The skin is constantly exposed to negative influences and therefore problems often occur with it: wrinkles, swelling, scratches, acne. The latter accompany a person throughout adolescence, and the “lucky” ones even into old age. There can be many reasons for this: malfunctions of the body, poor nutrition, improper care. To get rid of acne, people resort to perverted methods of treatment, stuffing the skin with chemicals. More gentle options are homemade cosmetics, including potatoes.
Do potato masks help against wrinkles?
The first facial wrinkles begin to appear after 25 years. Most often they are found around the eyes, on the bridge of the nose, and in the forehead area. This is due to a reduction in the production of collagen, a “building” substance responsible for cell renewal, elasticity and firmness of the epidermis. Over time, the top layer of skin becomes thinner, causing dryness and sagging skin. If you do not take any action on this problem, the wrinkles will become even larger over time and then it will become much more difficult to get rid of them.
In order not to waste precious time and money on trips to cosmetology clinics and purchasing unreasonably expensive anti-aging products, you can resort to folk methods using ordinary potatoes. This familiar vegetable, it turns out, is useful not only in cooking, but also boldly shows its beneficial properties in women who want to rejuvenate their skin and at least slightly smooth out wrinkles. Potato masks give softness and velvety, provide a lifting effect, smooth out wrinkles, eliminate puffiness and signs of fatigue. Another advantage of potatoes is their hypoallergenicity and versatility. Potato masks will be useful at any age and for any skin type.
Cooking tips
Raw potatoes can be quite damaging to the skin. Therefore, you need to use it carefully. Boiled potatoes, on the contrary, easily lose their properties if handled incorrectly. Therefore, when making a face mask, you need to follow some guidelines.
- Combination. Potatoes are a universal base for cosmetics and can be combined with a variety of ingredients. This could be other vegetables, food, plants, oils.
- Caution. The advice concerns raw potatoes. For sensitive or dry skin, potato juice can cause irritation, so in this case it is better to use a boiled product. Raw is suitable for getting rid of inflammation, acne, and greasiness.
- Boiled potatoes. For cosmetics, it can be prepared in uniform, after washing well. This will retain additional nutrients. Then peel or use with the peel. For the mask, boiled potatoes need to be mashed. It is better not to use a mixer or blender; the texture will be too liquid and sticky. A hot mask cannot be applied to the skin; it must be cooled to a slightly warm state.
- Raw potatoes. On the contrary, it should be used immediately after it has been cleaned and crushed. Because it quickly darkens in air.
- Testing. Before first use, the new composition should be tested on a small area of skin. Usually this is the wrist. This way you can check the product for possible allergic reactions.
- Preparation. Before applying the mass, it is advisable to steam the skin over hot water. This will open the pores and better absorb all the nutrients. For pimples and acne, add chamomile or calendula decoctions to hot water. If there are blackheads, you need to use a scrub. And only then apply the mask.
- Duration. The “raw” mask should be kept on the face for no more than 20 minutes. The boiled potato remedy can be left for up to 40 minutes. For rejuvenation and tightening, you also need to cover the top with a cloth so that the mass does not cool down.
According to reviews, potato face masks will be especially effective when used regularly. It is recommended to choose a recipe according to your skin type and the problem you want to eliminate. Try the composition and use the mask for five to seven weeks. Frequency: twice a week.
Useful properties of potatoes for the face against wrinkles
It’s not for nothing that potatoes are popularly called “second bread.” Potato tubers provide the body with useful substances and at the same time saturate it. These beneficial qualities of potatoes can be safely applied to external effects on the skin. To maintain healthy and youthful skin, the vegetable contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements:
- Water. Potato tubers consist of 75% water, and this is very necessary for the skin to maintain good hydration.
- Starch. For a long time, starch has been used by women to smooth out wrinkles, whiten and make the skin velvety.
- Vitamin K. Like starch, it has a whitening effect and evens out complexion.
- Vitamin C. An antioxidant that stimulates active collagen production, restores skin firmness and elasticity.
- Silicon. It has antiseptic properties, eliminates dry skin, relieves redness and inflammation.
- Choline. Promotes cell regeneration, improves lipid metabolism in skin tissues, helps get rid of inflammation.
- Selenium and lutein. Protect from aggressive environmental influences.
All these substances can be skillfully used for the benefit of your skin and apply anti-wrinkle potatoes not only to the forehead, cheeks, chin, but also to the area under the eyes. It is important to remember that moderation is necessary in everything.
Potatoes: benefits and harm to the skin
The beneficial effect of tubers on the dermis with acne is due to the content of a number of useful components in them:
- B vitamins. Protect against sun ray infections, prevent drying of the skin, restore complexion;
- Ascorbic acid. Stimulates local immunity, prevents the negative effects of free radicals, activates collagen production, promotes damage healing;
- Iron. Prevents the face from becoming dull and gray;
- Phosphorus. Enhances regenerative processes and maintains youthful dermis;
- Calcium. Moisturizes and prevents acne;
- Potassium. Participates in the growth of connective tissue, treats acne;
- Copper. Provides natural formation of hyaluronic acid, collagen, elastin.
