DIY Beauty: what yogurt can I use on my face?

Since writing about the goodness of yogurt, such as the one I mentioned about yogurt being a natural source of AHA, several readers asked me via comments and email which brand and type of yogurt they should be buying. As I am located in Singapore, I can only recommend those that are available here. And because I use yogurt quite a bit in my skin care routine, I’ll recommend two that I’ve tried and are widely available in the supermarkets.

Benefits of yogurt for the skin
Here’s a quick recap on the benefits of yogurt for our skin:
– high nutrient content to nourish the skin.
– lactic acid and enzymes to soothe, soften and hydrate the skin.
– AHA from the lactic acid to improve skin tone.
– antibacterial and antifungal properties to cleanse the skin.

Choose non-fat formulas if you skin is not dry
It’s best to choose yogurt with live active cultures in order to get the full benefits. Always buy plain, unflavored and preferably set yogurt. And depending on your face type, you want to be careful about the fat content. For dry skin type, those original formula that contains fat would be very nourishing. However, such formulas are not suitable for combination or oily skin, which are better off using non-fat formulas even though the consistency of some are thinner.

Pauls All Natural Yoghurt
Of the various brands of yogurt I’ve tried, I like the 99.8% fat free natural set yogurt from Pauls best. Available under the brand is an original version but it is thicker and creamier, and is not too suitable for my acne prone skin type. This brand of yogurt contains live yogurt culture and does not include any preservatives, colorings or flavorings so it is great to be used even daily. The 200g tub can last me two to three weeks, depending on how I use it and cost only S$2.60.

Farmer Union Greek Yogurt
This is another brand of yogurt I’ve been trying. I’ve read that Greek yogurt are the best and so decided to give it a try. However, because it is so thick and creamy, this is not suitable for my skin. I actually broke out a little using this although it is really good stuff. Hence, I would recommend this to those with dry skin, who probably will appreciate this more. It’s a bigger tub at 500g and cost S$4.55 and hey, it’ll probably last you a month if you’re just using it on your skin! Again, it is natural and does not contain any preservatives, colorings or flavorings. I use this stuff on my body now.

Other brands may not be so natural
I’ve also tried other brands of yogurt, which come in smaller tubs and are cheaper but I have found them to be a lot thinner in consistency. Additionally, I realized that some of them actually contains preservatives and flavorings even though they are stated to be natural yogurt. So you do need to read the ingredient list to ensure you’re getting the purer stuff.

So do you use any of these yogurts featured here? Do you like them? Or what brand or type of yogurt do you use ?

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Comments

  1. Msbeautybuff says:

    I use emmi yogurt everyday! ?

  2. blovetbeauty says:

    ahh interesting i think i might go with Paul’s yogurt!

  3. sesame says:

    Enjoy! ?

  4. sesame says:

    I tried that one but it’s rather thin in consistency. It has preservatives though…

  5. zmadison says:

    i have a tub of the Greek yoghurt in my fridge now hehe.. but i my skin is more acne-prone. how do we use it on bodies? just slather it on?

  6. sesame says:

    Yes, just slather on. Or if you like to add other stuff like tomato/lemon for skin brightening. You can feel the Greek yoghurt tends to be a bit more oily.

  7. Rachel says:

    Marigold nonfat yogurt (the one in the green tub) seems to be pretty good for dehydrated but oily skin like mine. Left my skin soft and supple. I tried Yoplait’s low fat one but it wasn’t as good; dried up too fast and made my pimples even redder :/

  8. sesame says:

    I guess not every brand is great for skin. I’m glad you found Marigold to be good for yours…I’ll check it up the next time.

  9. Tony says:

    I’ve been using nonfat yogurt blended w/ honey as a cleanser for about 2 months now. I love the way my skin feels after cleaning, but I’ve been having problems with breakouts (acne) particularly around the cheek area. Trust me, I’m way past puberty. Any suggestions on this?

  10. sesame says:

    Would you know if your acne is due to the yogurt or something else? How often are you using the yogurt? Maybe you need to cut down to see if it’ll help. The breakouts should be more like pimples if it’s coming from what you’re using. If it’s cystic type of acne, then possible it’s due to an internal issue.

  11. Kim says:

    Is it good to use yogurt mask every day? and is it better to leave yogurt mask more than 30 minutes on the face?

    thanks for advice :))

  12. sesame says:

    Depends on your skin. Suggest you try two to three times a week first and if okay, every other day if you wish. The yogurt should be non-fat if you use it regularly. Try not to leave more than 20 mins.

  13. Kim says:

    I tried the yoghurt + oats mask for the 1st time last week and had a great experience with it. My sister did it too, and now we both have glow-y clear skin ?
    I used the Indian yoghurt – tairu together with blended rolled oats. It worked well. Will try the regular yoghurt from supermarket and compare the results.

  14. sesame says:

    Oh Indian yoghurt? So interesting! Never came across it. Where did you get it?

  15. Tony says:

    thanks for your input…i’m not sure if it’s due to just the yogurt or other factors. could be stress. the breakout is like pimples rather than “acne.” until i read this blog i was applying the yogurt while it was cold and using a washcloth/hot (or really warm) water to clean off then using cold water. after reading the blog, i’ve changed to using warm water and flushing it off my skin rather than using the rough wash cloth. that may help. and i do clean it twice a day, early morning and before bedtime. however, sometimes, rather than using the yogurt solution, i apply olive oil/salt as an exfoliant. after that, i use a facial cleanser that i purchased commercially.

  16. sesame says:

    Maybe cut down the usage and see it if helps. If you’re using it twice a day, it could cause breakout cos even the non-fat ones are pretty moisturizing and nourishing for the skin.

  17. Tony says:

    ok…but any suggestions for other diy/natural cleansers?

  18. NENA says:

    i love your blog! have you ever tried kefir? it contains more different kinds of ferments, it is very nourishing to the skin, i don’t know if it’s suitable for oily skin since i have normal skin type, if not you could use it for your body ? it leaves your skin really soft and and bright!

  19. sesame says:

    I’ve not come across that brand here. Maybe I missed it…will check it out next time. ?

  20. Naomi says:

    Hi,
    What yogurt would you recommend for lightening of underarms?

  21. Sesame says:

    All of them would be the same…non-flavored ones but I don’t know if they work well for underarms.

  22. Brichelle says:

    Ive been using chobani/greek yogurt it is plain and is non fat. Do you think its a good thing?

  23. Sesame says:

    If it’s plain and non-fat, it should be fine.

  24. Dagmar says:

    I make my own yogurt using the live yogurt culture. I also eat a portion of yogurt every morning (i’m european , i live in italy and i know that in Asia you don’t consume a lot of yogurt or milk).
    ?

  25. Sesame says:

    I guess not as much as Europeans. Somehow diary don’t agree with many of our tummies.

  26. soly says:

    Hi. nice post. I’ve one question.. I’ve read one article, it said yogurt is good for lightening dark skin in pubic area. can I know what type of yogurt suits for it?

  27. mohammed nadeem says:

    hello,i hope you are very well, need some help from you about type of yoghurt..i had tried fat-free yoghurt which does not worked at all on my face…now i am using plain low fat yoghurt whcih is also dont show any glow on my face..so please can you tell me what to do to get glow on my face…i feel great if you reply me…

  28. Sesame says:

    Perhaps yogurt is not suitable for you then?

  29. Milki @ beauty says:

    thanks for your tips…. every one use this?

  30. Sesame says:

    Most people can use this unless your skin is extremely sensitive.

  31. Shagalov says:

    Thanks for you this helpful post. thanks for sharing with us. keep continuing your good work.

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