I was blown away when I looked into the contents of a few mainstream charcoal peelable face masks. With such a simple concept, how on earth can one little bottle pack in so many ingredients, and how can anyone put so many questionable chemicals into a product and feel ok about it?
Ingredients such as triethanolamine, parabens, ceteareths, phenoxyethanol and benzyl alcohol are common offenders in some of the store-bought bottles I investigated, but the DIY versions on the net encourage the combination of activated charcoal and GLUE! What the?!
It is mainly for this reason that I created this Charcoal & Turmeric Peelable Face Mask recipe – to give the DIY-eager peeps a healthy alternative.
But before you go and get all excited, applying a mask a week to suck out all of your blackheads and unclog your pores, please know that a mask like this is designed to be used infrequently. I recommend no more frequently than every 8-12 weeks. The reason for this is the skin on our face is covered in fine vellus hair which serves the purpose of regulating body temp and helping sweat evaporate, so we don’t want to be ripping that off. Also, the smoothing effect you feel afterwards is also enhanced because your skin’s natural oils and sebaceous filaments (mistaken for blackheads on the strip) may also be removed, compromising the skin’s barrier, which protects our skin from infection and harmful bacteria. The little sebaceous plugs will be replaced in 30 days anyway.
So with all of that in mind, use this mask occasionally if you feel compelled. Just please don’t go using a DIY recipe that involves glue!
Charcoal & Turmeric Peelable Face Mask
Makes: enough for single use Prep time: < 5 min.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp gelatin powder
- 1/2 tsp activated charcoal powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric (ground)
- 1/4 tsp jojoba oil
- 4 drops of essential oils
- 2 tbsp hot water (see recipe notes)
My Choice of Essential Oils
My favourite essential oils in this recipe are lemon and lavender, but don’t be limited by my suggestions. Use oils that fit your budget, or those that you already have in your collection. Read here for more information on essential oils.
Method
1. Add gelatin, charcoal, turmeric, jojoba oil and essential oils to a small bowl.
2. Add hot water and mix quickly until smooth and combined. Add a little extra hot water if required.
To Use
Using a make-up brush, apply a layer of mixture to face, avoiding all sensitive areas such as eyes, eyebrows, hairline and top lip – ouch! Keep brushing and dabbing mixture over face until a thick layer forms. Wait 20-30 minutes or until mask is dry and peel off carefully. Use a wet washcloth to remove any excess.
Recipe Notes
- Water should be distilled, purified or pre-boiled and cooled to extend shelf life.
- Click here to see what I like to use to gently exfoliate my skin after I apply the mask.
- Click here to see which DIY moisturiser I apply afterwards.
- You might like to make up a double/triple batch without water and keep it dry in a jar, only adding a tablespoon of mix and enough water to make a paste as you need it. This is perfect if you only want to treat your nose, chin and T-zone. Also makes a super-cool gift idea!
- If the complete mix is left too long it will set. Add a little more hot water and mix until smooth.
8 Comments
Hi. You mention that I can make this as a gift by leaving the water out but how will that work with the essential oils being a part of the dry mix?
You could just leave the oils out.
What if I do not have any gelatin, can I use egg white instead?
It won’t work in the same way (although I’m sure it’ll make a good mask!).
Hey. Few questions: found it a bit tricky to find ratios, how would you recommend mixing it?
Should it burn (not too painfully) when applied?
Could I use something other than charcoal?
Hi Kadee, the exact ratios are on this page under “Ingredients”. I mix it in a small bowl. If it burns you may be having a reaction to one of the ingredients, impossible for me to say which one sorry. And charcoal is the hero of this recipe. You could just make a paste from clay and water if you want something simpler. White clay is great for sensitive skin.
Hi Krissy, where do you source the ingredients for this recipe please ….
Check out my list of recommended suppliers here, Tracey > https://krissyballinger.com.au/blog/my-favourite-suppliers-of-natural-ingredients-packaging-accessories/