Facial masques have been used for thousands of years as part of beauty regiments by people the world over looking to better or maintain the health and appearance of one’s skin. Thankfully I have been hip to this since I was a little girl, using them mostly as part of a 2 step process, after steaming my face to open my pores. There really is no comparison when using a facial cleanser in the shower, to the super-clean rejuvenating feeling achieved after using a masque.

Generally speaking, masques are either a peel-off kind or a wash-off kind. Extremely versatile, accommodating all skin types, they can be made from a variety of ingredients like yogurt, mud/clay, fruit/vegetable and grains. Masques help with a variety of skin concerns encompassing – moisturization, exfoliation, correcting conditions like blemishes, soothing conditions like sunburn, minimizing wrinkles and fine lines, drawing out impurities and refining pores.

Personally, I love the way my face looks and feels after using a facial masque. I just wish I could remember to use them on a regular basis, rather than just a random 3 times a year, or there about!

My husband really thinks I look hot-to-trot in my Balanced Guru Masque

What Are We Putting On Our Skin

I strongly believe that it is just as important to be aware about what you put on your skin as to what you put inside of your body. Many of us Mummies, go to considerably effort to be healthy and strong in many ways; exercising regularly, drinking alcohol in moderation or maybe eating a special diet? I know I want to be as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as I possibly can be, so I can be a focused Mother to my beautiful little boy who is the apple of my eye! However, even though we go to great lengths, it seems to be somewhat commonplace to overlook all the chemicals and toxins in the personal products we use on a daily basis, which with continual exposure are said to be linked to all kinds of conditions with one example being breast cancer.

There are literally hundreds of kinds of masques available on the market today, but are they safe? I am going to jump right in here and say – No, Unfortunately the majority of them are Not. Mainstream beauty Products are riddled with parabens, sulfates, phthalates, petroleum, GMO’s and pesticide sprayed ingredients. And, that’s not pretty!

For me it is very clear-cut; heightened and constant exposure to such toxins, in the form of synthetic lab made ingredients, are harmful to one’s health and should be avoided at all costs. Period.

So what can you do to avoid this kind of exposure?

Well, you can either make your own facial masque, which is surely rewarding but also a time-consuming project considering the research and preparation time. Or, you can buy a masque from a brand honestly providing a safe product which you can be assured using, like Balanced Guru.

Balanced Guru (don’t you love the name) make a full line of products including facial masques, body balm, body oil, exfoliators, cleansers, toners, hair oils, scalp treatments and energy blends and mists. Not just that, this company REALLY cares about OUR Planet, and we cannot rave about that enough! All their products are certified organic being sustainably and responsibly harvested, they are cruelty free and their bottles and jars are made with post-consumer resin (PCR), which means they are recycled and 100% recyclable. LOVE that!

Let’s chat about the Spiced Berry Masque

Colorful berries are a great way to feed your skin with antioxidants. Clove and Cinnamon are also loaded with antioxidants to help fight free radicals. In case that wasn’t enough; vitamin C will give this masque and extra boost to also brighten your complexion — Balanced Guru

The first thing I experienced opening Balanced Guru’s Spiced Berry Masque is the overwhelming spicy warm comforting smell. It takes you to a whole new world, just really wonderful.

The masque comes in a dry loose powder. This means that you can play around and get creative with the liquid you use to mix in to activate it. Mixer suggestions, as per the packaging, are either water, raw honey or yogurt. But, how do you know which one suits you best? I wondered the same thing myself, so I did a little research!

If you use water you will just be absorbing the benefits of the ingredients; feeling frisky, add a small amount of apple cider vinegar to help regulate your skin’s PH levels. If you use raw honey the masque will include antiseptic, healing, soothing and antibacterial properties. If you use yogurt (I used my all time favorite Anita’s Coconut Vegan variety) you will topically take in the probiotic, the lactic acid can also help to soften skin and reduce fine lines! Just a note about the yogurt, using a sugar and hormone free kind is best, and you want to make sure that it contains live and active cultures to receive the greatest benefits.

My 3-year-old Son, graciously, mixed my masque for me. He delights in helping out with anything kitchen related, however he was not game enough to try the masque himself! Maybe next time?

I put the masque on using my hands and then went outside, enjoying the sunshine letting it naturally dry for around 25 minutes. I easily washed it off with cold water in the sink, and voilà my skin was super squeaky clean. And, I had complete peace of mind knowing I had used what I consider to be a wonderful product.

My little rainbow mixing my masque up for me with some vegan coconut yogurt

The antioxidant Spiced Organic masque comes in 2 sizes; a 4 oz which retails for $45, and a convenient 1 oz travel size which retails for $12. Balanced Guru also offer an astringent masque, moisturizing masque and a calming masque. You can see them all HERE.

Thanks for stopping by Willy B Mum. Peace, Love and Plants Make the World Go Around!