Benefits of Yogurt Face Masks
Whether you suffer from acne, dry skin, skin dullness or excessive oiliness, a plain yogurt mask is a budget-friendly way to treat your face. Yogurt is effective at cleansing and disinfecting pores, preventing acne, moisturizing skin and revitalizing its texture.
Types
When selecting your face mask ingredients, choose plain-flavored yogurt. Fruit varieties have too much sugar and other ingredients that are not beneficial to the skin. If your skin tends to be particularly dry, the lipid content in full-fat, or whole yogurt, can provide needed moisture. If your skin is on the oily side, stick with low-fat yogurt.
Consider organic yogurt--which is available at health food stores--if you would prefer to avoid the residual hormones and pesticides present in nonorganic dairy products. Organic yogurt also contains more active, live cultures, which improve yogurt's nutrient bioavailability.
Benefits
While most people have heard about the benefits of eating yogurt, they may not realize the many benefits it offers their skin. Yogurt's antibacterial properties make it a useful, degerming cleanser, and its lactic-acid content soothes irritation, clarifies the pores and softens the skin. Finally, yogurt is known for its probiotics (live, active cultures), which are helpful in naturally treating skin conditions such as acne and eczema.
Application
Wash thoroughly with warm water and a mild cleanser. Pat dry, and apply 1 cup of plain yogurt with your fingers, covering all areas of your face and upper neck. Leave the face mask on for 15 to 20 minutes, then gently wash it away with warm water. Repeat the process daily or weekly.
Optional Ingredients
Yogurt can be used alone as a face mask, or combined with other ingredients that lend even more benefits to the skin. If you're constantly fighting a dry, flaky face, add two tablespoons of grated carrots or one tablespoon of honey to the yogurt. Mix thoroughly by hand or in a blender before applying.
If your skin is oily or dull, try adding two teaspoons of lemon juice to the yogurt mask. Lemon rids the skin of dead cells, clarifies the pores and is known to lighten skin over time.
Experiment yogurt masks, getting creative with other soothing, natural ingredients such as banana, cucumber, aloe and oatmeal. The benefits may surprise you.
Precautions
If you are allergic to yogurt, dairy products or alpha and beta hydroxy acids, avoid using yogurt face masks. After application, you may notice a slight tingly feeling. However, if you experience burning or pain of any kind, wash off the mask and consult with your physician before reapplying. These symptoms may indicate an allergy or sensitivity to yogurt's active ingredients or live cultures.
If your skin feels tight after washing off your yogurt mask, apply a noncomedogenic moisturizer to hydrate and protect skin cells.
Tags: your face, your skin, face mask, with your, yogurt mask