Hydrating Face Masks: 11 Recipes That Really Work

Written by Aaron Guldager — July 02, 2018

Hydrating Face Masks: 11 Recipes That Really Work

We all strive for soft, supple, glowing skin. Too often, however, this goal is thwarted by the very skin we are trying to improve. Dryness, excess oil, and acne leave that youthful, smooth skin out of reach. If that wasn’t bad enough, harsh chemicals, pollution, and the sun’s UV rays can make your skin dry and wrinkled. It’s enough to make you want to stay inside for the foreseeable future.

Woman wearing a hydrating face mask

That’s not an option though, so we have to look elsewhere for solutions that keep our skin hydrated and healthy. We’ve compiled the 11 best hydrating face mask recipes to help you achieve soft, supple, glowing skin without the need for expensive and painful medical treatments.

1. Remove Shine With A Banana & Honey Face Mask

Sliced up banana to be used in a hydrating face mask

Oily skin can be deceptively difficult to treat. That’s because the oil often masks the dry skin underneath. For soft, healthy, shine-free skin, try this banana and honey hydrating face mask.

Ingredients:

  • Banana
  • Organic honey
  • Fresh-squeezed orange juice (optional)

Recipe:

  1. Mash 1 fully ripe banana in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of organic honey and mix thoroughly.
  3. Stir in 1 teaspoon of fresh-squeezed orange juice (optional),

To put this hydrating mask to use, first wash your face with lukewarm water. Then massage the mask into your skin, making sure to completely cover your T-zone. Leave it on your face for 20 minutes to get all the hydrating benefits. Rinse the mask off with lukewarm water, and pat your skin dry with a soft towel. The effects of aging will practically vanish before your eyes!

And if you really want to stop the signs of aging in their tracks, try SiO Beauty patches. They’re clinically proven to reduce wrinkle depth overnight. All you need to do is apply the patches in the evening before bed and then get a good night’s sleep, and you’ll wake up to smoother, younger-looking skin. It’s almost like going back in time!

2. Treat Acne With A Honey, Oatmeal & Milk Mask

honey on a wooden spoon prepared for a face mask

You don’t have to use the harsh chemicals found in most acne treatments. Try an all-natural treatment instead. The honey in this mask acts as a natural nourishing agent that helps your skin retain the moisture it needs. The oatmeal contains anti-acne properties that help keep skin clear and healthy. Here’s the recipe for all your acne-prevention needs.

Ingredients:

  • Dried oats
  • Organic honey
  • Whole milk

Recipe:

  1. Measure 3 tablespoons of dried oats into a blender.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of whole milk.
  3. Mix until you’ve made a paste.
  4. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of organic honey.

When you’ve blended enough to make a smooth paste, remove the mix from the blender and apply it to your face. Be sure to cover your skin evenly. Let the mask dry for 20 minutes and then wash it off with clean water. Finish the process by patting your skin dry with a soft towel. Acne-free skin here you come!

3. Hydrate Dry Skin With A Cucumber & Aloe Vera Mask

You’ve likely used aloe vera to soothe sunburned skin. Aloe hydrates, heals, and helps reverse the aging process like no other natural ingredient. Aloe can also be used on healthy skin to remedy dry skin. As an added benefit, the cucumber in this recipe contributes unique cooling and cleansing properties. Here’s how to make this simple hydrating mask.

Ingredients:

  • Aloe vera gel
  • Cucumber

Recipe:

  1. Cut ½ of a cucumber into slices.
  2. Place these slices in a blender and mix until watery.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel and blend until smooth.

For the best results, massage the paste evenly onto your face. We suggest relaxing and watching TV or reading a book while the mask dries. After a half-hour, rinse off the mask with cool water and pat your skin dry with a soft towel. Your skin will feel refreshed and rejuvenated!

4. Exfoliate With A Grape Hydrating Face Mask

The weak acid in grapes acts as a gentle exfoliator that effectively removes dead skin cells. The vitamin E helps your skin retain the moisture it needs to stay healthy. Here’s how to exfoliate and hydrate at the same time.

Ingredients:

  • 12 grapes
  • Flour

Recipe:

  1. Mash 12 grapes in a mixing bowl.
  2. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of flour.
  3. Mix well.

After you’ve created a paste with the mashed grapes and flour, spread the mixture on your face. Let the mask sit for 15 minutes. If you feel any discomfort because of the acid in the grapes, remove the mask immediately. After 15 minutes, wash your face with lukewarm water and dry with a soft towel. Your skin will feel tighter and smoother.

