facialA post called, “Beauty and Personal Grooming: Pore shrinking mask recipes from home” listed several wonderful ideas of great facial masks that can be made from things you might already have in your kitchen cupboard or bathroom cabinet.

  • The Blog’s Author, Aparna, suggests trying the following homemade facial mask recipes,“Cleanse your face with a mild face wash. Then splash ice cold water over your face or alternatively rub an ice cube wrapped in a towel over your face. Cold ice constricts the facial muscles for a while and this action can shrink the pores temporarily. Then pat dry. You can then apply fresh lemon juice over your face, that is, if you do not have an extremely sensitive skin which is allergic to lemons. Lemon juiceacts as an astringent which helps to close the pores.”

Lemons contain natural AHA’s (Citric Acid) and is known to promote clarity by gently exfoliating the skins surface.

  • After cleansing your face you can apply a spoonful of milk of magnesia. Keep it on for 15-20 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water and finish it off with a splash of cold water. This pack also helps with acne.

I have heard about using Milk of Magnesia as a facial mask. Milk of Magnesia if slightly diluted, can also be used as a eye or face primer for oily skin.

  • Egg whites are not just skin-tighteners but also excellent pore-shrinkers. Beat an egg white. Add a tsp of lemon juice to it. Then apply it evenly over your face until it dries and tightens around the skin. You may skip using lemon juice if you wish and use only a well-beaten egg white on your face. Wash it off with tepid water and a splash of cold water.

Using slightly beaten egg whites is a tried and true facial mask that my mother and my grandmother used and passed on to me.

  • Soak a few almonds in water. Grind it to a paste with water. Add 2 tsp of lemon juice and apply it to your face. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes, then wash it off as usual. This also lightens your complexion.

I have never tried this, but use a honey/almond mask regularly and love it.

  • A sugar scrub might also help with open pores. Combine a tsp each of olive oil, honey, lemon juice to a few sugar crystals and gently rub over your face. Immediately follow it up with any of the above packs and/or a splash of ice cold water.

Sugar is an amazing exfoliant, sugar is one of the main ingredients used in my very favorite Suki’s Lemongrass Cleanser. Her cleanser combines organic rice flour, organic sugar, pure handmade organic saponified olive oil, powdered organic chamomile, lavender, calendula, rose hips, lemongrass & orange, pure vegetable glycerin, sea extracts & pure, premium, steam distilled essential oils.

For more homemade facial mask ideas, you can visit Aparna’s blog: Beauty and Personal Grooming. Many thanks for the great ideas Aparna!

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