Girls Night in Pampers

There are a few things that get significantly harder as we age, and one of them is making and keeping up with friends. The other is protecting and nourishing our skin to keep it looking fresh, glowy and youthful.  

My 12-step routine, after a long day at work, running around after family and fixing a nutritious meal, will more often than not be left on the shelf as I quickly wash my face and hope that the smidge of serum I apply will miraculously do God’s work.  

With busy schedules, an unyielding list of chores and admin consistently piling up, there seem to only be a couple of hours a month left for either the self-care routine or a good girl hang. As there are few things that can’t be cured by a luxe mask and a good rant, why not combine the two and spend time with friends whilst doing a little DIY home beauty? 

From the humble oatmeal - which has anti-inflammatory properties and been shown to soothe irritated skin and improve dryness - to avocado, with its high concentration of fats and vitamin E to protect and hydrate the skin, your kitchen is a treasure trove of ingredients for home beauty experiments. 

Before diving in, remember to first conduct a patch test of your mask on the inside of your arm, as your unique skin may react to certain ingredients. Consider making only a small batch of the mixture, as it will be most effective within the first 24 hours and using it sooner rather than later will make sure that no sinister bacteria develop, causing acne and blocked pores.  

Dip your toe into natural, homemade beauty with one of these glowy recipes… 

Dewy Rejuvenation 

Mix together one tablespoon of Greek yoghurt and one teaspoon of oatmeal and honey. This mixture will have a cooling and calming effect on your skin and leave it looking lovely and fresh as the lactic acid and probiotics of the ingredients do their job. Leave it to soak into clean skin for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing. 

Glow Up

Steep a green tea bag in a cup of boiling water for two minutes. Once the tea bag is nice and soft, slice open the top and add the contents to a small bowl. Add six raspberries to the bowl and mash the ingredients into a paste (leaving it, like all good things, a little bit chunky). Once cool, apply it to clean, dry skin and leave to soak for 15 minutes. The antioxidants and vitamin C found abundantly in this formula will brighten dull skin and leave you feeling confident and ready to take on the world.

Time Machine Magic

Peel a ripe banana and combine equal parts of sliced up peel and mashed banana. Mix in half a teaspoon of raw honey, one teaspoon of full-fat yoghurt and one pinch of turmeric. Apply the yellow paste to your skin and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. The bananas, which are brimming with potassium and multiple beauty-boosting vitamins, will moisturise, brighten and temporarily plump your skin. Combined with the other ingredients, which have anti-inflammatory, soothing and brightening benefits, this mask is sure to make you feel and look like your most youthful self!  

Soothing Resistance

Mix up a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of coconut oil, a quarter teaspoon of ripe avocado and two drops of lavender oil. Paint on your face for the ultimate at-home spa experience and rinse after 10 minutes. This recipe will soothe any irritation and redness that may occur as a result of seasonal changes, city smog and hay fever, and may help to prevent dry and itchy skin as a result of the rich essential fatty acids and antioxidants found in the mixture.

If time is too tight to get creative with DIY beauty, get straight to the mask application, chatting, and soul and skin renewal with the gang by trying these wholesome, all-natural face masks:

1. The Illuminate Nourishing Face Mask by Goodleaf nourishes your skin and restores its radiance with the power of antioxidant-rich African botanicals and a little bit of TLC. 
2. Inspired by Golden Milk from ancient Ayurvedic tradition, the Golden Matcha Firming Glowing Mask by Teaology will remove impurities and leave your skin feeling soft and looking radiant. 
3. The Clay Mask by Esse will mildly exfoliate and detoxify your skin with its combination of clay, olive leaf and rooibos extracts. 
4. Reduce the appearance of redness, blemishes and pores with the Revitalising Mask by Dr Hauschka, which utilises the radical natural powers of quince seed, anthyllis and chamomile extracts as well as jojoba, apricot kernel and wheat germ oils.
5. The Rejuvenating Clay Mask by Wellness Warehouse will deeply cleanse and purify your skin, with the assistance of French rose clay and kaolin clay, leaving your skin looking radiant and feeling fresh. 

The girls’ chat group waits…Ping!