Hey, you know me – I could salivate my way around Space NK lusting over all the beauty goods that they have in store till it comes closing time and I’m kindly *but firmly* asked to leave, but one of the products I’m always hesitant to splurge on is face masks. Those irresistibly perfect bottles of temptation sure know how to give me those misleading eyes that plead ‘Put me in your basket and buy me now. This doesn’t have to be complicated – we’re in this together.’, but somehow the stronger voice inside my head says, ‘Don’t give in to that bitch, Sophie. You can DO this! Stay strong and save your money for something that you can’t replicate for next to nothing at home.’
As a self confessed beauty fiend, I am very proud to say that my willpower always (okay, okay… mostly) wins, and with that in mind I head home to make up a fancy potion that brings home all the skin boosting benefits in a matter of minutes, all whilst using minimal equipment.
This speedy spirulina face mask is a truly beautiful example of the kind of thing you’ll often find standing proud in flawlessly branded packaging on the beauty shelves, but you can actually make at home with basic ingredients for an absolute fraction of the price.
I’m pretty sure that there is nothing more satisfying than simply slowing down for an hour; taking time to do something that completely separates you from the materialistic aspect of modern life and create a beautifying concoction yourself – for you to enjoy, yourself. For me, self care is all about getting back to the simple pleasures of life and switching off from whatever bullshit is going on; whilst showing your body a little TLC in the process.
Living in a time where work demands and pressures to be living an Instagram perfect life are higher than ever, it’s easy to get sucked in and forget about all the great things that you do have. I for one am guilty of sitting on my phone scrolling through the feed of someone who I have never met, yet feeling crap about myself by the end. Why the hell do we do it? It’s soul destroying and deeply unnecessary. Incorporating the odd self care sesh in to your weekly routine wherever you can is a pretty good chance to just remind yourself of what there is to be happy about – and let me tell you, there is SO much to celebrate. Don’t for one second allow a tiny stress get even close to the door of your party: It’s invitation only and everyone on the list share the same name: FIRST NAME POSTIVE, LAST NAME VIBES.
Anyway, back to the the key ingredient I’m talking about here: Spirulina.
This funky blue green algae grows in fresh water – and you’ll see it marketed as a ‘superfood powder’ which can be conveniently whizzed up in your morning smoothie for the mother of all health boosts. Sure, given the health benefits you can’t deny that spirulina deserves it’s name as a mega power product: It’s got a whole host of minerals and vitamins guaranteed to bring your blender to life – and that’s not just because of the mistakable shade of indigo that it’s famous for!
But let’s save that whole part for the nutrition pro’s and focus on how much it can benefit our skin as a game changing DIY beauty product, k? Cool.
It turns out that spirulina can actually make up one hell of a face mask – and is often found in high end already packaged masks/cleansers with an eye watering price tag to match. Surely brands wouldn’t rack up the prices for nothing – so what’s so good about it, huh?
ANTI-AGING
The high levels of Vitamin E in spirulina is pretty much the dream ingredient for combating the signs of aging on the skin and can help with reducing fine lines. So you might not have them yet – but it’s worth getting a head start, no?
SOOTHES INFLAMMATION
Spirulina has been known to help fight inflammatory skin conditions, which is down to it’s kick ass anti-bacterial properties.
DEEPLY CLEANSES
Ever heard of chlorophyll? Well. because spirulina is an algae that takes it’s energy for sunlight – it contains a whole lot of the stuff; making it the ultimate cleanser to banish toxins from the skin that can build up from everyday exposure to pollution. I’ll take that!
MOISTURISING
Not just a game changing detoxifier, spirulina helps to lock in the moisture too – which makes it the perfect face mask contender. I often find that masks can leave skin feeling pretty dry (anyone else?), so the fact that it does both the whole cleansing and moisturising thing is pretty cool to know.
Sunday self care has become quite the hype on social media; but why should it be just a one day a week occasion? Hell, I see no reason why you can’t have 30 minutes of pampering to yourself on a standard week night – and it’s exactly the small things like that can make your day a whole lot better, even if it is just as simple as stirring this mask in to a bowl and zenning the hell out for 15.
I say spark up your favourite candle, get Spotify blasting and fix yourself up a drank while you’re at it – because today the spa is coming to yours, baby!
If you’re wondering where to get your hands on spirulina, it is really easy to find and buy for a reasonable price – but the one I like to use is by Organic Burst.* Setting you back by just over a tenner, this powder will serve you oh-SO well and it’s also ideal for adding to your shakes, mylks or bakes should you decide to dip your toes in to the blue lagoon that is spirulina.
On second thoughts – I really do not recommend bathing in spirulina. That could be ugly. Maybe just stick to the safe option of the mask for now, yeah?
*NOT an ad!
TO MAKE:
Ingredients:
1-2tsp spirulina
1tsp filtered water
1tsp coconut oil (melted)
Method:
Put the ingredients in to a small bowl, stir well and apply with clean fingers on to your skin. Leave on for 15 minutes and wash off with warm water, before splashing your face with cold to close up the pores. Et voila!
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