All Things Face Masks

Hello, there my lovelies! This was probably the most requested article, so here it is, all things face masks! The fun of skincare begins here. Everyone that states that diamonds are a girl's best friend obviously hasn’t tried the right face mask yet.

The greatest issues we have with face masks are which ones to actually purchase, are they needed, and their overall purpose. While everyone wants to have something fun and pink and glittery, it might not be what your skin needs. Incorrect usage or application may even lead to worsening your skin. For example, a peel-off mask would not be ideal for sensitive skin, nor would it help if you were to be allergic to the ingredients. On the other hand, you don’t want to dry out your skin excessively or have an over-production of sebum taking place. So let’s jump right in!

What is a face mask, actually? No, I’m not talking about the cloth or medical one you have to wear when shopping these days (on a semi unrelated note, these masks also result in causing havoc on your skin for those of you who have been experiencing strange changes in your skin, either from friction or the laundry detergent used to wash them). Face masks are specifically generated treatments for your skin, depending on the need and are formulated in accordance with that need with specific ingredients, textures, and methods of application. Some of the more popular face masks include:

- Sheet masks

- Clay masks

- Cream masks

- Peel-off masks

- Gel masks

- Collagen-based masks

- Vitamin C masks

- Exfoliating masks

- Thermal masks

- Hydrogel masks

- Food-based masks (especially homemade masks)

- Water sleeping masks

- Overnight masks

- Peeling mask

Those are the most popular but of course, you still get many other types. I know this seems completely overwhelming, but don’t worry, it’s actually simple choosing the right mask for you. Why though? Why a facemask? Other than the fun and relaxation component, face masks are made to penetrate deeper than any other product type and possess qualities that make the skin's appearance more textured and soft (depending on your need, of course!). However, you’re going to have to start off with using a mask that is suited to your skin type, not one that your best friend loves or that appears to be a social media cult favourite, but one that you need. In my personal experience, I have tried masks that are crowned as the best or that was recommended by a handful of people, but in the end, it only ended up doing more damage than good.

Before applying a mask, you have to remember to cleanse your skin properly as well, otherwise, you’re allowing the mask to trap dirt into your pores and skin, so then what would be the point? Other than cleansing your face, your hands and application tools also need to be clean to prevent spreading other dirt particles onto your face. Luckily for us, most masks these days have a direction of use printed on the label, including how often to use it and how long to put it on. These factors can also be a make or break element when it comes to results. If a mask is not kept on long enough, it might be a waste as the ingredients are not allocated enough time to actively work, such as a hydrating gel mask. On the other hand, if a mask is kept on too long it may start aggravating the skin, such as with a peeling mask. The amount of time a mask is to be used weekly is included for the skins recovery rate, such as with masks used 1-2 times per week or it represents the number of times needed before seeing results on a more permanent base. For example, if you use a mask once it could provide immediate results, but using that mask long term, such as over a period of 2 months, for say twice a week, one may produce long term results.

Upon choosing a mask that is right for you, you can go either for immediate relief treatments or for masks that are created for long term skin problems. An example of immediate relief could be a cream-based calming mask for sunburn or a ‘pick-me-up’ sheet mask for a quick hydrating or soothing effect. Long term masking could be masks used for hyperpigmentation for example, such as gel masks containing glycolic acid or brightening elements. So you see, a pink glitter mask is not suited for all skin types! However, masks can still be fun with the range of masks available at our fingertips these days, from different printed sheet masks, colourful peel-off masks, gel masks with fruit inclusions, foaming bubble masks, different infused clay or mud masks and then your pink glitter masks.

So now you’re thinking okay B, but there are still thousands of masks to choose from, how should I narrow it down to make the right choice? My personal tips would be first and foremost to determine your skin type, oily? Sensitive? Mature? Dry? With your skin-type in mind, ask yourself why you want a mask, is it for a specific short-term concern? A long-term concern? Then comes what the actual reason for the mask is, do you need a Vitamin C boost? Brightening? Nourishing? To rid of dry and dead skin? There are so many reasons and masks to cater for those reasons! After which ask yourself how much time do you actually have to mask? Some masks only require 1 minute, while others can take up to an hour (or more if you consider over-night masks), lastly, choose something that caters to all of these needs, that doesn’t contain ingredients that you may be allergic to, for example, I can’t wear masks containing any elements of cinnamon, while others may be allergic to nuts or a specific chemical ingredient. And have fun with it! Go for gold or glitter or pink if it falls into the type your skin requires!

Another fun tip I have for masking is multi-masking. This is the process of applying different types of masks simultaneously or after each other. Remember the ‘double cleansing’ tip mentioned from the ‘All things face wash article’? This is a similar principle where you can either apply one mask first, followed by another one, for example for mature skin I would recommend a peeling mask followed by a collagen hydrogel mask. This then allows for the removal of the outer skin layer and infusing collagen and hydrating stimulates which would calm down the skin and aid into the anti-aging technique faster. Or you could apply different masks at once, which is especially helpful for combination skin types. For example, I have a dry skin type, with fine lines on my forehead, but I experience hormonal acne on my chin, so I would apply a clay mask on my chin, a peel-off firming mask on my forehead and a hydrating gel mask on my cheeks.