Using potatoes in their pure form and as part of homemade cosmetics, you can achieve the following results:
- Eliminate dark circles under the eyes;
- Smooth out existing wrinkles and prevent the formation of new ones;
- Get rid of excessive pigmentation;
- Remove red spots;
- Quickly cope with sunburn;
- Lighten skin tone;
- Moisturize excessively dry dermis;
- Cleanse yourself of dead epithelial particles;
- Prevent and treat various elements of acne.
The negative impact of potatoes largely concerns its use as a food product. Potatoes have a negative effect in the following cases:
- Cooking potato pancakes with rich sour cream in a frying pan with a lot of oil - high calorie content provokes excess weight gain, which causes rashes on the face to become more frequent. The same applies to the ingestion of significant amounts of fat into the body;
- Tendency to diabetes mellitus - the disease itself becomes a provocateur of unclean skin;
- Violations of storage rules - prolonged exposure of tubers to light causes the accumulation of solanine in the vegetable, a poison that provokes severe intoxication.
Recipes for face masks with potatoes against wrinkles
To prepare masks at home, raw and boiled potatoes, as well as vegetable juice, are used. Below are examples of the most popular recipes for this vegetable, common on all tables.
Raw potato face masks against wrinkles
The most effective for preparing masks at home are young raw potato tubers for wrinkles under the eyes. The vegetable goes well with any product: essential oils, herbs and other food products that are always on hand. Below are the most popular recipes for homemade raw potato masks for wrinkles:
- Whitening and refreshing mask. This mask is recommended to be used when there is absolutely no time to take care of yourself, but at the same time you need to look fresh and well-groomed. To do this, 1 medium potato tuber should be peeled and cut into thin slices. Distribute the potatoes over your face, you can even put circles for wrinkles around the eyes. Leave the chopped vegetable for 10-15 minutes, remove from the face and rinse your face with water, preferably mineral water.
- Moisturizing mask. Cook and rinse 1 medium potato and 1 medium cucumber under water. Peel the vegetables and grate them on a fine grater or grind them in a blender. Squeeze the pulp from the juice and add 1 tbsp. l. any anti-wrinkle cosmetic oil, for example, olive or avocado. Apply the mixture in a thick layer to the face, not excluding the area around the eyes. You can remove the mask 15-20 minutes after application.
- Toning mask. Wash and peel 1 medium potato, grate it, squeeze out excess juice. Add 1 beaten egg white and a little squeezed lemon juice to the pulp. Mix all ingredients thoroughly until the mixture is uniform in color and consistency. Distribute the mask on your face in an even layer. Leave it until it hardens completely, and then rinse with water. Dry your face with a clean towel and apply anti-wrinkle moisturizer.
- Nourishing and wrinkle-smoothing mask.
Grate half of the raw peeled potatoes, add 1 beaten egg white, 1 tsp. warmed honey and a few drops of vitamins A, E, B. Thoroughly dissolve all components. Then the mask should be applied to the skin, which must first be cleaned of cosmetics and other contaminants. When applying the mask, it is recommended to avoid the area around the eyes. Important! This mask is not suitable for people who have an individual intolerance to honey. - Cleansing mask. Grate 1 previously peeled potato tuber and add 3 tbsp. l. crushed rolled oats. Mix both ingredients thoroughly until they form a paste. Then apply to previously cleansed face, avoiding the area around the eyes. Keep the mask on your face until it hardens completely, and then rinse with running or mineral water.
- Potato compress. This raw potato compress effectively relieves wrinkles, swelling and skin irritation, as evidenced by numerous positive reviews. It can be applied under the eyes and on the eyelids. To do this, you need to prepare clean gauze and place a potato tuber grated on a fine grater on it. Cover the potato mixture with a second layer of gauze, apply it to your face and keep the compress for 1-2 hours. Then rinse your face with water at room temperature.
Grated raw potatoes should be used immediately to avoid oxidation in open air. You should also drain off some of the potato juice so that the mask does not turn into a liquid porridge and fall apart during application.
Important! Since the effect of raw potatoes is much more active than boiled ones, you should remember that it makes no sense to keep them for longer than 20 minutes. During this time, it fully performs its functions.
Boiled potato masks for wrinkles
Debates about the benefits and harms of boiled potatoes for cosmetic purposes have been going on for a long time. Cosmetologists advise using more expensive and effective products to combat wrinkles, and not waste precious time on dubious skin care products. Housewives claim that boiled potatoes are excellent for the skin, nourishing and removing wrinkles.
Masks prepared according to the recipes below tone, nourish, and smooth out wrinkles.
- Lifting effect. For the mask you will need to take 3 tbsp. l. warm puree, then mix with 1 beaten egg white and 1 tsp. cream or sour cream with a low fat content. Mix all ingredients until smooth and apply to face, previously cleansed and steamed. Leave the mixture until it hardens completely, and then rinse with running or mineral water. To complete the lifting effect, after the mask you can cool your face and tighten the pores with an ice cube.
- For puffiness under the eyes. For the mask you need to combine 3 tbsp. l. warm puree with 1 tsp. olive oil and chopped fresh parsley. Apply the mixture to bandages or gauze, roll into small envelopes and place on the upper and lower eyelids. Leave the compress for 15 minutes, then rinse with running or mineral water.
