The Yogurt Mask

One of the easiest, most gentle and inexpensive ways to exfoliate your skin is by using yogurt. I know it sounds weird - the notion of applying food to your face, but trust me, a yogurt mask is an excellent alternative to a mild peel.

I've been using yogurt masks for years (though latley I'm pretty content with my MUAC Peel, I will probably return to using these once I'm finished). My mom uses them and her skin is always glowing. I decided to do some research on the nature of yogurt and realized there is a vast amount of lactic acid in it - even moreso than buttermilk. I absolutley love using lactic acid on my skin, it is the most gentle AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) out there and causes the least amount of redness/irritation. Lactic acid is great for darker skin types, who are sensitive and prone to post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

In order to get the most out of using a yogurt mask, you have to use plain full-fat yogurt, or full fat greek yogurt. Non-fat, or low-fat yogurts won't cut it since they will lack the concentrated lactic acid content. Apply the yogurt on dry, cleansed skin. It really doesn't matter if you apply it thick or not, just make sure you smooth it across your face (my face can be covered with 2 teaspoons of yogurt). Also, make sure you don't have any animals around that like to eat yogurt (lol).

Let it sit on your skin for a full 30 minutes. Rinse off thoroughly with warm water, then splash with cool water. I like to finish it off with a few sprays of my Avene Thermal Spring Water, but that's optional. Once you pat dry, you will notice the effects of the lactic acid. Your skin will be brighter, more even. It will be softer and smoother with no visible signs of irritation (as you may or may not recieve from using a harsh scrub or an AHA peel).

Another great thing about yogurt masks are that you can change them up and add ingredients to target different skin problems. You can make an exfoliating acne mask using crushed aspirin. Just mix 1/8 teaspoon of crushed Aspirin tablets with the yogurt and some raw honey (from Whole Foods or any place that sells raw honey) for a pore cleaning, brightening acne mask. You can also just mix 1/2 teaspoon of raw honey with 2 teaspoons of yogurt for a calming, anti-redness mask.

This is really the most inexpensive way to get a great skin treatment. Try it out and you'll be suprised with the results!
=D