Coconut Oil Facial Mask for Clear Skin: 5 Recipes for Different Skin Conditions
If you’re a regular here you may be wondering why I’d be recommending a coconut oil facial mask to clear up your skin. You see, I steer clear of coconut oil in my hair and face products because it causes huge cystic acne for me. But the fact is that coconut oil does have some very beneficial attributes that can help you to achieve clear skin. Crazy, right? I’ll explain.
In this post I’ll describe a few coconut oil benefits especially for your skin and show you how I’m still able to incorporate this miracle oil into my DIY beauty regimen without leaving any of it on my skin to wreak havoc. I’ll also share with you a few of my favorite coconut oil face mask recipes that I use depending on what my skin needs at any given time.
Benefits of Coconut Oil for Face
It’s no secret that coconut oil is a miracle oil with 101 different uses for face, hair, weight loss and general health and wellness. Heck, you can even use this oil around your house as an organic way to keep your wooden furniture shiny amongst so many other uses. But why is it so good for your face?
Coconut oil is fat. It’s a highly saturated fat taken directly from coconuts and is made up primarily of lauric acid. It is antimicrobial and anti-fungal and has been studied and proven to be effective against the bacteria that causes acne. In fact in that same study, lauric acid was shown to be more effective than benzoyl peroxide, another common treatment of acne.
Coconut oil may also help your skin to heal faster. This means if you’re suffering from acne scars (or any type of scar really), incorporating coconut oil in your beauty regimen can help to give you clear skin.
The problem with coconut oil, however, is that it is also highly comedogenic, which means it can block the pores of your skin. So what’s a girl to do, especially if you’re already plagued with oily skin? Read on to see how I’m still safely able to incorporate coconut oil in my facial routine.
How to Use a Coconut Oil Facial Mask for Clear Skin
So below I’ll give you my current 5 favorite coconut oil face mask recipes but I wanted to give you some instructions for application first. It’s very important for me to remove all the coconut oil from my face after each mask. I start each facial routine with a cleanse. If I’m wearing makeup I double cleanse, first with a face wipe and a little EVOO or with some micellar water on a cotton ball depending on what I have on hand and my mood. Then I use my favorite cleanser to go in and remove everything the wipe missed.
I’ll then apply a toner to my face which is often another DIY step in my beauty regimen. This can simply be some rosewater or my thyme green tea toner to remove anything the soap left on my face and get my skin ready to receive the mask. Toning here helps the face mask to really sink in and do its work.
I’ll then apply my mask and leave it on for a maximum of 10 – 15 minutes and not a minute more. You don’t want the coconut oil on your face much longer than that. But here’s the most important step.
To remove the mask from my face I first rinse off with warm water then I apply a clean white washcloth soaked in the warmest water I can tolerate and spread that on my face. This is essentially steaming my face, melting the oil and opening up my pores. I leave that on my face for about a minute until the washcloth starts to cool then I gently massage my skin with the washcloth, exfoliating my face and removing any leftover oil in the process.
I apply a toner to my face here once more to remove any leftover oil again as well as to hydrate my face after exfoliation and get it ready for any serums or treatment I may be applying in my next step. Read all about skincare the products I recommend for you if you’re over 30.
Let’s get into some coconut oil facial mask recipes depending on the skin condition you’re treating for.
Coconut Oil and Honey Mask
This mask is perfect if you suffer from dry skin and need some hydration. I like to use this mask once a week to help with the dry patches around my mouth plus munchkin’s eczema calms right down when I apply this coconut oil and honey mask to her skin. Honey is also detoxifying and quite beneficial for skin that’s why it’s used in many DIY and commercial beauty treatments.
To make this mask, blend together:
- one tbsp honey
- one tsp coconut oil
You might add the ingredients to a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to melt together and make it easier to mix. Apply all over face and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing and applying your warm towel.
Coconut Oil and Oatmeal Face Mask
If you’re looking for a gentle way to exfoliate your face, this mask is for you. If you’re suffering from an acne outbreak, the coconut oil will work against the bacteria that’s causing it while the oatmeal gently exfoliates dead skin and rejuvenates the cells to promote skin overturn. This mask is a great way to wake up with baby soft smooth skin.
