How to Make an Avocado Facial Mask

Slathering your face with thick, green paste might not seem like an obvious beauty treatment, but avocado facial masks are renowned for nourishing and revitalizing the skin. Unlike many store-bought facial treatments, avocado masks are free from synthetic ingredients and chemicals, which tends to make them less allergenic and irritating than commercial products. By creating your own avocado facial mask, you can pamper your skin with a simple, natural and affordable beautifying treatment at home.

Step 1

Remove the pit from half an avocado and scrape the remaining flesh out of the peel and into a bowl. With a fork, mash the avocado until its consistency becomes creamy and free from lumps.

Step 2

Add 1 tsp. lemon juice to the mashed avocado if you plan to save some or all of the paste for later use. Lemon juice prevents the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown.

Step 3

Mix the avocado paste with any optional ingredients you choose to include in your mask--including 1 tbsp. honey, 1 tbsp. olive oil, the juice of 1/2 an orange or a raw egg white. Although avocado facial masks are effective when made with avocado alone, these ingredients contain additional properties that may promote skin health, especially if your complexion tends to be oily.

Step 4

Wash your face with warm water to remove any dirt, cosmetics or other accumulated debris. Clean skin will absorb the avocado mask's oils more readily than skin coated with other substances.

Step 5

Apply a thin layer of the avocado puree to your face with your fingertips, avoiding contact with your eyes and hair. Continue rubbing the paste onto your skin until your face is fully coated.

Step 6

Leave the avocado mask on your face for at least 15 minutes or until the mixture fully dries. The longer you wear the facial mask, the more chance your skin has to absorb the mixture's nourishing nutrients.

Step 7

Remove the mask by rinsing your face gently with warm water; avoid harshly scrubbing the mixture off of your skin. FatFreeKitchen.com recommends splashing your face with cold water after removing the paste in order to close your skin pores. Dab your face with a towel to dry.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 ripe avocado

• Fork

• Bowl

• 1 tsp. lemon juice (optional)

• 1 tbsp. honey (optional)

• 1 tbsp. olive oil (optional)

• 1 egg white (optional)

• Juice of 1/2 an orange (optional)

Tip

Use an avocado that yields slightly when squeezed, which indicates ripeness. Firm, unripe avocados are difficult to mash into the correct consistency for a face cream.

Consider eating the unused avocado half after making your facial mask.

Warning

Do not apply an avocado mask to your face if you have a known skin allergy to avocado.

Avocado can stain fabric, so consider wearing a shirt you aren't particularly attached to when making an avocado facial mask.