Ever want to create a free and easy mask while traveling, well, here you go!!!!
There is nothing comparable to the liberating feeling of traveling light with just a backpack, daypack and the clothes on your body. But it also means leaving some relatively important beauty-related items behind due to the limited size of your backpack.
In a perfect world, I would find a way to bring my entire arsenal of bathroom products to help tame my hair, take care of my skin and keep me looking my best while staying as close to natural products as possible. But, alas, I quickly realized that bringing everything would be quite impossible and decided to challenge myself by fitting the items that I truly needed into my 6in by 4 in toiletries bag. Though successful, sometimes my skin needs a boost after being in the sun, affected by lack of sleep, and surviving an intense travel schedule and differing climates.
Usually, when I am at home and my skin is at its breaking point, I create or buy a mask that helps to pep up my skin and give it life. This isn’t always possible on the road because I also have to be extremely budget conscious in order to make our trip around the world possible.
While keeping all these factors in mind, I was able to develop a face mask recipe that can be created (usually for free) and made from only 2-3 products that can be found in the kitchen of most hostels and hotels around the world.
The mask will help brighten and moisturize your skin, minimize the appearance of pores, help to plump up fine lines and exfoliate your skin to leave it looking and smelling amazing (like a cup o’ joe!!!). It can also be used all over the body as a body scrub!
Amanda’s Hostel Kitchen Face Mask & Scrub
What You Need
- Small cup or bowl
- 1 TBSP of Ground Coffee- instant or regular
- 1.5 TBSP of White/Brown Sugar
- OPTIONAL: If you are prone to acne, use Honey instead of sugar because of its antibacterial properties
- 1 TSP of bottled water
- OPTIONAL: 5-10 drops of the carrier oil of your choice (I’ve used argan and rose oil that I bought in Morocco and coconut oil that I bought in Sri Lanka/ Thailand but you can also use olive oil since it is probably easier to find in hostels)
- Small cup or bowl
- Spoon
- Paper Towel or Washcloth
Word of Warning: Always test the mask on a small portion of skin to make sure you aren’t going to negatively react to the ingredients. Better safe than sorry, especially when it comes to your beautiful face!
Here’s What You Gotta Do
Step One: Gather the ingredients at breakfast, from the kitchen or by asking the host of the hostel or hotel. In my experience, I’ve never had an issue locating these ingredients for free.
Step Two: Combine ingredients in the small cup and stir them together with a spoon. It should form a gritty paste. If it is too chunky, add a little bit more water. If it is too thin, add more coffee grounds and sugar/honey.
Step Three: Find a private place (people may look at you funny with a coffee mask on your face) and apply the mask all over your face, being careful to avoid getting it in your eyes. I usually pay special attention to my under eye area and also put it on my lips.
Optional: Use said mask to scare everyone in the hostel. Bonus Respect points if you do this!
Step Four: Find a place to relax while the mask sits; about 10-20 min.
Step Five: After 10-20 min, wet your hands and slowly wet the mask on your face while gently rubbing your skin in circular motions. This gentle scrubbing technique will help to exfoliate your skin giving it an even more restful look.
Step Six: Dampen a paper towel or washcloth and take off as much of the mask as you can as to avoid filling the drains with coffee grounds. Then use warm water then cool water to wash your face!
Step Seven: Apply your favorite moisturizer and VOILA!
Your face will be softer, skin will be plumper, pores will be smaller, you’ll love that you smell like a fresh cup of coffee, and most importantly, you won’t break the bank or your backpack!
If you’ve had a chance to try this recipe, I would love to hear your thoughts! Post a before, during (coffee grounds and all), and after so everyone can see your results! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #splendidwayfaring #hostelmaskchallenge
Safe & Happy Travels!
West Road Adventures 