Last updated on 14th February 2024 by Sarah Sarsby
DIY face masks. I’ve seen a lot of recipes but have always been pretty sceptical as to how well they’d work. Especially the homemade face mask recipes containing only a couple of ingredients, like seriously, how will they do anything for
However, making your own face mask is fun, cheap and if it works, it’s so satisfying. I’ve seen a massive increase in the number of self-care posts in the blogosphere recently, so I wanted to try out some homemade face masks in the spirit of self-care – mostly to see whether they’d actually do anything.
I’m a huge fan of face masks and I’ve tried loads, from Sephora sheet masks to Lush’s Fresh Face Mask collection. They give your skin a deserved pamper and if you’re suffering from a certain skin problem, you can buy masks to target this issue quickly. I use face masks in my routine every week without fail.
To decide what face mask recipes to try out, I posted a poll on Twitter to see what type of face masks people wanted me to look into.
And you guys wanted to see blackhead removal and bright/glowing skin face masks, so these are the recipes I went with. Keep on reading to learn more about my experience of 2 DIY face masks – one for blackhead removal and one for brighter skin.
Blackhead removal
Eugh, blackheads. Everyone hates them and they’re ridiculously stubborn.
I’ve been using Kiehl’s Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate for a while now and this has been very effective of getting rid of a lot of my blackheads for the long-term. In fact, this has been the only product I’ve tried that has effectively reduced the number of blackheads I have, so I’d recommend this to anyone suffering from blackheads.
However, I still have some blackheads, so there’s work to be done.
The recipe
For my DIY blackhead removal face mask, I tried the second recipe from Stylecraze’s 10 Best DIY Blackhead Removal Face Masks.
You mix together the egg whites from 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. You then put this mixture on your face with a brush for 10-15 minutes, before rinsing it off.
DIY face mask claims
“[Egg whites are] a natural astringent and works great as a toning agent. It shrinks your pores, making your skin look visibly clear and spot-free. Mixing it with lemon juice (a natural bleaching agent) brightens your skin.”
Stylecraze
My thoughts
The mixture of the egg whites and lemon felt very cool, soothing and refreshing on my face. It was a bit gloopy at the start, but it quickly dried onto my face.
Did it remove my blackheads? Absolutely not.
I was right to be sceptical about the face mask.
But my skin did feel tighter, refreshed and looked a bit brighter as well (but only very marginally).
I also found the mask quite drying, which wasn’t a problem for me and my oily skin, but for people with dry skin, this face mask is a definite no-go. You must moisturise straight afterwards too.
All in all, I wasn’t excited by the face mask, it didn’t remove my blackheads and I wouldn’t try it again. I don’t feel mad about it, though, because it only cost me 1 egg and 1 lemon.
Bright/glowing skin
After being unimpressed with the DIY blackhead removal face mask, I really hoped that the DIY brightening mask would change my mind about homemade face masks.
The recipe
I took the recipe from The Glowing Fridge called “brightening turmeric + lemon
This DIY face mask combined 3 tbsp of ground oats, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp turmeric and a squeeze of lemon juice. You apply this onto your face for 15-20 minutes, before rinsing it off.
Warning: The turmeric can leave your skin with a yellow stain, so you might need to wash it a few times. I used an exfoliator and then my normal cleanser in the shower and this seemed to do the job just fine.
DIY face mask claims
Honey is anti-bacterial, helps to moisturise the skin and is a natural exfoliator. Turmeric is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties, along with helping to reduce redness and treating breakouts. Lemon is known for its brightening properties as it is high in Vitamin C. The oats are meant to be moisturising and softening.
All in all, this homemade mask should, with the descriptions above, be a skincare holy grail.
My thoughts
I actually liked the look and feel of this face mask on my skin. It was bright and vibrant because of the yellow from turmeric and felt comfortable on top of my skin.
The mixture was pretty messy and the oats kept falling into the sink, but the mask stuck to my face well overall and once it started to dry, it didn’t flake at all.
It smelled kind of weird because of the turmeric and lemon, almost a bit bitter, but this didn’t bother me. While it was on my face, I felt positive about the results of this face mask.
Here’s how it looks on:
You know what, this face mask actually did make my skin look brighter and more radiant.
Was I blown away by this mask? No.
Would I try it again? Yes, I probably would.
While I’ve certainly used face masks I like more, this was simple and cheap, and I enjoyed the boost it gave to my skin. It also made my skin appear brighter, which was the overall aim of the face mask, so I was happy that I tried it out.
I think I’ll go back to my Lush Fresh Face Masks for now, but I’d consider making this DIY mask again in the future.
Final thoughts
I had a 50% success rate with the DIY face masks I’d tried. I’m sure there are plenty of other good ones out there, but I’d be really surprised if they’re as good as the face masks you can buy on the market.
For now, I’m going to keep trying face masks that are already pre-made and sold by companies because I’ve personally experienced much better results with them. But, DIY face masks are something I’d like to return in the future.
However, I’m always open to trying new products and ideas out, so if anyone knows of any good DIY face masks, send them my way because I’d be curious to see the results.
What are your thoughts on homemade face masks? Have you got on with them? Or do you think they’re just a fad? I’d love to hear from you all in the comments.
Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 6 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.
I also love face mask and hate blackheads so i loved this post. I always want to make a DIY face mask and after reading your review im going to give it ago this weekend!
Alyssa
I was hoping that the blackhead removal mask would work! I am always looking for new ways to remove blackheads/clean out pores. Great article! <3
Loved this post as always! I’ve always been intrigued by DIY facemasks but haven’t actually got round to trying any for myself because I wasn’t sure how well they’d work and I have really sensitive skin so I didn’t want anything to go wrong! I might give one a go one day though xx
Interesting to see the ingredients that went into your face masks and what they do! I use oats with mine, as well as honey and sometimes even mashed bananas! I’ll avoid the blackhead one with my dry skin – thanks for the advice!
I’m always on the look out for natural homemade face masks and hair masks so this was great! Your right it is so much fun making your own but they don’t always go to plan (speaking from experience after trying a honey hair mask!) Never again!! It was horrendous!
I believe that natural homemade face masks not only improve our skin glow but also protect our skin from germs. So, these ingredients are really very good.