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Yogurt is one of my fridge favorites in the summer to pair with the abundance of fresh summer fruits.  But it’s not only good for my morning fruit bowls but also amazing as a yogurt mask for your face.

Yogurt adds a calming sensation to a face mask that’s packed with benefits.  It also adds a hydration effect to a clay mask.  Making this a great clay mask for those with dry or sensitive skin!

French green clay masks are my favorite for their smooth application.  Adding yogurt to the recipe makes it moussey and oh so smooth.

Yogurt contains lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid. Otherwise known as an “AHA”.    

When adding ingredients like honey or yogurt to your clay mask, this will extend the drying time of your mask.  The rule of thumb with how to use a clay mask is to remove it before it dries on your face.

With this recipe, you can enjoy a full 15 minutes of mask time.  I love to apply that mask, grab a cup of coffee, and relax with a book or in a bath.

I’m also notorious for slapping a mask on my face and doing some chores.  I try to follow a mostly plant based lifestyle. So after learning about probiotics, I ended up making some of homemade coconut yogurt with my mask on.  Using a 50 billion capsule, it turned out delicious!

Why you should use a yogurt face mask:

• Dissolve dead skin cells
• Gentle skin exfoliation
• Acne and blemishes
• Deep cleansing your skin
• Shrinking the appearance of pores
• Calm skin after UV exposure
• Balancing overall skin complexion for a natural glow

There’s a reason a DIY yogurt face mask is always popping up on your pinterest feed.  But instead of mixing yogurt with honey or tomato, this mask is mousey, smooth and firm.  It won’t melt off your face!

French Green Clay is one of 4 clays in our facial clay assortment pack.  After trying out this mask, you will understand why we chose this as one of our 4 clays.

The classic french green clay mask recipe is always a good choice, just one of our 8 french green clay recipes.  Adding yogurt adds sun care repair, hydration, and alpha hydroxy acid to your mask.  

What are the yogurt mask benefits?

Yogurt is a fermented dairy product with a sour thick creamy consistency.

I’m sure you’ve heard many times that yogurt is beneficial for your gut health.  That’s because of the probiotics contained in the yogurt.  The most notable probiotic is called Lactobacillus acidophilus.  

Side note: not all brands of yogurt contain this beneficial probiotic. Check the ingredients list to see if it’s listed. 

We know they are good for our digestion, but are probiotics and bacteria good for our skin? 

Out of 4 studies that focused on skin health, both internal and topical, all studies noted improvement.

The research of yogurt for dermatology requires more studies. You might even find lots of products with probiotics in the formulation. However, there is a difference as most skincare products use bacteria fragments vs the yogurt in your fridge may contain live bacteria cultures.  This toner has a live probiotic culture.

Here are some of the benefits found so far:

1. Hydration

This study found that a face mask with yogurt increased the hydration of the skin by an average of 7.7% over the control group.

It’s not just face masks where yogurt has been found helpful for moisturization.  The body shop moisturizer and aveeno body yogurt are very popular yogurt beauty products.  And not just for your skin, but also for hydrating hair masks too.

That same study also found transepidermal water loss was decreased by an average of 7.92%.  This would result in increased moisture and brightness.   

2. Exfoliate and Brighten

All yogurt variations and milk contain lactic acid.  It can also be synthetically produced found in some skincare products.

Lactic acid is commonly used to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells from the top layer of skin. This lightens dark spots, and improves the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Lactic acid and glycolic acids are both Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s).  You can find them in “peeling formation” products like the ordinary lactic acid or glycolic acid.  If you are new to the AHA’s world, stick with concentrations under 10%.

Yogurt only has a .9% lactic acid content after fermentation.  So you will find the effects of exfoliation and firming will be less than a higher concentrated product. 

Pro tip: Always use sunscreen when applying lactic acid to your skin for 7 days after application.   

3. Tighten and tone

Lactic acid is effective as a tighten and toning treatment for your skin, when used consistently.

Lactic acid was found to be effective on both firmness and thickness on the top and epidermis skin level after application 2 times a week for 3 months.  The study produced these results with use of 12% lactic acid vs the 5% lactic acid only affected the top layer of the skin.

This source found after manufacturing, yogurt is only a 0.9% lactic acid content.  A great introduction for those who haven’t used any AHA products before.  If your skin has built up a tolerance you might not notice any tightening effect.  

4. Prevent acne breakouts

Your skin can easily become inflamed with acne breakouts or over exposure to the sun.  Yogurt can soothe inflamed skin.

Probiotics, found in yogurt, have been studied over 8 weeks and produced 50% less acne than the control group. And there have been further studies that suggest oral probiotics also have a positive effect on acne.  Bring on the yogurt and sauerkraut!

Benefits of French Green Clay

Using a face mask once a week is part of a healthy skincare routine.

Even though you cleanse your skin twice a day, a clay mask can provide a deeper cleanse for your skin.

How clay works is that through a cation exchange and adsorption that swap places with heavy metals and chemicals and adsorb excess oils and impurities from your pores.

Clay is the foundation to all of our clay mask recipes, here’s why we love french green clay for our skin:

• deep cleanses to remove dirt, excess oil from our skin
• tightens the skin and shrinks the appearance of pores
• balances overall complexion for glowing skin
• fights acne and works to prevent future breakouts

What I love most about clay is, it’s completely natural. It’s mother nature’s healing method.

Our clay mask multi pack comes with 4 different types of natural clays, each package makes 25 face masks.

French Green Clay & Yogurt Mask Ingredients:

Recipe Yield: 1 face masks

You will need:

• 1½ tsp French Green Clay
• 1 tsp of plain yogurt*
• 1 tsp of filtered water or rose water
• ¼ tsp of lemon juice

*Use plain yogurt, organic if possible.  The flavored yogurts are often full of added sugars and chemical created flavors. 

Equipment required:

• 1 glass, wooden or plastic bowl (glass is preferred)
• 1 plastic, or wooden spoon

Mix How to Mix French Green Clay Mask

This recipe yields 1 face mask recipe.

If you make too much, cover in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Step 1:  Add 1 ½ teaspoons of french green clay to a wooden, plastic or glass bowl.  

This yogurt mask for your face is so simple.  Clay + yogurt.  Feel free to switch french green clay with any of your favorite types of clay. 

Step 2:  Add 1 teaspoon of plain yogurt.  If you use greek yogurt, use the same amount but add a small amount more water on the next step.

Step 3:  Add a dash of lemon juice (¼ teaspoon) and 1 teaspoon of filtered water. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients combined into a smooth paste.

How to apply Yogurt Face Mask:

This mask is so smooth, I love the way it feels brushing it on your face.

For application follow these how to use a clay mask instructions:

1. Cleanse your skin prior to applying a mask.

2. Using a face mask brush, apply the mask evenly to your face and neck.

3. **Most important** Remove the clay mask BEFORE it dries.  To remove, gently splash water to rehydrate the clay.  Then remove with water or face towel.

4. Tone and moisturize. 

Some redness is perfectly normal after a clay mask.  If you let the mask fully dry, you will notice more redness.

Research has linked our gut health to our skin health.  Yogurt, sauerkraut or kimchi are all gut-loving foods to reach for before taking probiotic supplements.  Through my research on yogurt, I also stumbled across this article that highlighted probiotic capsules may not be regulated for quality. I’m curious, comment below if you have found eating certain foods affect your skin?

Disclaimer: Our content does not constitute a dermatologist or medical advice.

Did you try this mask? I would love to hear how it worked for you! Leave a comment below.

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