Making your own facial beauty masks and scrubs is easy, fun and surprisingly very inexpensive. Many of the recipes can be easily whipped up right from ingredients you may already have on hand in the bathroom and kitchen cupboards. Even if you do not already have the items readily available, most require very little investment and can be easily picked up at a grocery, health food or drug store.

We should take great care of our skin since it is considered to be the body's largest organ. It is porous (meaning liquids can pass through or be absorbed by) and fragile living tissue that is easily penetrated. It can be adversely affected by outside sources, such as extreme heat like sunburn, cold temperatures, lotions and creams. It can also be negatively affected by internal sources like smoking, stress and consuming alcohol excessively.

Masks

Dehydrated skin: Squeeze juice from or blend a half of a cucumber and mix with two teaspoons of cornstarch and one teaspoon of olive oil. Apply to clean face with a cotton ball. Leave on approximately ten minutes, then rinse with cool water. Pat skin dry with a soft cloth, then follow up with a moisturizer.

Dry, sensitive skin: Mix together one egg yolk, one teaspoon of honey with two tablespoons of yogurt. Apply to clean face with a cotton ball. Rinse thoroughly after approximately ten minutes with cool water, then pat dry with a soft towel. Follow up with a moisturizer.

Normal: Apply a thin layer of Milk of Magnesia (available in the pharmacy area), with a cotton ball. Rinse with a warm towel and pat dry. Follow up up with a moisturizer.

Oily: Combine approximately two tablespoons of honey, oatmeal and lemon juice to form a paste. Apply to the face, avoiding the eye area for approximately ten minutes. Remove with warm water and pat face with soft dry towel, then apply a moisturizer.

Scrubs

Choose a base of olive oil or honey with your choice of exfoliating material. Natural exfoliants can be raw brown sugar, sea salt, kosher salt, corn meal, ground oats. Gently apply in a circular motion to rough areas of the body like heals, hands, feet, knees and elbows. Then rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

Remember it is best to mix only small, one-time use batches. Since the ingredients are natural and do not contain the preservatives like commercial products, they will not keep for extended periods.