Tired of using those chemical-based facial masks that come in pretty attractive packaging? Why not treat your facial skin with natural ingredients that you have in your kitchen? Although ready made facial masks have a longer shelf-life, it’s a good idea to have something all-natural on your face once in a while. These homemade facial masks not only refresh the skin, but being related to your skin’s components, they compliment it much better than chemical ones.

Making your own facial mask isn’t a tough job; all you need is to assess your skin type and know the ingredients that suit it and you’re ready to experiment! It is less expensive compared to packaged masks. Here are some simple steps you need to follow to create your own facial mask at home according to your skin type.

Before you start, assess your skin type. That’s the most crucial step before you even think of preparing a mask. It’s just like knowing your skin type before buying any product for it. If you have a tight or flaky skin most of the time all over the face then it’s dry. If it’s tight or flaky only over the cheeks and jaw line but your T-zone, including nose, forehead and chin, is oily, then you have a combination skin. If your whole face seems to shine then you have an oily skin. If you have some problems like itching, rashes or allergies then you have sensitive skin. If you breakout easily, it’s acne-prone skin that you have. Finally if you’ve wrinkles, lines or dry patches then your skin is aging and you have a mature skin.

Once you’ve assessed your skin type it’s time you know the ingredients that can benefit different skin types. For that the best idea is to search various resources including the Internet, your local library or magazines. You can also ask your cosmetologist for suggestions. Here is a quick look at some ingredients for making facial masks that are commonly used in spas and by beauty experts:

1. Clays: Green & yellow clays (tighten large pores & draw out excess sebum from pores)http://www.ehow.com/how_2302376_make-own-facial-mask.html), red clay (moisturizing)
2. Fruits & Vegetables: Papaya (deep-cleansing), Avocado (moisturizing), Banana (moisturizing), Peach (moisturizing & firming), Strawberries (contain salicylic acidhttp://beauty.about.com/od/skinflaws/a/facemasks.htm), Lemon (astringent), Orange (astringent), Cucumber (cooling & refreshing), Grapefruit (astringent), Tomato (astringent)
3. Egg (nourishing & moisturizing)
4. Honey (moisturizing & purifying)
5. Oils: Jojoba oil (purifying), Olive oil (moisturizing), Vitamin E oil (anti-aging & moisturizing), Almond Oil (anti-aging & moisturizing)
6. Rose water (balances and refreshes skin)
7. Milk and Cream (moisturizing, exfoliating and antioxidant)
8. Yogurt (anti-bacterial, soothing, cooling)
9. Aloe Vera (soothes skin)
10. Green tea (antioxidant, soothes skin)

After knowing the benefits of various ingredients, get ready to experiment with them. For dry skin you can choose from red clay, banana, avocado, whole egg or egg yolk, honey, vitamin E and almond oil, milk and cream for a moisturizing mask. For oily, combination or acne-prone skin you can go for a fully fruity treat with papaya, strawberries, lemon, orange, grapefruit and tomato. Another option is to use yellow or green clay with rose water. Combination skin can benefit from yogurt too. For sensitive skin you can experiment with aloe vera as a base with any of the ingredients above added for specific concerns. If you have mature skin, pureed peaches can be put on as a mask for firming for firming. You can also apply egg white for a tightening experience. Some tried-and-tested mask recipes follow:

1. Dry Skin: Beat together an egg, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and few drops of rose water. Apply and let it dry. Wash off with cold water.http://1stholistic.com/beauty/skin/skin_dry.htm
2. Oily/Acne-prone Skin: Puree a medium-sized tomato and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in it. Apply and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water.
3. Combination Skin: Mash some papaya pulp and add yogurt to make a paste. Apply and let it dry. Wash off with warm water.
4. Sensitive Skin: Mix together 1 tablespoon oatmeal, 2 tablespoons green tea and 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel. Apply on skin and leave it to dry. Rinse with cold water.
5. Mature Skin: Beat together an egg white with 1 teaspoon lemon juice (if skin is oily) or vitamin E oil (if skin is dry). Apply and leave it to dry. Peel off and rinse with cold water.