A few years ago, at the height of one of my many homesteading phases, I went on a homemade beauty care products kick. Using every day ingredients I whipped up a range of things: salt & sugar scrubs, face masks, deodorant, hair rinses, detergent. Guys, I even tried my hand at some toothpaste.   Let’s just say that some were more useful than others.

The ONLY recipe I haven’t retired is my adaptation of a pantry basic face mask. It has a range of ingredients, so depending on my zeal, I’ll play around with what I include or omit. At the most, this takes 5 minutes to whip up and it’s perfect for these in between seasons where our skin needs a little pick me up.  I have fond memories of my mom, sister and I sitting in our living room with our gooped up faces.

Em’s Face Mask (and no, this isn’t a pancake recipe. this mask can keep for up to 3 days in the fridge):

1/4 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup milk

1/2 ripe banana

1 egg  (optional)

honey

Whiz everything with a handheld blender. Tie hair up and wash/dry face. Apply mask on (it can get goopy so make sure to wear something you don’t really care about) and leave on for 20 minutes.  Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

Alternatively, if you don’t feel like opening up your pantry too much,  (or you’re pressed for time- like I am right now) you can smooth on the honey and let set for the same amount of time. Rinse off with warm water and enjoy some smooth skin.

So there you have it, maybe you can take 15 minutes this weekend and give yourself a mini home spa treatment!

Have a great weekend everyone!