Herbal face masks - home phytocosmetics

In pharmacognosy, herbs are usually called leafy and flowering stems of herbaceous plants and raw materials consisting of the entire plant together with its underground organs (rhizome, tubers and roots). In the list of medicinal plants, herbs rightfully occupy a place of honor. Medicinal herbs owe their medicinal properties, known to mankind since ancient times, to nature, which endowed them with a unique set of chemicals. Thanks to these biologically active substances, herbal face masks remain the most popular means of home phytocosmetics in the 21st century.

Medicinal herbs contain flavonoids, glycosides, organic acids, saponins, essential oils, tannins, microelements, resins, phytoncides, vitamins, mineral salts, phytohormones and enzymes.

Benefits of Herbs for Skin

The ancient Greek scientist Theophrastus of Ephesus in the 4th century BC created a treatise, "Research on Plants," in which he described plants and emphasized the benefits of herbs for the skin and female beauty. And his fellow male citizens were advised to "treat baldness with poultices of caraway, radish, pigeon droppings, a mixture of leeks, beets, and nettles."

Let's start with nettle. Stinging nettle is widely used in official medicine, in particular in dermatology it is used to treat skin rashes, trophic ulcers, acne vulgaris, furunculosis, dermatitis, as well as premature graying and... baldness. For cosmetic purposes, this herb is recommended for hair and facial skin care that has lost its elasticity.

Everyone's favorite chamomile, among other things, contains azulene, which relieves inflammation and protects the skin from bacteria. No less beloved peppermint contains not only essential oil with menthol, but also oleanolic acid, the tonic effect of which is similar to that of ginseng. This triterpenoid penetrates the dermis and prevents excess sebum secretion.

The glycoside aucubin, which is abundant in plantain, has a bactericidal, wound-healing and astringent effect, and its flavonoids stimulate the restoration of epidermal cells.

The leaves of the bearberry, popularly known as "bear's ear", in addition to flavonoids, organic acids and tannins, contain a powerful antioxidant - glycoside arbutin. This plant reduces the intensity of melanin pigment production, which helps whiten the skin.

Of the particularly valuable components in the chemical composition of horsetail, it is necessary to note silicic acid: in terms of its content, horsetail is a champion among medicinal plants. Silicic acid is a component of connective tissues, skin, hair and nails of a person. Therefore, horsetail improves the condition of the skin by activating the synthesis of collagen and metabolic processes in cells.

In general, herbal face masks - and from the most common medicinal plants that are sold in every pharmacy - can become a powerful weapon for every woman in the fight for her unfading beauty.

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Herbal mask recipes

To prepare almost all cosmetic masks based on dried pharmaceutical herbs, they need to be turned into a fine powder, for which we recommend using a regular coffee grinder.

We would also like to remind you once again that any of the herbal face masks listed below should be applied to thoroughly cleansed skin for 15-20 minutes, after which everything should be washed off with lukewarm water, or if it contains fats or essential oils, with warmer water.

Herbal face masks for normal skin

The most useful medicinal herbs for normal skin are chamomile, string, mint, lemon balm, calendula, St. John's wort, dandelion and horsetail.

Nettle face mask

A combination of nettle and milk will help increase skin turgor. To prepare this mask, mix a tablespoon of nettle (remember that any of the recipes are about dry grass ground into powder) with the same amount of warm milk and add half a raw egg yolk. Mix everything until smooth. And what to do next - you know.

Cornflower mask

This mask will make your facial skin look fresher and feel velvety. To do this, mix 2 tablespoons of blue cornflower flowers with water (about a quarter of a glass) and boil for 2-3 minutes. When the mixture cools down a little, add a teaspoon of honey and the same amount of oatmeal. Keep the mask on your face for 15 minutes.

Mask of succession and mint

Take a tablespoon of succession and mint, pour 150 ml of boiling water and leave for 25 minutes under the lid. Then add a little flour or starch (for a thicker consistency), mix well. Apply the mixture to the face and keep for about half an hour.

Herbal face masks for dry and sensitive skin

The most suitable herbs for dry facial skin are chamomile, mint, sage, parsley, hops, primrose, dill, calendula, licorice, and nettle.

Chamomile and honey mask

Pour 0.5 cups of boiling water over one tablespoon of chamomile and leave for 25-30 minutes. Drain off excess liquid, add a teaspoon of natural honey, stir. Apply the mask to your face for a quarter of an hour.

Mask of hops, chamomile and calendula

This herbal mask smoothes the skin well, relieves irritation and improves complexion. To prepare it, brew a "porridge" of a mixture of calendula, hops and chamomile (taken in equal quantities) with boiling water. When the herbal mass cools almost to room temperature, add a teaspoon of heavy sour cream, mix thoroughly and send it to the face for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Sage mask

Pour boiling water over a couple of tablespoons of sage, make a paste and let cool to +40°C. Then add 5 drops of olive or sesame oil, stir. Apply to face, covering with a warm damp cotton napkin. Keep for 25 minutes, rinse with warm water, then cold.

