For my birthday recently, I got a letter in the mail from a beauty salon that I had visited in the past, offering me a free facial. Booyah! The only condition was I had to use it during the month of my birthday.

Well, between babies, work and life in general, my birthday month came and went and my voucher’s end date went with it. Sigh.

Salon visits can be hard to prioritise, especially once you have kids in the mix, but that doesn’t mean your skin has to suffer. I may not have made it to the salon, but my sister Aliyah came around one baby-free afternoon and we had a go at road testing a couple of DIY face masks.

The girl time was fun and our skin came away looking great. Best of all, the masks were made with everyday ingredients I already had in the pantry. So if your skin feels in need of some pampering, invite some girlfriends over, light some scented candles and get ready to be your own beautician.

Deep cleansing

Your babies love to give themselves a Weetbix facial each morning, and look how soft their skin is! So get some breakfast on your face. This oatmeal, milk and honey concoction gently exfoliates and refines pores while cleansing deeply. Oatmeal is known for its soothing properties and is ideal for sensitive skin.

What you’ll need:

1/2 cup oatmeal or quick oats (if you don’t have these on hand, just give regular rolled oats a quick buzz in a food processor)

1/2 cup milk, or enough to form a paste

1 tablespoon runny honey

What to do:

Combine the oats and milk and soak overnight if you have the time.

Mix in the honey to form a paste.

Massage onto your face in a circular motion and leave on skin for 5-15 minutes.

Tissue off excess and rinse face with warm water.

Follow with a few drops of rose hip oil or your favourite moisturiser.

Aliyah’s verdict: “I feel like my skin is less red than it usually is after washing my face, and it’s definitely smoother. Although I accidentally caught sight of my reflection at one stage when I had the mask on and it looked scary ugly!”

Anti-ageing and brightening

Another breakfast concoction, this egg white, lemon juice, honey and yoghurt mask is like a multivitamin of your skin. The lemon juice acts as an anti-ageing brightening treatment while the egg white tightens pores. Honey hydrates the skin, and the yoghurt is packed with skin-loving nutrients, as well as natural antibacterial agents that fight acne.

What you’ll need:

One egg white, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon runny honey

1-2 tablespoons yoghurt

What to do:

Whisk the lemon juice, honey and egg white together until combined.

Smooth onto face with fingertips or a beauty brush.

Top with a thin layer of yoghurt.

Leave on for 5-15 minutes.

Rinse well and follow with a few drops of rosehip oil or your favourite moisturiser.

My verdict: My skin felt smoother and more supple almost immediately after I removed the mask. I followed up by massaging in a few drops of rosehip oil, which my skin drank up more efficiently than usual, probably thanks to the exfoliation.