapefruit to fend off any sluggishness or 3 drops Rosewood, 2 drops Neroli, and 1 drop Juniper berry. You can even add a pinch of cosmetic glitter for a bit of sparkle.
The Ingredients:
- 60g Distilled Water
- 30g Apple Juice (can be substituted for floral or distilled water)
- 10g Hempseed Oil
- 0.5g Preservative (optional)
- 2g Xanthan Gum
- 2 drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil
- 10 drops Essential oil (try 6 drops Bergamot, 4 drops Grapefruit)
The Method:
Use the same process as Replenishing gel, then add the apple juice with the water and add the carrot seed oil with the essential oils. Make sure you use natural apple juice, not from concentrate. Juice the apples yourself right before adding for that extra kick.
Make It Your Own
- Apart from the xanthan gum, all the other ingredients in these diy hydrating face masks can be replaced easily to tailor it to your needs. The oil can be replaced with any other oil you may prefer and adding a little vitamin E will always be beneficial.
- All or part of the floral water (hydrolat or hydrosol) can be substituted for distilled water, and vice versa. However, unlike distilled water the floral water, which is a byproduct of essential oil, will bring some lovely beneficial properties to the gel masks. Floral waters can be found on Amazon, Rose, orange, and lavender water are the most widely used, but you can experiment and see what works well for you! Rose is best for dry, mature and sensitive skin, helping to plump it out whilst encouraging new cell growth. Sweet orange is a great stress reliever; it can help improve circulation and is particularly good at balancing the oils in oily skin. On the other hand, lavender is very healing so it’s particularly good on damaged or delicate skin, reducing both inflammation and itchiness.
- Essential oils should also be chosen to suit your skin type or to target problem areas (have a look through our essential oils chart for some inspiration) or team them up with their fellow floral water for a double action gel that will blow all your store bought alternatives out of the water!
- Try substituting the clay for Dead Sea mud, dairy or fruit powder or leave it out altogether. I often add a pinch of cosmetic glitter for fun if I’m gifting.
How To Use A Hydrating Face Mask
- The cooling face masks above will have a gloopy feel, very similar to wallpaper glue. Gross, I know, but stay with me here. You can reduce the water or add more clay to make it more of a paste consistency, and I do this on occasion to make it a little easier to work with. But don’t make it so thick that it’s difficult to spread.
- With the tips of your fingers, wipe or pat a layer of gel over the face or on any problem areas, being careful to avoid the eye area. If using the eye gel, gently apply in very small amounts around the eye and on the eyelids, being careful not to touch any area of the eyeball. If this happens, rinse the eye with lots of clean warm water.
- Leave the gel mask on for around 10 to 15 minutes before wiping off with a tissue and then rinsing with warm water.
Aloe Vera Eye Gel Recipe
As this is an eye gel I’m choosing not to add any essential oil, as their potency means they are unsuitable for use around this very sensitive area. I find the floral water and the Aloe Vera is enough to revive my tired eyes and reduce puffiness all the same.
Take a small amount of gel and pat it around the eye, avoiding any contact with the eye itself. Remove with tissue and rinse with water. If you do get any in the eye, wash out thoroughly with lots and lots of clean, warm water.
Ingredients:
- 20g Distilled water
- 15g Floral water (hydrolat or hydrosol)
- 2g Aloe vera gel
- 0.5g Xanthan gum
- 0.5g Preservative (optional)
Method
Follow steps 1 and 2 in our replenishing beauty gel, then mix in the aloe Vera and transfer to a suitable container.
I will try these masks, hoping that it works.