To make this mask you will need:
- 2 tbsp oats (any kind)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Blend the ingredients together in a personal blender or you may choose to blend just the oatmeal first so it’s more of a powdery consistency then simply mix with the melted coconut oil into a paste-like consistency. Massage this gently into your face and allow to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing.
Aloe Vera and Coconut Oil for Acne
This is another acne mask just in case you’re worried about oatmeal being a little too harsh of an exfoliant, especially since you will also be exfoliating with your washcloth after. It’s no secret that I sing the praises high and low for aloe vera. It’s the star ingredient in my Aloe Vera Deep Conditioner for curly hair. But aloe is also super for your skin! This study confirmed that aloe vera is quite beneficial in the fight against acne so blending it with coconut oil in a face mask doubles down on your skin issues.
If course, the real deal will always be better than any aloe vera gel on the market. Try to get your hands on an aloe leaf if possible or get yourself an aloe plant. If not, give this aloe vera and coconut oil face mask a try using this organic aloe vera gel. Watch the video below to see how I get the gel from an aloe leaf for my hair treatment.
If you’re using the gel from the leaf, you’ll definitely need a personal blender to mix it together with some coconut oil to make your face mask. Otherwise, simply mix equal parts aloe gel and coconut oil and massage into face.
Coconut Oil, Yogurt and Lemon
What a concoction, right? So this helps with your overall complexion. If you want to brighten your face, give it an even tone and texture, then this mask is for you. Try it out twice a week and see what your results are like. The lemon will help to rid your skin of dead skin cells and brighten the face. The yogurt does a little of the same but it’s also antibacterial and goes in deeper to help brighten the skin and even its tone.
You’ll need:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp plain yogurt, no added sugar or flavor or fruit or anything
- the juice from half a lemon
Use a fork or whisk to blend all ingredients together and apply to face for 10-15 minutes. By the way, this upright whisk is the best thing since sliced bread. It will help to incorporate all these ingredients better if you’re not using a blender. Continue as usual with rinse and face towel.
Coconut Oil and Turmeric Face Mask
You can use this face mask particularly if you want to not only brighten your skin tone, which turmeric is famous for but also to remove unwanted facial hairs. You’ll have to be really diligent with applying this mask. As with most natural beauty concoctions, they are not as potent as chemicals but they are obviously much more gentle and beneficial to your skin. The lack of potency means if you want them to work, you gotta be diligent. Apply this mask once a week to gradually thin the hairs on your face until they are no more. They won’t grow back! So obviously you want to be careful around your eyebrows with this mask but bye-bye mustache!
You will need:
- 1 tsp organic turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
If you’re really wanting to even your skin tone then add honey and lemon to this mix for one super coconut oil face mask. Mix all ingredients together and apply as usual.
Should You Leave Coconut Oil on Your Face Overnight
For me, this is a huge no. However, I would say to try it for yourself and see what your results are. The theory behind leaving coconut oil on your face overnight is to help lighten the skin in general. But I fear that in the pursuit of a more even skin tone, this is not the best product to choose, especially if you already have oily skin.
Remember, coconut oil can clog your pores. Leaving it on overnight is just a recipe for disaster for me but I recognize that I seem to be in the minority of people who react negatively to using coconut oil products on skin and hair. This is why I advise you to try it yourself and see what the results are for you. However, I strongly recommend you wait at least a week after your initial trial to truly judge the results.
If you’re wanting to try this out, use any of the above DIY face masks depending on what you want to achieve then use coconut oil as your final step in your usual face routine as a moisturizer. Leave it on overnight but cleanse your face again in the morning! Not just with water, actually cleanse your face to get rid of the coconut oil.
As always, please use a high quality organic extra virgin coconut oil for any of these face treatments.
Will you be trying coconut oil in your beauty regimen? If you already do please share with us the results in the comments so we can see first hand how it helps you! Check out my further reading if you want to see what are my must-haves in my at-home facial kit.