5. Prevent Dry Skin With A Shea Butter & Coconut Oil Mask

The combination of shea butter and coconut oil hydrates, softens, evens out skin tone, and restores elasticity. This is a very effective mask that you can use every week. Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • Shea butter
  • Coconut oil
  • Aloe vera (optional)

Recipe:

  1. Measure 1 tablespoon of shea butter into a small mixing bowl.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
  3. Stir until completely combined.
  4. Add 1 tablespoon of aloe vera (optional).
  5. Mix until smooth.

Spread the mixture onto your skin. Add extra to especially dry areas. Let the mask dry for 15 minutes, then rinse it off with lukewarm water.

6. Fight Free Radicals With A Honey & Epsom Salt Mask

Epsom salt in a wooden leaf-shaped bowl

Epsom salt is a pure mineral (magnesium sulfate) that can work wonders on your skin. It fights free radicals, alleviates inflammation, and helps your body flush toxins out of your skin. Combine that with the hydrating power of honey and you’ve got yourself a powerful hydrating mask. Here’s how you can whip up a honey and Epsom salt face mask.

Ingredients:

  • Epsom salt
  • Honey

Recipe:

  1. Measure 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of honey.
  3. Mix until you’ve created a paste.

Smooth the paste onto your skin. Relax for 30 minutes while the mask dries. Then, wash your face with lukewarm water and gently dry your skin.

7. Soothe Inflamed Skin With A Vitamin E & Avocado Mask

An avocado sliced in half on a wooden surface

Vitamin E is a powerful anti-inflammatory that also repairs and protects your skin. It’s found in green, leafy vegetables, but you can also apply it directly to your skin for a healing boost. With the moisturizing properties of avocado, this mask will soothe and restore dry, damaged skin. Here’s how to reap the benefits of these effective hydrators.

Ingredients:

  • Vitamin E oil
  • Avocado

Recipe:

  1. Remove the pit and skin from half an avocado.
  2. Mash the avocado in a mixing bowl.
  3. Add 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil.
  4. Mix well.

To soothe inflamed skin, apply the mask to your face and let it dry for 20 minutes. Wash your face with lukewarm water and dry gently with a clean towel.

8. Put Minerals In Your Skin With A Yeast Hydrating Face Mask

Brewer’s yeast is chock-full of important vitamins and minerals like chromium, selenium, and vitamin B. These essential vitamins and minerals help your skin stay healthy and hydrated all day long. They’re also great at preventing wrinkles. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

  • Powdered brewer’s yeast
  • Honey
  • Warm milk

Recipe:

  1. Measure 1 tablespoon of brewer’s yeast into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and mix well.
  3. Stir in ¼ cup of milk.
  4. Mix until you’ve created a smooth paste.

Apply the yeast hydrating mask to your skin and let it dry for 15 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water and then dry your skin with a soft towel.

9. Brighten Your Skin With A Strawberry & Yogurt Hydrating Face Mask

Strawberries contain a number of powerful antioxidants, like polyphenols, anthocyanins, quercetin, and Vitamin C. In addition, yogurt contains lactic acid, an exfoliant that breaks down dead skin cells and allows them to be washed away.

Combine these two ingredients together and you’ve got an effective hydrating mask that will brighten up your skin in no time.

strawberries in a bowl of yogurt to be used as a hydrating face mask

Ingredients:

  • Strawberries
  • Greek yogurt 
  • Honey (optional)

Recipe:

  1. Using a blender or a whisk, mash 3 ripe, medium-sized strawberries in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add 2 teaspoons of Greek yogurt. Continue to mix.
  3. Mix in 1 teaspoon of honey to combine the mixture. 
  4. Stir until the ingredients have a smooth consistency.

You can leave this mask on for anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. If you have a dry skin type, 10 minutes is probably best, whereas up to 15 minutes is better for women with an oily skin type.

10. Fight Wrinkles With A Papaya & Honey Face Mask

Papaya is yet another natural ingredient full of vitamins and antioxidants. Papayas contain Vitamin C, flavonoids, beta hydroxy acid, and papain, a compound found only in papaya that’s known for removing impurities and unclogging pores. 

