Scared over signs of aging in your 20s? Crying over a pimple or whining about bad skin? We have all been there and done that.

Our beautiful skin undergoes damage on a daily basis without us even realizing its extent. This may be due to the effect of UV rays, everyday makeup, pollution or stress. The dismal result is visible in the form of tired, patchy, lifeless skin that we all dread. However, not all is lost in the battle against these pesky anti-beauty agents. We have Mother Nature to empower us with organic face masks.

To start with, facial masks are the most ancient forms of beauty treatments known to womankind. Women use facial masks as an important beauty ritual, be it in the remotest village or a cosmopolitan city. However, an important point to be noted is that just like this season’s beautiful silhouette may not work for your body, the most popular chocolate mask may not be right for your skin. So, we have listed below some quick mask recipes that will help you correctly pick the right natural tonic for your perfect skin:

Avocado face mask for dry skin:

Avocado is the primary ingredient for this dry skin mask. It contains a lot of minerals and vitamins A, E, B and K. The result of this magical cocktail is that the avocado face mask gets absorbed in the deepest layers of the epidermis and gives elasticity even to the driest skin. Since you only need half of the avocado, you can eat the other half and give your skin a boost from the inside as well. The secondary ingredient, honey, has been used since a long time to beautify skin for its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that draw out impurities from the skin, which then efficiently target breakouts, reduce and calm inflammation. Honey being a super hydrating agent gives an invigorating kick to this mask for dry skin.

Ingredients:

½ of a ripe avocado

¼ cup honey

Directions:

Mash avocado using a fork or a knife, then add honey. Mix well and apply the mixture using a brush to your face (making sure to avoid the eyes), then leave it for 10 to 15 minutes and rinse off with cold water.

Oatmeal and lemon mask for oily/combination skin:

Oily skin is a powerful magnet that attracts dirt. This is why you should use lemon as a primary ingredient in this recipe, for it is an active grease-cutting ingredient that cleanses the messy oily skin. The other ingredient, oatmeal, is blessed with chemicals known as saponians that have intense cleansing properties. The final ingredient is yogurt, which contains zinc and performs the dual action as an anti-inflammatory agent that reduces red swellings caused by acne/rashes and also a mild anti-astringent agent that helps tighten facial tissues. So, all these ingredients blended together create a perfect magical potion for oily/combination skin.

Ingredients:

½ cup instant oat powder (Just grind oats from the packet to get a fine powder)

1 tablespoon yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together and apply with a brush. Leave it on for around 15 minutes or until the face pack dries up. Enjoy your time and relax.

Peach anti-aging facial mask

This peach facial mask reverses the agonizing aging process by tightening the facial skin. Peaches are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other chemical contents, which help tighten pores, nourish, refresh and brighten the complexion. The other ingredient, egg whites, work wonders for greasy, oily skin as it helps shrink large pores on the skin surface thereby reducing excess sebum. Large pores are potential breeding grounds for bacteria that cause bulbous zits and cysts. Egg whites consist of an ingredient known as lysozyme, an enzyme which is potent in eradicating acne-causing bacteria by digesting their cell walls.

Ingredients:

1 ripe peeled peach

1 egg white (you will have to bear the smell, the results are worth it)

Directions:

Mash the peach; add egg white and beat well to form a batter. Use your fingers to apply the mask and leave it for at least 30 minutes. Rinse well with warm water and pat your skin dry.

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