Going to a spa for facial treatments can add up to a costly monthly bill. If you want the fresh spa feeling without the cost, here are some natural at-home facials you can try. We’ve even matched each mask with a fun cocktail recipe for additional unwinding.
For Glowing Skin
Milk Mask
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp. powdered milk
- 1/2 tbsp. brewed chamomile tea
- 1 tsp. raw honey
Mix all ingredients together until they make a soft paste. Gently massage the paste onto wet, clean skin. Leave it on for five minutes, and then rinse and dry your face. Milk exfoliates while the cinnamon activates, and the chamomile soothes the skin. Use three times a week for the first week and then twice a week to follow.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
- 1 part Jägermeister
- 1 part cinnamon schnapps
- 1 part rum
- 1 part coffee liquor
- 1 part Irish cream
Shake all ingredients with ice and pour into glass. Garnish with cinnamon.
For Dry Skin:
Banana Cream Mask
- 1 banana
- 2 tbsp. oatmeal
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp. raw honey
Fluff the egg white, and then place all the ingredients in a blender and mix them into a paste. Spread on a clean face and leave for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse and dry your face, and then apply moisturizer. Egg whites act as a face-lift without the hefty price, and honey and banana provide the moisture your face needs to battle a dry spell. Apply twice a week.
Monkey in a Tree
- 1.5 oz. Malibu rum
- 1 oz. banana liqueur
- 3 oz. pineapple juice
- 1/2 oz. Midori melon liqueur
- Drop of grenadine
Shake all ingredients except for melon liqueur with ice. Strain into ice-filled glass. Add melon liqueur and let it sink to the bottom. Best served with a straw.
For Fine Lines and Wrinkles:
Avocado Dream
- 1/2 Hass avocado
- 1 banana
- 3 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
Mix together to make a smooth paste and then apply it to the face and neck. Leave on for 30 minutes and wash off with cold water. Avocados serve as an anti-aging treatment, and bananas brightens the skin. Do this two or three times a week.
Avocado Margarita
- 1 Hass avocado, peeled and pitted
- 2 cups ice
- 4 oz. tequila
- 2 oz. Cointreau
- 2 oz. fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tsp. agave nectar (optional)
- 2 slices fresh jalapeno (optional)
Put avocado, ice, tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, cilantro and salt into a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and add agave to sweeten and/or jalapenos to give it a little kick. Pulse until smooth. Serve in a salt-rimmed glass, and garnish with some cilantro and lemon wedges.
For Open Pores:
Cucumber Potion
- 1 small cucumber
- 1 tsp. raw honey
- 1 tsp. aloe vera gel
- 1 tbsp. oatmeal
- 1 tbsp. brewer’s yeast (optional)
Blend all ingredients until they form a smooth paste. Apply and massage into skin in circular motions. Leave on skin for 30 minutes, and then rinse off with lukewarm water. Aloe is known for treating acne and sun-damaged skin while cucumbers can soothe and calm acne-inflamed skin. Repeat three times a week.
Cucumber Mint Gin
- 2 oz. gin
- 1/2 cup cucumber chunks
- 6 mint leaves
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
- Chilled club soda
- Cucumber slices
Blend cucumber, mint, sugar and lemon juice in blender. Fill a glass with ice and add 2 oz. of gin. Add some cucumber slices. Fill glass with the cucumber mixture. Top with club soda, and stir well. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Photography by John Sloan
