Recently, I have found more and more comfort in food and beauty products that are made from ingredients I can actually understand. As Michael Pollan says, “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.”1 Taking Pollan’s wisdom to heart and applying it to beauty products as well, my New Year’s resolution for 2014 is to transition all of my beauty products to products I can either make myself or at least understand the ingredients of. One of the first, and now tried and true, recipes I experimented with has only four ingredients and can be used as a face and hair mask. Two birds with one stone!
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BENEFITS FOR YOUR HEALTH:
To compare the ingredients of my face/hair mask with a leading brand, I visited the Skin Deep database (ewg.org/skindeep). Skin Deep is a cosmetics database run by the Environmental Working Group, which not only tells the consumer the ingredients in any given beauty or body product but also explains that ingredient’s effect on the body. Skin Deep is a truly enlightening resource and I recommend that everyone cross-reference the products they use with its database information.
3I looked under the “mask” category on Skin Deep and found the Fekkai Salon Technician Color Care Rapid Results Moisture Mask. The Environmental Working Group classifies this product as a 9 out of 10 on their hazard list, despite the limited data they have for the product’s ingredients.4 For $25 a jar, Fekkai promises that this product will lock moisture into hair, just like the honey and avocado do in the recipe I use.5 However, there is no honey or avocado in the Fekkai product’s list of ingredients. Instead, ingredients such as propylparaben and retinyl palmitate grace the label. What are these? As an individual chemical, the Environmental Working Group classifies propylparaben as a 10 out of 10 on the hazard list, stating developmental/reproductive toxicity and endocrine disruption, among other issues, as concerns. Retinyl palmitate receives an 8 out of 10 on the hazard scale and has been linked to cancer and organ system toxicity.6 Spend just five minutes on Skin Deep and it will be quite clear what ingredients you should avoid.
Each of the four ingredients in the recipe I use – honey, avocado, bananas, and almond milk – has a specific benefit for your skin and hair. For instance, honey attracts moisture to your hair, improves the health of your hair follicles and scalp, and adds natural shine. In a facemask, honey unclogs pores, moisturizes, and helps protect the skin from UV rays.7 It is a well-known fact that bananas are rich in potassium. By adding this potassium-rich ingredient to the hair mask, you are softening your hair and preventing split ends. Bananas also contain vitamin C and B6, both of which help maintain skin’s elasticity and healthy glow.8
In the hair mask, avocado performs a similar function to the honey by helping hair retain moisture. The amino acids and high fat content in avocados also help stimulate hair growth and boost scalp health. Additionally, avocados are rich in vitamin A, which is helpful to have in the facemask to remove dead skin cells.9 Lastly, almond milk is rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which also help promote hair growth. Almond milk also contains vitamin E, which strengthens your hair and helps your skin retain moisture and reduce wrinkles.10
BENEFITS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT:
To truly make your homemade mask all natural and eco-friendly, buy sustainably produced honey and almond milk and organically grown avocados and bananas.
BENEFITS FOR ANIMALS:
By making face and hair masks yourself, you avoid accidentally supporting animal testing. For more information on animal testing:
Cost: Low. Most of the ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Time and Effort: Low. Once you have all of the ingredients, the mask only takes five minutes to make. While you wait for the mask to sink in, light your favorite candle and do an activity that relaxes you.
Ingredients:11
½ avocado
1 banana
1 tsp honey
¼ cup almond milk
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Additional materials needed:
Bowl
Food processor (can also mix by hand but the mask will be chunkier)
Measuring cups
Instructions:13
- Cut up banana and avocado into chunks and put into food processor.
- Add almond milk and honey to the food processor.
- Mix the ingredients in the food processor until the mask is smooth.
- Put the mask in a bowl so it is easier to apply.
- For the face, apply to clean, dry skin. Let the mask sit for 30 minutes and then rinse with warm water.
- For the hair, apply from root to tip on dry hair. Use a hair clip to pile your hair on top of your head so that the mask doesn’t get on your clothes. Let the mask sit for 45 minutes and then wash out with shampoo. There may be small bits of banana stuck in your hair so rinse thoroughly. You can choose whether or not to use conditioner.
- Enjoy your all-natural new beauty regimen ☺
