Rancho La Puerta Recipes: Masks for Every Skin Type

We love Rancho La Puerta’s spa cuisine, so when we saw their face mask recipes for every skin type, we had to share! The masks, created by the spa’s skin care guru, Jan Greaves, are made with food ingredients you most-likely have stocked in your kitchen already.

To achieve maximum benefits, an initial gentle steaming of the face is recommended, which is as easy as boiling a pot of water! Just toss a few bags of chamomile tea or lavender into a pot of boiling water and pour the water into a bowl or sink. Tent your head with a towel to capture the steam for several minutes, then proceed with a mask suitable for your skin type. Whipping up your own mask may sound daring but it can be extremely rewarding to make use of nutritious ingredients like eggs and almonds in natural beauty remedies made by none other than yourself!

Here are wholesome-sounding mask recipes from Rancho La Puerta for every type of skin:

FOR OILY SKIN

• To Clear Up Oily Skin: Mix 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon plain yogurt. Apply to a cleansed face and let dry for 20 minutes. Remove with warm water and follow with a moisturizer.
• To Heal a Blemished Complexion: Soak 1 slice white bread and 1 teaspoon fresh yeast in ¼ cup milk and mix into a paste. Apply to skin and leave on for 30 minutes. Remove with warm water, then moisturize.
• To Reduce Inflammation: Apply plain yogurt lightly over entire face and leave on for 30 minutes. Remove with a warm, soft washcloth.

FOR COMBINATION SKIN

• Egg Mask: The perfect mask for combination skin. Separate 1 egg and beat the white and the yolk separately. Cover the dry areas with the yolk and the oily parts with the white. Leave on for 20 minutes and remove with warm water, then follow with a moisturizer.
• Clarifying Treatment Mask: Mix 1 tablespoon of finely ground almonds, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1 egg white. Apply and leave on for 15 minutes. Remove by massaging with warm water in a circular motion over skin, rinse well, and follow with moisturizer.
• For Loosening Blackheads: Cook 2 tablespoons of barley with enough water to cover, until very soft. Make a paste and apply to skin while still warm. Leave on for 15 minutes. Remove with a damp, soft face cloth, or by splashing with warm water. This is also useful for breakouts on the back.
• Aloe Vera Mask: Combine 2 tablespoons of brewer’s yeast powder, 1 tablespoon of aloe vera juice, and 1 egg white. Apply to skin and leave on for 20-30 minutes. Remove with warm water. This mask will also heal blemishes and soothe irritated skin.

FOR DRY SKIN

• To Re-Texturize the Skin: Pour 4 ounces of boiling water over a handful of rosemary branches and steep for 20 minutes. Strain and cool completely. Mix with 2 egg whites and 2 teaspoons powdered milk. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes. Remove with a damp, soft face cloth or warm water splash.
• Healing Herbal Mask: Combine 2 tablespoons avocado oil and 2 tablespoons wheat germ oil. Heat very gently over simmering water until warm. Test on your wrist to make sure it is not too hot. Apply to face and neck and leave on for 20 minutes. The oil may be left on the skin, or removed with warm water.
• Soothing Avocado Mask: Mix 1 tablespoon wheat germ oil with ½ mashed avocado. Apply to skin and relax for 20-30 minutes as it nourishes the skin. The vitamin E in avocado will do wonders for the skin. Remove with a damp, soft washcloth or a warm splash of water.
• Banana Mask for Dry Patches: Puree 1 peeled banana with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Apply on extra dry, scaly patches and leave on for 20-30 minutes. Remove with a damp face cloth or warm water splash.