Having oily skin can be really frustrating. It’s hard to keep it clean, or to keep it feeling like it’s clean.
Face masks can be helpful for pulling oil out of the skin and making your face look and feel cleaner, but they can be expensive if you use them regularly. These DIY face mask recipes will save you money and give you peace of mind that you’re only putting safe ingredients on your face.
Why Oily Skin Happens?
The medical term for oily skin is seborrhea, and it’s caused by excess sebum, or skin oil, making your skin look greasy.
Oily skin is often caused by hormones, which is why it often shows up during puberty.[1] An increase in androgen levels during that time of life boost oil production, and while it sometimes goes away once puberty is over, some people are stuck with oily skin.
Having oily skin is genetic, and it can flare up during your period, when you’re stressed out, when it’s humid outside or when you’ve done things to produce more oil such as wearing heavy makeup regularly or spending too much time on a dirty cell phone.[2]
If you’re too hard on your skin by using harsh cleaning tools, makeup or cleansers that aren’t for your skin type or using tanning beds (which dry out the skin, causing it to produce more oil) you can also see oily outbreaks even if you’re not genetically predisposed to oily skin.[3] Even some medications can cause your skin to be more oily than normal.
Some of the things that are causing your oily skin might be within your control to change, but if you’re still having problems you can try a DIY face mask to help clear up the oil. These recipes use minimal, natural ingredients that won’t harm your skin or cause further problems.
Apple Cider Vinegar
A natural antibacterial and antiseptic substance, apple cider vinegar is a great choice for your skin, especially if you have acne as well as oily skin.
Apple cider vinegar can be used alone on your skin; just put some on a cotton ball, apply to your face, let dry and rinse.
You can also use it as a toner, or mix it with baking soda, which has exfoliating properties, to make a mask.
Home Remedies for Life has that recipe as well as other DIY face mask ideas using apple cider vinegar and other ingredients such as sea salt, olive oil and aloe, to name a few.
Banana Face Masks
Another soothing ingredient you can get right at the grocery store that will help your oily skin is banana.
You can simply mash banana and use it alone as a mask, or try one of the recipes from About Beauty. The recipe using banana and honey is the best for oily skin, but any of these would be great for giving your skin a boost.
Really ripe bananas are best for this, and you can even freeze them for a cooling effect on your skin if you want.
Egg White Face Mask
Using egg white on your skin is a great idea because the protein in eggs helps with tissue repair for skin that has been damaged by acne. It’s also hydrating and moisturizing and can help slow down the aging process of the skin.
A super simple DIY face mask with egg white is this one from Bellatory that also uses honey and lemon. Honey is antibacterial and lemon juice is an astringent that helps clear out the bacteria that causes acne as well as lightening the skin and evening skin tone.
Oatmeal Face Mask
Add oatmeal to your combination of egg white and honey for an additional exfoliating boost that is great for cleaning and clearing the skin.
Check out the recipe at Homemade Masks; it’s great for wrinkles, too.
