Avocado Face Mask Anyone?

Despite the undoubtedly hectic nature of the student lifestyle and the punishing effects it has on our skin, I have yet to find a student loan that will stretch to a restorative facial.  So this weekend, with a surplus of time and a shortage of cash, I decided to carry out some DIY repair work on my face and those of my unwitting... and quite frankly unwilling housemates. I perused the Internet and had my curiosity piqued by the rejuvenation and regeneration promised by an avocado and honey face-mask. Mmmmm.  Avocado, it said, was rich in numerous vitamins and potassium, known as the youth mineral. This made me waver for a minute because really I don’t need to look any younger... I probably wouldn’t be adverse to an ageing mineral actually. Still, as apparently Cleopatra used honey as part of her beauty regime and I am not one to pass up beauty tips from the queen of Egypt, I decided to give it a go.

                So this morning I gamely whacked out my blender and, bribing my housemates with bagels, began to blitz my way to a glowing complexion.  In went two avocados, a couple of dollops of honey and hey-presto we were done. So far so good. I sat back to have a self-congratulatory munch on my bagel and there was my first mistake. Anyone who has dealt with avocados will know that when exposed to air they oxidise. Now getting people to smear a vibrant green, mousy concoction on their face is one thing but when it has formed a skin the colour of baby poo, (Grace’s words not mine) it is quite another. When I bought forth the fruit of my labours it was received with universal scepticism. Nims and Bekki suddenly had highly sensitive skin and even Grace, usually the most gun-ho of my housemates with her face, looked less than impressed.  After numerous assurances of the purity of the ingredients however, I persuaded them to give it a go.

                 Now texturally I wouldn’t say it was the most appealing of substances, (I think I might have over-blended a little bit) and the smell also left something to be desired, but once it was on it really wasn’t that bad. Now all we had to do was sit and wait, (looking like Shrek’s offspring) before rinsing our way to rejuvenation. After 20 tense minutes, during which I approximated dermatologist bills for five, it was time for the moment of truth. Rinsing away the green goo with cold water, (apparently this closes the pores, sealing in the moisture)  I was actually pleasantly surprised! Not only had I avoided giving the entire house a skin condition but we all agreed that our faces felt very soft and smooth.

                Now for the question... Was it worth it? If you’ve got a free morning/ evening and a ripe avocado at hand then the answer is yes. I’d say there is far less risk to your beauty involved with this homemade recipe than some of the cheap, chemical-filled concoctions you can buy in the shops and there was a definite positive result for not much effort. Just remember that a little goes a long way, I used 2 avocados between 5 (for some reason I thought we’d use as much on our faces as we’d eat in a salad) and this was far too much. Half an avocado for two would be fine and would avoid that awkward remainder down-the-sink or in-the-bin dilemma that I’m having now.