Best Masks for Glowing Skin

Winter tends to leave the skin dull and dry with patches and a lack of brightness. As winter is almost over, most of us head to the gym to get the ultimate bikini body, but often neglect our skin.

Healthy and glowing skin appeals more than a beautiful face, and uplifts the whole personality.

While most people are too busy for spa pampering session, or may find it heavy on the pocket, and tend to resort to foundations and highlighters for the 'glowing' effect, the results don't stay for long.

It is not just a celebrity and model luxury, but glowing and gorgeous skin can be easily achieved at home, with a few simple products that can easily be found in your refrigerator or kitchen cabinet.

Investing in easy skin care which is not time consuming, and leads to effective results, is certainly a blessing in disguise.

Here's a look at some masks to get the glam glow just in time for spring and summer, so that your bikini body can be complimented with flawless skin:

Banana & Honey

Bananas are the superstars of all fruits and are great for the body, skin and even hair. Combined with the healing properties of honey, it soothes the skin, getting rid of any dry patches, and leaving a beautiful glow. Mash half a banana and make a smooth mixture with a teaspoon of honey. Leave on the skin for 20 minutes, and rinse off.

Dark Chocolate & Yogurt

Dark chocolate?! Yes, you have read it right. Pure dark chocolate contains antioxidants that protect the skin from damage. It soothes and hydrates the skin and even relaxes the blood vessels! Combine a few chunks of melted dark chocolate with some fresh yogurt, and welcome skin that is relaxed and glowing. Remember that the dark chocolate has to be at least 90% pure cocoa.

Potato & Lemon

Potato and lemon juice combined together gives amazing results for a fresh and glowing complexion. Grate a potato, squeeze it to extract the juice and add a spoonful of lemon juice. Apply this on your face and neck in gentle circular motions, massaging softly, and leave on for 15 minutes before washing it off with cool water. Potato juice is known to get rid of blemishes, and lemon improves the complexion.

Watermelon, Cucumber & Tomato

Mixing together the pulp and juice of a few watermelon, cucumber and tomato chunks and applying on the face will get rid of any tan and blemishes, while soothing the skin, leaving it soft and supple. Tomato juice also improves the complexion, and this mixture keeps the skin cool and refreshed. This mask is especially effective for the hot summer months or on a return from a beach trip. Refrigerate to cool before using, and leave on for at least 20 minutes.

Fuller's Earth, Rose Water & Sandal Wood

Tried and tested, this mask is certainly the best among others! It's a traditional Indian recipe, used by Mughal Queens to beautify their skins, and it gets rid of oily skin too. Mix a tablespoon of Fuller's Earth, half a teaspoon of sandal wood powder with cold rose water to make a smooth paste, apply on the skin and wash off once dried completely. It makes the skin glow and shine, and also removes any impurities. The ingredients for this mask would be available at any Indian store or even online.

Olive Oil & Brown Sugar

This is a gentle scrub that exfoliates the skin, leaving it soft, supple and glowing. Brown sugar gently gets rid of dead and dull skin while olive oil is rich in nutrients, and makes the skin moisturized. Mix a spoonful of brown sugar with equal parts of olive oil and in circular motions rub onto the face and neck. A few drops of lemon juice may also be mixed into this mixture to get instant brightness. After massaging for five minutes, leave on for ten minutes and wash off.

Gram Flour, Almond Oil & Turmeric

A smooth paste made up of gram flour, almond oil and powdered turmeric gets rids of oily skin, enhances the complexion and keeps the skin youthful. Turmeric has antibacterial properties and also helps in removing any tan. Combine two tablespoons of gram flour with a heaped teaspoon of turmeric and use almond oil to make a paste. Rose water, milk or curd may also be used. Apply for 20 minutes or until dried completely. Rub gently with moist fingers and wash off with cool water.

Along with using these masks at least weekly, it is important to maintain a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables, and regular exercise. Apply moisturizer and sunscreen daily, and removing any makeup before bed also leads to healthy and clean skin.