I have been making my own masks for ages. I’m not sure when it started, but it probably had something to do with suffering from acne breakouts for years. I was horrified by all the preservatives and chemicals in store-bought masks that made my skin worse. Fortunately, I found something that worked better and was very easy to make. Two of my favorite ingredients for homemade face masks are probably already in your kitchen: avocado and oats.
That might not be a bad thing if you’re wearing half of your avocado toast every time you eat it. Avocados are amazing for the skin! And, turning avocados into a DIY face mask is a great way to use up an avocado that’s a little past its prime. No more food waste.
This skin mask uses another hot ingredient of late: oats. Find out how these ingredients work together to get a glow and try it out for your next self-care Sunday.
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Skin Benefits of Avocado
Avocado is rich in healthy fatty acids, making it an excellent moisturizer for dry, brittle, fall and winter skin. It is also great for stressed summer skin. Despite its rich base of fatty acids, avocados shouldn’t break you out. It can help reduce inflammation and speed up the healing of those pesky breakouts. Because avocado is also antibacterial and antifungal when applied to the skin.
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Skin Benefits of Oats
If you’ve ever soaked in an oat milk bath to soothe skin after a sunburn or poison oak, you know how silky and soft it can make your skin. In a face mask, it does double duty as a mild exfoliant – sloughing off dead skin cells – and softens and heals the skin.
Like avocado, oats are beneficial as anti-inflammatory agents that can help reduce acne. Oats also absorb oil, helping to prevent further spread. All credit to Oates’ goodness avenanthramides Oats are antioxidants that make it a powerful ingredient in DIY face masks.
This mask gets a cleansing and tightening boost from antioxidant-rich apple cider vinegar. Ready to get glowing? Try my favorite avocado-oatmeal mask below.
do you want:
½ large avocado, mashed
2 tablespoons rolled oats, roughly toasted
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
what do you do:
1. In a bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Pat the mixture on the face, being careful to avoid the eyes. Let sit for 15 minutes before rinsing.
3. Use a hydrating oil like argan or jojoba to lock in moisture.
Note: Apple cider vinegar may be too strong for some skin types. Test underarm for reaction before use. It can be completely omitted in this recipe.
For more vegan beauty and skin care, read:
Jill Ettinger is director of digital strategy at VegNews and co-founder of sustainable luxury platform, Ethos.