Skin care is an important aspect of life for a lot of people. And that involves including face packs and peel off masks a part of your daily regimen. There are various DIY face masks that offer benefits for all skin types and needs. Masks can help in exfoliating, moisturizing, clearing, firming, calming, and they can also ease up skin problems such as hyperpigmentation, acne, wrinkles and dryness. There are many natural ingredients that play a major role in making face packs at home. Some of the skin friendly and effective remedies include rose petals, aloe vera, turmeric, etc. Another ingredient that can be a friend to your skin care routine is agar agar, a jellylike substance that can be used in peel off face masks.
Agar agar is used for both cooking as well as skin care. This substance that looks mostly like gelatin has a wide range of uses and benefits. The main difference between agar agar and gelatin is from where they are derived. It is available in the markets in the form of flakes, powder, bars and strands. One can use an agar agar homemade face mask to fight many skin problems and to maintain skin health. Read this article further to know how to make agar agar DIY face mask for all skin types.
Agar agar DIY Face mask
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon agar agar powder
- 4 tablespoon milk
- 2 teaspoon manuka honey
- Few drops of chamomile essential oil or tea tree oil
- 1 capsule of vitamin E oil for dry/aging skin (not mandatory)
Procedure:
- Take a bowl and steam milk and add agar agar powder in it
- Then, mix it properly and add manuka honey and chamomile essential oil
- Stir it well until the consistency is even Apply the mask while it is still warm, but not too much hot
- If it is very hot, then remove it immediately to avoid burns
- After peeling the mask off in 10-12 minutes, use a warm washcloth and remove the leftover mask
- End the skin care regimen with a moisturizer or face serum!
What is agar agar?
Agar agar is a jellylike substance that is a mixture of carbohydrates and have been derived from a type of seaweed, red algae. Agar has many benefits along with cooking, including as a filler in sizing paper and fabric, a clarifying agent in brewing, and many scientific uses as well. The other names of agar agar are China glass, China grass, China isinglass, Japanese kanten, Japanese gelatin, and dai choy goh, as it is used in several Japanese dessert recipes too.
- Agar agar, referred to as agar in culinary sector is mainly a plant-based gelatin extracted from seaweed.
- This white vegetable gelatin is sold in many forms including flake, powder, bar, and strand form.
- Along with skin care routine, it is also used in a number of dairy free and vegan dishes, playing the role of a thickening and binding agent.
- It is usually considered as a nutritious vegetarian substitute for regular gelatin, which is animal based.
Also read: Want To Get Rid Of Blackheads? Try These 6 Amazing DIY Face Masks To Remove Those Skin Pores
Agar agar for skin benefits
Agar agar contributes towards making the skin soft and keeping it moisturized and hydrated. It also plays the role of a binding agent in keeping all the ingredients of a mixture together. Agar agar is rich in minerals, boasts calcium, magnesium, iron and copper. Using the powder form is one of the best ways to use it in beauty care recipes, but it is also available in flakes, strips and bars. An added advantage to an algae based peel off mask is that there is a less risk of irritation for sensitive skin types. Agar Agar can be an amazing alternative for exfoliant if other products are making your skin red, inflamed, or itchy.
Therefore, agar agar is an ingredient that can make up for an effective DIY peel off mask, providing a number of skin care benefits. Do remember that while applying the mask with a face or makeup brush, make sure to avoid the eyebrows and the eye region, as it can pull the eyebrow or eyelash hair during removal.
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