- Nourishing mask. Combine the following components: 3 tbsp. l. warm puree, 1 medium egg and 1 tsp. aloe juice Mix the mixture until smooth and spread it over your face with a brush or special spatula. Leave for a quarter of an hour, then rinse with running or mineral water. After the procedure, you can use any moisturizing cosmetic product.
- For dry skin. This mask relieves peeling, maintains elasticity, nourishes, and moisturizes dry and tight facial skin. For the recipe you need to combine 3 tbsp. l. mashed potatoes, 1 tsp. cream with a fat content of 15% or 20%. Add 1 lightly beaten egg and a couple of teaspoons of castor oil to the mixture. Mix all ingredients until the consistency of thick sour cream. It is recommended to keep the mask on your face for about half an hour until it hardens completely, then rinse with water.
- Whitening mask. Cosmetologists recommend using this mask no more than 2 times a week when the first symptoms of skin aging appear. For it you will need to take 3 tbsp. l. mashed potatoes and add 2 tbsp. l. cottage cheese with a low fat content. Mix all components thoroughly, distribute evenly over the face and leave for a quarter of an hour until completely absorbed. Rinse off with running or mineral water.
Potato masks made from boiled vegetables against wrinkles around the eyes are recommended to be used no more than 2 times every 7-10 days. The rest of the time, it is best to use professional care products.
Correct use of potato masks
Due to the fact that potatoes quickly oxidize and, accordingly, lose many of their beneficial properties, they must be prepared immediately before the procedure.
In order for the nutrients of cosmetic products to penetrate deeper into the skin, make a scrub or steam your face.
In order to enhance the effect of potatoes in the treatment of inflammation on the face, add decoctions of anti-inflammatory herbs, such as chamomile, calendula, to the product..
Raw potatoes can irritate sensitive skin.
Do not apply potato masks to open wounds.
The exposure time of a mask made from raw potatoes on the face is 15-20 minutes, from boiled potatoes - 25-30 minutes.
Such procedures are carried out 2-3 times a week and at least a month to achieve the desired effect.
Precautions and contraindications
Anti-wrinkle face masks with potatoes are delicate products that have virtually no contraindications. This also applies to thin and delicate eyelid skin. The only nuance here is the additional ingredients that make up a multi-component recipe. First of all, you need to make sure that these components are safe. Therefore, before applying a mask made from several ingredients, especially if the composition contains honey, essential oils, fruit and vegetable juice, you should test for an allergic reaction. To do this, apply a small amount of the mixture to the elbow, leave for 15 minutes, and then rinse. If after washing off the mass no local reactions are detected on the skin, the mask can be safely used.
Important! Potatoes for masks should be chosen without green skin or spots, since the solanine they contain is toxic and can cause irritation.
How it works
Potatoes contain a variety of substances that have a rejuvenating and moisturizing effect:
- Potatoes consist of 75% water, so they are able to moisturize the skin well.
- The starch contained in the tubers gives the skin silkiness and smoothness, and also gently whitens the skin.
- Potatoes contain B vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine, pyridoxine, niacin, folacin). Thanks to them, a potato facial mask normalizes the production of elastin, collagen, and sebum production.
- Potatoes contain vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that smooths out wrinkles, tightens enlarged skin pores, and gives the skin firmness and elasticity.
- The vitamin K contained in tubers prevents the appearance of freckles and age spots.
- Choline, which is part of potatoes, promotes the healing of microcracks and has an anti-inflammatory effect, so it is very useful for people with problem skin (acne, pimples, blackheads).
- Selenium strengthens the immune system.
- Lutein found in potatoes protects the skin from sun damage and moisturizes dry skin.
- Potato juice accelerates skin regeneration processes.
- Potato decoction has a strengthening effect on nails and prevents them from splitting.
Thus, the prepared potato face mask is universal in its effect on the skin.
Caring for the skin around the eyes
Potatoes are one of the most effective remedies for relieving puffiness around the eyes.
If you wake up in the morning with swelling, immediately take potatoes, cut potato slices and apply on your eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Wash your face with cool water and apply a refreshing gel.
A mixture of mashed potatoes and oatmeal in equal proportions will help with dark circles under the eyes. Apply the mixture to your eyelids for 20 minutes and rinse with cool water.
A mask of potatoes and cream will help relieve redness in the eyelids. Mix grated potatoes with a teaspoon of cream and apply for 15 minutes. Rinse off with cool water and treat eyelids with soothing gel.
To make darkened eyelids lighter, boil potatoes in milk and apply cold mashed potatoes to your eyelids for 15-20 minutes. This remedy can be used every other day.
Whitening eye mask
Mix potatoes boiled in milk with 0.5 teaspoon of rosehip oil. Apply to the skin around the eyes. Cover the mixture with cotton pads and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse off the mixture with cool water. Apply eyelid care cream to your eyelids.
Use potato masks for the face and skin of the eyelids at least 2 times a week. In a month, the effect of using such cosmetics will exceed all expectations.