Herbal face masks for oily skin

For the care of oily skin, experts recommend using wormwood, yarrow, coltsfoot, St. John's wort, mint, chicory, lady's mantle, chamomile, calendula, horsetail and plantain.

Mask of St. John's wort and chamomile

This mask will tighten enlarged pores and remove excess shine from your face. To prepare it, you need to brew a tablespoon of herbs with boiling water, let it simmer for no more than 10 minutes. When the herbal mixture becomes warm, add a teaspoon of either wheat flour or rice flour (it is easy to get by grinding rice in a coffee grinder). Keep the mask on until it dries, and then wash it off with warm water.

Coltsfoot leaf mask

This mask has a similar effect, that is, it improves the structure of the epidermis and reduces its oiliness. To enhance the effect, it is recommended to do this mask twice a week. And it is prepared in the same way as in the previous recipe, but you need to apply a warm mixture to your face and hold it for 20-25 minutes.

Plantain and mint mask

This mask will soothe irritated skin, refresh it, and smooth out fine wrinkles. Brew a tablespoon of plantain and the same amount of mint with boiling water, make a paste with a dessert spoon of liquid honey. The procedure time from the moment the mixture is applied to the face is no more than 20 minutes.

Herbal face masks for wrinkles

For mature skin with obvious wrinkles, masks that simultaneously moisturize, nourish and tighten the skin are very useful, so they must contain a small amount of fat - in the form of some kind of vegetable or essential oil.

Herbal Mix Mask

To prepare this wonderful "multifunctional" cosmetic mask, you need to make a herbal mix: mix a tablespoon of chamomile, mint, St. John's wort, coltsfoot and sage. Then take a handful of the mixture, brew it with boiling water, close the container tightly and wrap it in a towel - so that the herbs are properly steamed (this will take about 30 minutes). Then drain the excess liquid and add a teaspoon of olive oil (for oily skin, use the same amount of low-fat sour cream instead of oil). Spread the mixture evenly over the face (except for the area around the eyes) and cover with a terry towel. In winter, this procedure can be done a couple of times a week - for 20 minutes.

Flaxseed mask

Want to tone your facial skin, relieve irritation and improve its color? Then use choline, niacin and thiamine, which are part of flaxseed. To prepare this wonderful toning herbal face mask, you will need half a glass of water, a tablespoon of flaxseed and a teaspoon of white clay. Boil the seeds for about 15 minutes, cool the broth and add clay. After thoroughly mixing, apply the mask for a quarter of an hour.

Herbal face masks for problem skin

If you have problem skin, that is, pimples often appear or there are acne, then medicinal herbs, which can be bought at the pharmacy at more than affordable prices, will help in the fight for a clear face.

Mask of yarrow and chamomile

The mask is prepared from equal parts of yarrow and chamomile (for example, a tablespoon each) by brewing with steep boiling water (150 ml) and infusing the herbal mixture for 25-30 minutes. After that, starch and sour cream are added - a teaspoon each. Everything is mixed well until smooth and applied to the skin of the face for about 15-20 minutes. The mask is removed with a damp sponge, followed by washing with mineral water.

Mask of wild pansy

If your facial pores are enlarged, use a recipe for a mask with wild pansy. To prepare it, you need to steam a tablespoon of the grass ground into flour with boiling water. For dry skin, add 3-4 drops of almond oil to the resulting mixture, for oily skin - 5 drops of lemon juice. After cooling almost to body temperature, apply the mixture to the skin of the face for 20 minutes. This mask narrows the pores and removes dead particles of the epidermis.

Bearberry mask

For pigment spots, it is useful to make face masks with bearberry herb. Take a tablespoon of dry pharmaceutical herb, grind it to a flour state, brew with a small amount of boiling water, close the container tightly and let it brew for 15 minutes. Then add 3-4 drops of rosehip or sea buckthorn oil to the mass, mix thoroughly and apply to a clean face for 20 minutes. In addition to the whitening effect, this mask (if done twice a week) perfectly tones and nourishes the skin, and also promotes the regeneration of its cells.

Herbal Face Mask Reviews

Many women, including active readers of women's magazines, note that they are disappointed in ready-made cosmetic masks, generously "flavored" with chemicals. Thus, parabens, mineral oils synthesized from petroleum, silicone cyclomethicone, emulsifiers cover the skin with a film, which disrupts the removal of toxins from tissues. And the preservative phenoxyethanol can release formaldehyde and have a negative effect on the nervous system...

Buyers began to study the composition of ready-made cosmetics more carefully, and some of them came to the conclusion: it is better to take care of your skin with homemade masks made from natural products. After all, herbal face masks are a simple and effective means of skin care at home, they perfectly cleanse, refresh and tone the skin of all types.