Celery pulp face mask

With a water content up to 95%, celery juice is very hydrating and healthy. While juicing removes most of the liquid content, the remaining pulp is full of healthy constituents. Celery is loaded with phytonutrients that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These can help smooth the skin and reduce inflammation. It also has high levels of vitamins, notably vitamins K, C, and B6. It is also a good source of folate, potassium, manganese, molybdenum and pantothenic acid.

Plain white yogurt contains lactic acid, which gently dissolves dead skin cells. This helps to smooth out lines and wrinkles. Honey is naturally antibacterial, and can be used to help treat acne. And like celery, it has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory constituents.

If you want to give your face mask an extra boost, add a cucumber to your juice. Cucumbers have been used to smooth skin for ages, with the classic method of putting cucumber slices over your eyes. Cucumber pulp can be mixed with the celery pulp to provide even more moisturizing and healing properties.

• 1 celery bunch
• 1 cucumber (optional)
• 1 tablespoon natural white yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey (local honey is best)

Wash and dry your face. Juice the celery (and cucumber if using). Put the pulp in a strainer and press it with your hand to remove any excess liquid. Mix in the yogurt and honey thoroughly. Work the mixture with your hands into a paste, and apply it to your face, starting with the forehead and working down. If it doesn’t stick, squeeze it between your fingers to make it a bit drier. You can also add more honey to make it stickier. Keep the mask on for 10-15 minutes, then remove and wash your face.

Here are some other ingredients you can add to the basic recipe:

• Lemon - Adding half a peeled lemon to the juice will help to exfoliate the skin and remove excess oil.
• Pineapple - Pineapple has strong acidic qualities, and can do some major exfoliation. Just add a bit of pineapple pulp, and don't leave it on your face more than a few minutes.
• Papaya - Papaya is well-known for brightening and removing discoloration from skin. Add a half papaya to the juice recipe. It will naturally create a smooth, easy-to-apply pulp.
• Spinach - Spinach contains natural retinol from Vitamin A, which smooths out skin and boosts collagen levels.

We recently made an article and a video comapring the four main juicer types and their effectiveness on celery. While all four types did a good job making celery juice, we wouldn't recommend using a centrifugal juicer to make celery pulp for a face mask. That is because centrifugals tend to make a chunky pulp, often filled with large pieces of celery. Any slow juicer will give smooth pulp suitable for making into a face mask. The easiest would be a horizontal juicer like the Sana 707, since the celery doesn't need to be pre-cut into small pieces when juicing. Plus cleaning is very fast.