A Doctor's DIY Papaya & Avocado Face Mask To Help Fight Aging

Dr. Nigma Talib, author of Younger Skin Starts in the Gut, came back on the show to talk about ways to maintain youthful skin — and they involve eating!

She and Rach discussed specific foods to eat if you want to make your skin glow, reduce wrinkles and more.

But, the doc explains, some foods work even better when you don't eat them, but actually put them directly on your skin.

"Whatever you put on your skin is going to absorb into your body," Dr. Nigma says.

She shared her all-natural recipe for a food-based face mask, as well as a few tips on how to effectively apply face masks.

"Apply this mask upwards and outwards," she says. It's important never to pull down on your skin. Dr. Nigma also says to leave the mask on for about eight minutes.

"Your skin will feel tight when you're putting it on," she continues. This isn't a bad thing — it's all the ingredients working together to help your skin look and feel its best.

Ingredients:
½ small ripe papaya, pureed
½ avocado, mashed
1 teaspoon runny honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 egg white
1 tablespoon plain yogurt

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Apply to face using your fingertips, remembering to only move upward. Leave on for 5 – 8 minutes. Rinse with warm water, then cool and pat dry.

Wondering why this mask is so good for you? Well, avocado contains vitamin E and papaya has alpha-hydroxy acid, both of which help your skin look bright and glowy, according to the doc.

Egg white is great for tightening the skin and it has vitamin A as well, she says. Lemon helps brighten the skin tone, especially if your skin is looking dull or you have blemishes or spots that have pigmented.

And, Dr. Nigma says, yogurt is good for the microbiome of the skin and has lactic acid in it as well.

Of course, do not apply this mask if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.