A Homemade Anti-Aging Green Clay Face Mask

DIY Face Mask!

Nothing makes me feel better than a little at-home pampering. DIY facial treatments, soothing lotions, and natural remedies are some of my favorite things in the whole world.

Sometimes I peruse the aisles of our local health food store for ideas. Sometimes I even head to big-name beauty chains to see what new products are out there. Each time I am shocked by the price tag of these products. Natural beauty is just plain expensive.

Since I don’t have a lot of money to spend, I choose to do-it-myself. This also enables me to customize recipes to my own needs.

Natural Facial With French Green Clay

Lately I’ve been looking for a good facial recipe. I have combination skin which means it’s really hard to find a solution that works well.

I’ve had a jar of French green clay sitting around for a little while now. While this works great as a face mask on its own, I wanted to add a little more pizzazz to the natural benefits of green clay.

Ingredients for an Anti-Aging Mask

French green clay is wonderfully toning, helps reduce inflammation, and can even help rid the body of toxins. It makes a great skin soothing DIY face mask.

Many people choose to add just water to french green clay, but I prefer to add apple cider vinegar. Since my skin can be quite oily, the apple cider vinegar helps to further tone skin. It can also help to fight signs of aging including wrinkles and dark spots. Plus, it helps rid skin of the occasional blemish. I always find that apple cider vinegar leaves my skin bright and glowing.

One of my favorite herbs to add to any DIY face mask is calendula. I used my coffee grinder to grind the flowers to a fine powder, then added them to the green clay. Calendula is very soothing and helps fight inflammation.

Lastly, I added one of my favorite essential oils: myrrh. This oil is skin regenerating, antioxidant, and a great anti-inflammatory. It is a great oil to use on mature skin (not that I’m saying I’m getting old or anything!). It’s wonderful for young skin too! (Please note: myrrh is contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding). 

This DIY face mask tones, soothes, and improves skin’s natural look and feel. I find that it works well with my combination skin, but it may be a bit drying if you already have dry skin. Be sure to follow up with a natural moisturizer like jojoba or avocado oil if you find your skin is dry after using the mask.

DIY Face Mask: Anti-Aging with Green Clay

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons French Green Clay (find it here)
• 1 tablespoon finely ground calendula flowers (find organic calendula flower powder here)
• 2 – 2 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar (find organic raw ACV here)
• 2 drops myrrh essential oil (find pure myrrh EO here) – omit if pregnant or nursing

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine french green clay and calendula flowers.
2. Mix well.
3. Slowly add in apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon at a time, mixing continually.
4. Continue adding apple cider vinegar until mask becomes smooth.
5. Stir in two drops of myrrh essential oil.

To Use

1. With clean hands, apply mask to face taking care to avoid eyes and mouth.
2. Allow mask to dry completely (15 to 30 minutes).
3. Wash mask off with warm water and a wash cloth.
4. Pat dry and moisturize with a natural oil if skin feels tight.

This mask always leaves my skin feeling quite fresh and glowing. I use it almost monthly and it has greatly improved my combination skin. I find that it definitely helps improve some subtle signs of aging that I’ve noticed over the last few months.

If you don’t want to use (or can’t use) myrrh essential oil, feel free to substitute with lavender essential oil. Lavender also has many great skin healing properties and is generally safe.

Looking for other at-home pampering treatments? Try some of these recipes:

• Homemade Face Wash and Astringent Made from Zinnias
• Natural Lotion Bars Recipe that Smell Like Summer
• Make Your Own Natural Under Eye Cream at Home
• A Natural Homemade Healing Lip Balm Recipe
• Homemade Face Masks – Base Recipes and Add-ins

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