Cooking Up Great Skin — from Home!

Portrait of beautiful woman with blue cream mask on her face.

“Quarantine cooking” is quickly finding Houstonians digging in their pantry and searching the internet for clever recipes that utilize pantry staples and obscure produce (hey, why not snag a papaya along with those bunches of bananas and the very last not-rotten apple?).


But Face Haus, a national skincare outfit opening a Houston location in Rice Village soon, has a few suggestions for refreshing ways to make the most of your precious ingredients — and give yourself a moment or two of zen, while you’re at it.

Its expert estheticians share recipes for DIY face masks below! Mix the following ingredients, gently massage into clean, dry skin and leave for 10 minutes before thoroughly rinsing with warm water.

Best for Dry Skin: Avocado

  1. One mashed avocado (rich in omega fatty acids that repair the skin’s protective barrier)
  2. 1 tablespoon olive oil (offers similar benefits)
  3. 2 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt (rich in probiotics and has a soothing and cooling effect)
  4. 1 tablespoon honey (rich in polysaccharides, which bind water to the skin)

Best for Dull Skin: Papaya

  1. ½ cup mashed papaya (rich in papain enzyme, a gentle exfoliant)
  2. 1 teaspoon honey  (rich in polysaccharides, which bind water to the skin)
  3. 1 whipped egg white (firms skin and binds the mask)

Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Banana

  1. 1 mashed banana (rich in vitamin A, which promotes cell turnover)
  2. ½ teaspoon baking soda (absorbs excess oil)
  3. ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory)

Best for Rough Skin: Cucumber

  1. ½ cucumber, pureed (cooling, soothing and hydrating)
  2. ¼ cup milk (rich in lactic acid, which exfoliates and firms)
  3. 1 tablespoon honey (rich in polysaccharides, which bind water to the skin)
  4. 1 tablespoon brown sugar (rich in polysaccharides, which bind water to the skin)

Best for Sensitive Skin: Yogurt

  1. 1 tablespoon plain whole-milk yogurt (rich in probiotics and has a soothing and cooling effect)
  2. 1 teaspoon honey  (rich in polysaccharides, which bind water to the skin)
  3. 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (rich in flavonoids, which calm, protect and soothe skin)

Best for Oily Skin: Oatmeal

  1. ½ cup cooked and cooled oatmeal (hydrating, soothing, cleansing and anti-inflammatory)
  2. 1 egg (the yolk is rich in fatty acids and the whites are rich in a firming protein called albumin)
  3. 1 tablespoon lemon juice (citric acid stimulates cell turnover and brightens complexion)

Best for Hands that Have Been Washed to Death: Yogurt and Oats

  1. 2 tablespoons oats (full of antioxidants, lipids and beta-glucans that moisturize and soothe)
  2. 1 tablespoon honey (rich in polysaccharides, which bind water to the skin)
  3. 1-2 tablespoons of Green yogurt (naturally probiotic and gently exfoliating)
Dispatches
‘Culture of Service and Accountability’ Supports Mission of Orion EMS

Gerard O’Brien, President/CEO & Founder, and Sumi Patel, Vice President

HOW DID YOU get where you are today? The EMS industry, quite literally, never stops. Our staff and units are called to serve our community every hour of every day; there are no weekends, holidays, or “days off.” Obviously, the demands of EMS are not for the faint of heart, and we have established a culture of service and accountability that is different than nearly every other organization. Our leadership team sets this culture by exhibiting their passion for this industry daily. Their tireless dedication makes a better experience for our staff when they come to work and for our patients and clients when they call on us to transport their loved ones.

Keep ReadingShow less

Masterson's frocks are made from prints fashioned from her nature photographs.

THEY SAY A picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of artist Libbie Masterson, her storied collection of global and Houston-centric photographs does the talking — on apparel and accessories, that is.

Art for Wear is Masterson’s new fashion line, in which her professional landscape photographs are printed on various fabrics and finished as wearable art, clothing and accessories. Her collection includes an artistic line of women’s dresses, light wraps, tunics, purses and various unisex bags splashed with her iconic photography. Love Houston’s South Boulevard? There’s a dress for that. Always on the move? She has a yoga mat and the backpack of your dreams!

Keep ReadingShow less
Art+Culture

A detail of 'Harbor Nest' by Collins

THE HOLIDAY SEASON has been especially busy for Houston artist Michael Roqué Collins. The day after Thanksgiving, an epic series of Collins’ oil-on-canvas paintings titled In the Chama, Where the Spirit Flowsopened at LewAllen Galleries in Santa Fe, NM. Meanwhile, two of his paintings are included in Crosscurrent Yokohama – Texas Exchange 2023, a cross-cultural group show of works by 25 artists from Japan and Texas, currently on view at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art. Coastal Gardens, an exhibit of recent, smaller-size watercolors will be on view at Redbud Arts Center Dec. 2-27.

Keep ReadingShow less
Art + Entertainment