Pumpkin Enzyme Face Mask
Pumpkin spice season isn’t just for lattes, you can use it in skincare too. This simple fall DIY facial at home comes together with just a few ingredients from the kitchen – pumpkin puree, yogurt and pumpkin spice blend.
Pumpkin contains naturally occurring enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids, while plain yogurt adds lactic acid for gentle exfoliation. Together they make an amazing mask that leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.
And if you don’t tolerate dairy, don’t worry I’ve included a dairy-free option below.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plain pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tablespoon yogurt (I use vanilla greek yogurt bc I like the vanilla scent)
- 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Directions
Add the pumpkin puree, yogurt and pumpkin pie spice to a small bowl and stir until smooth.
Apply a thin layer to clean skin, avoiding the eye and lip area. Leave on for 10-15 minutes then rinse thoroughly with warm water. Use up to 2x a week.
Follow with your favorite moisturizer or facial oil like our rose oil serum.
*Sensitive skin warning: Because pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice can be active on the skin, I recommend starting with a short application time and doing a small patch test before applying the mask to your entire face.
Why Yogurt?
The yogurt isn’t just there to make the mask creamy.
Plain yogurt naturally contains lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that can help loosen dead skin cells and leave the skin feeling smoother and brighter. The probiotic content helps to reduce inflammation, protect the skin’s natural barrier and calm acne breakouts. Yogurt also adds moisture and gives this mask a lovely creamy consistency.
Making It Dairy-Free
You can easily make this mask without yogurt.
Simply combine:
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
- 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut yogurt with live and active cultures
Just know that you’ll be missing the lactic acid that comes naturally from yogurt.
A Note About Pumpkin Pie Spice
A little pumpkin pie spice goes a long way on the face. Most pumpkin pie spice blends contain warming spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, which can be irritating for some sensitive skin types but great for increasing circulation and blood flow to the skin’s surface for most people.
That’s why this recipe uses only ⅛ teaspoon for the entire mask.
If your skin is sensitive, you can skip the spice altogether and still have a lovely pumpkin facial.
