Do Mayonnaise Face Masks Actually Work?

If you haven't tried a few hundred different DIY beauty hacks at home, then you're really missing out. From cucumber eye patches to honey facials and avocado hair masks to olive oil sugar scrubs, it's a bit of fun even when they don't work out. One product you can find in your refrigerator that we bet you didn't know has hidden beauty benefits is mayonnaise. According to Reader's Digest Canada, mayonnaise has many uses beyond just being an ingredient in a delicious chip dip — it can work as a hair conditioner, strengthen your fingernails, relieve sunburn, remove dead skin, and kill head lice. 

While there is little scientific evidence to back up any of these claims, we really want to know about mayonnaise face masks. Do they actually work? How long do you leave it on for? Should you really add it to my weekly beauty regime?

Mayonnaise face masks are believed to tighten skin. Boasting ingredients like egg and soybean oil, Total Beauty notes it's like a natural emollient and helps nourish and calm dry skin. All you need to do spread it onto your face, leave it there for 15 minutes, and then rinse off.

However, there is no proof that this works, as Healthline actually warns against the use of any products containing eggs, and more specifically, egg whites, which is often found in mayo. Though your skin will most likely feel super soft after application, it won't last long, and potential risks include allergic reaction, salmonella infection, skin irritation, and even gastrointestinal discomfort if accidentally swallowed.

If you're looking for a DIY face mask alternative, you're likely to have better luck with a mix of yogurt, honey, and turmeric, or avocado and cucumber (via Elle). Try a few different combinations and see how your skin reacts. You never know, you might whip up a new magical elixir that's yet to be discovered.