If you want to glow like a tropical sun, this papaya and honey hydrating face mask is for you!

Ingredients:

  • Papaya
  • Honey
  • Milk

Recipe:

  1. Scoop half of the papaya into a blender or food processor and puree it. 
  2. Mix the papaya puree into a bowl with 1 tablespoon of honey and 2 teaspoons of milk.
  3. Stir the ingredients together until smooth and evenly mixed.

Apply the mask and let it sit for about twenty minutes. Wash it off with warm water to reveal smoother skin!

11. Purify Your Skin With A Dead Sea Clay Mask

woman using a dead sea clay mask lying on a rock

Dead Sea clay has been used in skin care treatments for thousands of years. Because the clay has so many metallic minerals — magnesium, potassium, calcium — it actually carries a negative electrical charge.

This negative charge pulls all of the positively-charged dirt and oils out of your pores. That’s why it’s such an incredible product!

Ingredients:

  • Dead Sea clay
  • Aloe vera 
  • Warm water

Recipe:

  1. Combine 2 tablespoons of Dead Sea clay and 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel in a mixing bowl. 
  2. Stir the ingredients until evenly mixed.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of warm water and continue to stir.
  4. Mix until the consistency is even.

This is one hydrating face mask that you can leave on as long as you please. Rinse it off whenever you’re ready!

The ingredients for these easy-to-make face masks can be found at your local grocery store. These masks can be used on your chest, neck, and back to improve the appearance of your skin and reduce acne.

While these DIY recipes can work wonders, try SiO Beauty patches for even better results and powerful wrinkle prevention. SiO Beauty patches are a vast improvement over homemade masks and a great alternative to expensive surgeries.

Additional Tips To Keep Your Skin Hydrated

Hydrating face masks are definitely an important step in your skin care routine.  But skin care is just one aspect of your overall health and well-being.

If you want to have gorgeous, glowing skin, you need to take care of your whole body! Here are some helpful health tips to follow for smooth, beautiful skin.

Eat Well

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that your diet has a huge impact on your health. So why wouldn’t your diet have an impact on your skin? If you want smooth, beautiful skin, it’s crucial to eat well.

What does it mean to eat well? You can start by including as many of these 27 anti-aging foods in your diet as possible. And if you want to go all-out, you can try this wonderful skin detox diet.

But eating well doesn’t need to be too complicated — basically, just eat way less junk food and way more vegetables.

an assortment of fruits and vegetables in a basket outside
Drink Plenty Of Water

More than half of your body is made up of H2O molecules. It’s no wonder that you need water to stay healthy! Medical experts recommend drinking at least 64 ounces (8 glasses) of water every day.

Face masks are an effective way to keep your skin cells hydrated. Drinking plenty of water will make sure they’re getting all the hydration they need from the inside, too.

Exercise Regularly

We all know that it’s important to work out. But did you know that research has shown exercise can actually help your skin fight the signs of aging? According to Frank Frisch, Ph.D., director of kinesiology at Chapman University, exercise can make you feel and look younger. It’s just one of the amazing effects of being active.

Healthcare professionals recommend getting 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least three times per week. This means you don’t need to run wind sprints in order to stay healthy. A light jog, bike ride, or Pilates class is perfect.

Drink Alcohol In Moderation

Enjoying a nice cocktail or a glass of wine is a great way to unwind at the end of a long day. Just remember not to overdo it! Alcohol can dehydrate your skin and prevent skin cells from repairing themselves, which leads to wrinkles. So always drink in moderation.

Also, if you’re a smoker, you should make every effort to quit immediately. It’s not just about preventing smoker’s lines — smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health.

Get Enough Sleep

Your body needs rest to repair itself and recuperate from the wear and tear of daily life. This is especially true for your skin! Your skin needs beauty sleep to repair damaged skin cells and produce more of the proteins it needs.

Maximize your sleeping time by wearing SiO smoothing patches.  Made from medical-grade silicone, SiO patches create a microclimate on the surface of your skin that allows the skin to hydrate itself and become more plump. 


SiO Beauty patches are available for your neck and brow, as well as your eye and smile regions.

If you want smooth, hydrated skin that glows like the sun, try the hydrating face masks we’ve covered in this article and start wearing SiO Beauty patches right away!

Hydrating Face Masks