CREDIT: "DAY 334 - MO MASK" BY LINTMACHINE ON FLICKR. LICENSED UNDER CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Overcome harsh winters and dry skin by making your own face masks.

NEW WESTMINSTER — Professional face masks or spa treatments can be expensive, and, as students, very few of us have any extra cash to spare. But everyone wants that baby-soft skin that only some mindless self-indulgence can provide. Luckily there is a cheap, organic alternative to all those skin treatments you just can’t afford.

You will need:

1/2 a ripe avocado

1/2 cup dry oatmeal

1/2 cup organic honey

Two of ice cubes

With a fork, crush the avocado until it becomes a paste. Thoroughly mix in the oatmeal and honey until smooth. Cleanse your face with a hot cloth, concentrating on your T-zone – across you brow and down your nose – and any problem areas, using the heat of the cloth to open up your pores.

Apply the avocado mixture all over your face, starting with the T-zone. Be sure to spread a little down your neck as well, without creating too much of a mess. Avoid your eyelids and lips during this – as good as the mask will smell, it will taste disgusting.

After everything is applied wait a minimum of 45 minutes before hopping in the shower or bath and washing everything off. Though it may seem gross, removing the mask in the shower or bath will help you retain some of the moisture the mask provides, as well as keeping those pores open.

After you’re all cleaned up, take some ice and run it along any area where you have large or visible pores. Most often this occurs on or around the nose. The sudden shock of cold will help shrink the pores.

Getting down to the nitty-gritty of why these particular ingredients are actually a benefit, and not just there to make you look like the swamp-thing, keep in mind that the avocado provides moisture and essential oils that will soften and brighten the skin, making it the perfect base for any skin or hair treatment.

The oatmeal, as long as it’s just plain, will help absorb those bad oils and sebum that the skin produces. But the star here is actually the honey. Traditionally honey acts as an organic anti-septic that is perfectly safe for the treatment of acne and other skin issues that are at risk of infection, without any burning sensations or irritation.