• Working Time:

  • 2 - 3 minutes

  • Total Time:

  • 25 - 30 minutes

  • Yield:

  • 1 face mask

  • Skill Level:

  • Beginner

  • Estimated Cost:

  • $5 to $10

A homemade strawberry face mask is ideal for healing and rejuvenating your skin while also reducing food waste. Strawberries are rich in phytochemicals and flavanol tannins that promote anti-inflammatory benefits when they are used topically and ingested, according to Jenn LaVardera, nutrition specialist at Naturipe Farms.

In addition, strawberries contain high amounts of vitamin C, which promotes collagen production. According to LaVardera, the benefits offered by strawberries when eaten can be reaped topically, though in a reduced quantity.

Did You Know?

A cup of strawberries has 94% of your daily value of vitamin C. That is more than a medium orange!

What You’ll Need

Equipment/Tools

  • Towel
  • Bowl
  • Fork
  • Sharp knife
  • Measuring spoon (tbsp)
  • Mixing spoon

Materials

  • 2 to 3
  • strawberries
  • 1 tbsp
  • honey
  • 1 tbsp
  • lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp
  • heavy cream (optional, for adapted recipe)
  • 1 to 2 tbsp
  • Greek yogurt (optional, for adapted recipe)

Instructions

  • Prepare
  • Treehugger / Alexandra Cristina Nakamura
  • To start, gather your materials and tools. Gently wash your face so that it is clean. Pat your skin dry.
  • How to Pick Strawberries for Your Face Mask
  • Due to the absence of pesticides, organic strawberries are likely to offer a higher phytochemical content. Ideally, the strawberries you use topically should be as fresh as possible. “The longer something sits in the refrigerator, there are certain nutrients that can degrade with time,” LaVardera said. She added, “Vitamin C is very light-sensitive, so the longer a strawberry sits in your refrigerator, the less vitamin C it’s going to have.” However, strawberries that have not yet molded are still OK to use.
  • Mash Your Berries
  • Treehugger / Alexandra Cristina Nakamura
  • Choose two or three strawberries to use for this face mask. Rinse them with water to clean off any dirt. Cut off the stem and add it to your compost. Mash your strawberries in a bowl with a fork.
  • Add All Ingredients
  • Treehugger / Alexandra Cristina Nakamura
  • Measure out 1 tablespoon of honey and drizzle over your mashed strawberries. Mix the two ingredients together well with a spoon.
  • Cut a fresh lemon in half and squeeze out 1 tablespoon’s worth of juice. Try to avoid getting any pulp in it. Add the lemon juice to the honey and strawberry mixture. Stir together thoroughly to make a paste.
  • Apply Your Mask
  • Treehugger / Alexandra Cristina Nakamura
  • Once your ingredients are well incorporated, gently apply the mask to your face with your fingers. You can also use it on your neck. Massage the mixture into your skin and let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Wash Off
  • Treehugger / Alexandra Cristina Nakamura
  • Wash the mask off gently with warm water. Rub the mask into your skin with water as you rinse your face. Pat your skin dry with a towel. Take a moment to notice if your skin is red or irritated. If you notice any reaction, try this mask recipe with a different berry next time.

Adaptations for Normal and Dry Skin

The above recipe is designed for oily skin. If you have dry skin, omit the lemon juice. Instead, measure 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and add to your bowl. Mix it well with your honey and strawberries.

Prepare

To start, gather your materials and tools. Gently wash your face so that it is clean. Pat your skin dry.

How to Pick Strawberries for Your Face Mask

Due to the absence of pesticides, organic strawberries are likely to offer a higher phytochemical content. Ideally, the strawberries you use topically should be as fresh as possible. “The longer something sits in the refrigerator, there are certain nutrients that can degrade with time,” LaVardera said. She added, “Vitamin C is very light-sensitive, so the longer a strawberry sits in your refrigerator, the less vitamin C it’s going to have.” However, strawberries that have not yet molded are still OK to use.

Mash Your Berries

Choose two or three strawberries to use for this face mask. Rinse them with water to clean off any dirt. Cut off the stem and add it to your compost. Mash your strawberries in a bowl with a fork.

Add All Ingredients

Measure out 1 tablespoon of honey and drizzle over your mashed strawberries. Mix the two ingredients together well with a spoon.

Cut a fresh lemon in half and squeeze out 1 tablespoon’s worth of juice. Try to avoid getting any pulp in it. Add the lemon juice to the honey and strawberry mixture. Stir together thoroughly to make a paste.

Apply Your Mask

Once your ingredients are well incorporated, gently apply the mask to your face with your fingers. You can also use it on your neck. Massage the mixture into your skin and let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes.

Wash Off

Wash the mask off gently with warm water. Rub the mask into your skin with water as you rinse your face. Pat your skin dry with a towel. Take a moment to notice if your skin is red or irritated. If you notice any reaction, try this mask recipe with a different berry next time.

For normal skin, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt to your strawberry, lemon, and honey mixture. Regular milk can also be used, though greek yogurt will make the mask thicker and easier to apply.

If You’re Allergic to Strawberries

For those with strawberry allergies, it depends on the individual whether a reaction will occur if used topically.

  • Can this recipe be made vegan?
  • To make this recipe vegan, you can use vegetable glycerin in place of honey and plant-based heavy cream and yogurt. If using a plant-based yogurt alternative, make sure to choose one that contains live active cultures.
  • How often should you use strawberry face masks?
  • The only ingredient in this recipe that could cause problems if used too much is lemon. Lemon, if overused, can dry out the skin and make it extra sensitive. With the lemon, limit your use of this mask to once or twice per week. Without lemon, it can be used daily.
  • Do strawberries brighten skin?
  • You’ve probably heard that lemon brightens the skin because of its high vitamin C content. Strawberries have a similar, even more potent effect because they contain 10% more vitamin C than lemons.

To make this recipe vegan, you can use vegetable glycerin in place of honey and plant-based heavy cream and yogurt. If using a plant-based yogurt alternative, make sure to choose one that contains live active cultures.

The only ingredient in this recipe that could cause problems if used too much is lemon. Lemon, if overused, can dry out the skin and make it extra sensitive. With the lemon, limit your use of this mask to once or twice per week. Without lemon, it can be used daily.

You’ve probably heard that lemon brightens the skin because of its high vitamin C content. Strawberries have a similar, even more potent effect because they contain 10% more vitamin C than lemons.

  • Giampieri, Francesca, et al. “The Strawberry: Composition, Nutritional Quality, and Impact on Human Health.” Nutrition, vol. 28, no. 1, 2012, pp. 9-19., doi:10.1016/j.nut.2011.08.009
  • Sangiovanni, Enrico, et al. “Berries: Gastrointestinal Protection Against Oxidative Stress and Inflammation.” Gastrointestinal Tissue, 2017, pp. 243-258., doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-805377-5.00018-7
  • “Strawberries.” Naturipe Farms.
  • “Lemon, Raw.” U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • “Strawberries, Raw.” U.S. Department of Agriculture.