How to Make Your Own DIY Canna-Face Mask

Move over Max Huber, and look out La Mer, cannabis, not sea kelp, is now the coveted beauty treatment of choice.

Cannabinoid receptors exist throughout the skin, making your epidermis a perfect entry point for THC absorption. THC—the main psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana—is actually an antioxidant. When applied on the skin, it can combat wrinkles and fight fine lines.

This revelation is bolstered by our own HIGH TIMES scribe Tyler Terps. According to his article entitled, 10 Little Known Uses for CBD ^[1] (cannabidiol), researchers used cannabis-derived cannabidiol on the human sebaceous glands and came to the conclusion that CBD acts as a highly effective sebostatic ^[2] and anti-inflammatory agent by inhibiting lipid synthesis.

A study ^[3] published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and the National Institute of Health discovered that CBD can provide treatment for acne. Scientists and dermatologists are currently studying the ways that it could combat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Pot’s potential for cosmetic products are bound to make plenty of people rich in the near future. (Kate Somerville probably already has a cannabis emulsion in the works.) But before you buy into this exploding market, try making your own face mask in the comfort of your own home.

What you will need:1 ripe organic avocado1/4 cup hemp oil (or marijuana oil, where legal)2 tsp spirulina powderSeveral drops of pure essential oil (optional)A large makeup brush that you don’t mind getting gooey (optional)

If you’re a baller:Whole Paycheck, Whole Foods avocado – $2.50Ojai Energetics CBD Biologix Super CBD Oil – $74.95Raw Living Spirulina – $55Piping Rock Pure Australian Tea Tree Essential Oil – $9.39Hakuhodo Synthetic Makeup Brush – $50. ^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]

If you’re vegan, or on a budget:Fair Trade avocado – $1.Home made hemp oil (distilled shake in coconut oil) – $251 lb Vitamin Shoppe Spirulina Powder – $26.99Piping Rock Tea Tree Oil – $4.49Eco Tools Classic Foundation brush – $5.99, (or use your bare hands, for free!) ^[8]^[9]^[10]

While some of the ingredients may seem kind of pricey, keep in mind these products have multiple uses and will last for months—longer than your average fancy face cream.

The best part about this mask is you can spread it on your face, or spread it on toast. Without adding the essential oil(s), all the other ingredients are edible.

As for choosing which essential oil (rendering your mask no longer edible), I personally am not a fan of patchouli. To me, patchouli always smells like the body odor of moldy Goths, mixed with soil.

A few drops of tea tree oil would work better for this purpose, due to its acne-fighting properties. This is a pot facial, not a rose petal facial. (For that, you would need Sisley Black Rose Precious Face Oil.)

Use raw spirulina powder. Definitely, do not use spirulina tablets. Even if you put them in the blender, your blender will sound like a chainsaw and won’t actually blend the tablets into anything resembling powder, In fact, you will still have hard, unevenly mixed, spirulina pebbles on your hands, and possibly a broken blender.

If you live in a state where dispensaries are legal, get hold of a bag of shake. Distill it the same way you would to make butter, using coconut oil ^[11] as a base instead. Make sure you keep the flame low, and have some patience, because if you burn it, it’s useless. You want to simmer it, not boil it, for about three hours. Then, strain it. You can now use your own homemade THC-infused coconut oil, in your mask.

If you don’t live in Colorado, the Netherlands or somewhere else where recreational marijuana use is legal and therefore can’t legally get your hands on cannabis to make oil or buy ready-made cannabis oil containing THC or CBD, such as Ojai Energetics CBD Coconut Oil ^[12], you can substitute hemp oil.

Hemp oil is the legal by-product of cannabis. It has just enough trace levels of THC to provide an antioxidant effect and also contains omegas, which are essential for moisturizing dull, lifeless-looking skin.

As for the application, synthetic, cruelty-free make up brushes are recommended for the obvious reasons. It’s not nice to kill squirrels, badgers or other small woodland creatures to make a makeup brush.

Additionally, synthetic brushes are non-porous, so they are better for applying thick and creamy liquids. Alternatively, you can also use a man’s old-fashioned shaving cream brush to apply the face mask in whisking motions, or simply apply it using your bare hands.

Now for preparation:

Slice open the avocado, remove the pit, carve out the green meat and plop it into the blender. Add either your homemade coconut THC oil, another brand of THC oil, CBD oil or hemp oil. Add the spirulina powder and the optional essential oils.

Blend until the mixture is creamy, smooth and resembles frosting on a Saint Patrick’s Day cake.

Tie your hair back. To prepare your skin for maximum nutrient and moisture absorption, steam your pores open. You can do this either by applying a hot, wet towel to your face (Not too hot. Don’t burn yourself!), or

Ten minutes later, with your pores wide open and receptive, spread that mask on. You can use your hands, because covering them in goo is fun, if you’re the tactile type. If you’re more type A, and into less mess, use a makeup brush to apply the mask. Whisk it generously, all over your face, avoiding the eye area, because the skin under your eyes is the most delicate.

Let the mask sit for at least 15-20 minutes, while you chillax and flip through the current issue of HIGH TIMES magazine.

Wash it off and reveal your glowing skin.

If you want to try a canna-mask but you are not the DIY type, don’t worry. HIGH TIMES has a virtual hemporium of pre-packaged, pot-a-porter, canna-beauty products ^[13] for you to try.

RELATED: 8 Terrific Topicals ^[14]For all of HIGH TIMES’ culture coverage, click here ^[15].