Usually by now in my articles, I would divide B’s recommendations into the different skin types. However, masking works slightly differently, as there are more factors in play here, so here are some of the above-mentioned masking types and the role they can play on your skin, along with my recommendations:

- Sheet masks: The great thing about sheet masks are that they are formulated for all skin type, they come in so many different varieties, some have vitamin C properties, other are hydrogel or collagen-based, some even have mud as an element. They are easy to apply and easy on the budget too. My recommendations would be to look at the brands' Skin Republic (my favourites here are the Bubble purifying and charcoal mask, Spots + Blemish Face mask sheet, the collagen hydrogel mask, CoQ10 caviar mask, plus they have a range for men as well!), Vitamasques (I recommend their crystal extract mask sheets, jade, citrine, ruby, and pearl, as well as their Acai Berry extract mask) and Quret (I love their moisturizing banana and brightening tomato masks), they cater for different skin types and skin issues. Brands like Sorbet and Garnier and Ponds also produce mostly hydrating sheet masks.

- Clay/Mud masks: Clay masks have made quite the stir in the beauty industry over the last few years, however, they are not meant for everybody. Their main focus is to draw out impurities and excess sebum, so their best fit would be for an oily or acne-prone skin type. However, they are a great helping aid for multi-masking, such as with spot control for acne or blackheads on the nose for example. Some of my top recommendations would include GlamGlows Supermud Clearing Treatment, L’Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Clear & Comfort Face Mask, Sukin Pink clay facial Masque, Pink Cosmetics Pink Clay mask. There are other wonderful mud and clay masks out there, I have mentioned some of them under exfoliating masks as well. One has to make sure what the purpose of these masks are, they may be more beneficial to withdrawing impurities or more beneficial as an exfoliating means. *Editors note: Pick n’Pay also has a clay mask under their brand name that was inexpensive and worked really well, I just can’t seem to come across the name right now.

- Cream masks: Ah the classic ‘white face mask’. These masks are usually your soothing and hydrating masks and work well on both normal and dry skin types. They can also be your best friend if you find yourself suffering from sunburn or an external rash. My recommendations include the Annique Face Facts Calm Down mask, The Sorbet Salon Skin Vitamin Rescue mask, Eu Thermale Avene Soothing Radiance Mask, TheraVine Purifying Herbal Mask, and Dr. Hauschka Soothing Mask

- Peel-off masks: That’s exactly what this mask does, It peels off the debris and dead skin. The danger here however is that the incorrect peel-off mask can cause serious damage. However, due to this being a non-discriminatory platform, no brand shaming is tolerated, so I simply don’t mention any products that may cause harm. (This does not mean that all unmentioned products are bad, it simply means I haven’t personally tried them yet, I’m no Kylie Jenner…yet) So with this mask, again it can possess many different qualities, for example, one of my recommendations include the GlamGlow Gravity Mud firming treatment, which is for fine lines, whilst another recommendation would also be the Himalaya Cucumber & Almond Peel-off Mask which on the other hand is more aimed at moisturizing. I further recommend Skin Republics 24K Gold Peel-Off Mask which is great for anti-aging and the Neutriherbs Blackhead Removal peel-off mask.

- Gel masks: Another mask that is suitable for all skin types, especially dehydrated, aging, and sensitive skins. This might be my favourite mask type, even though I’ve only tried a handful, I just find them to work really well. My top recommendations would be the Body Shops British Rose plumping mask (This is my favourite mask at the moment), Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask, GlamGlows Thirstymud hydrating treatment, and Vichy Quenching Mineral face mask.

- Exfoliating masks: That’s exactly what these masks do; they exfoliate, removing dead skin and debris in a softer manner, they are suitable for sensitive skin types if less abrasive masks are used. So as mentioned above, some clay masks (or other mask types) are more concerned on the exfoliating front, my favourites of these are the L’Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Exfoliate & Refining Face Mask (This is my other favourite mask after The Body shops), Minearline magnetic dead sea mud mask (yes you read right, you even get MAGNETIC masks). Other exfoliating masks I’d recommend include the Hey Gorgeous facial scrub (okay so technically it’s a scrub, but I leave it on for a few minutes as a mask and it works pretty well), SKOONS Fruit Sherbet Exfoliating mask, Lush Cup-o-coffee face & body mask and African Extracts advantage exfoliating mask

- Food-based masks: In other words, masks made of food or food types, Ironically as I’m typing this section, I’m wearing a food-based mask which also falls under my recommendations, namely the Simply Bee’s honey hydrating face mask. Most Food-based masks are however homemade. As fun and cost-efficient as this may sound, it is not actually always ideal. Firstly homemade masks do not possess anti-aging ingredients and they may irritate the skin if it’s harsh or something your skin is not used to. If you are not used to making your own masks, you might even mix counteracting ingredients that may not cause any results. I will, however, do a tutorial video on homemade masks in an upcoming video, although I still don’t recommend it. Other food-based masks to try out include The Body Shops Mediterranean Almond Milk with Oats Instant Soothing Mask and Hey Gorgeous Goji Berry face mask.

- Overnight masks: Masks that you would use overnight for a longer penetration into the skin. They are almost like a thick moisturizer and are mostly for dry skin and especially helpful for mature skin. My recommendations include the SKOON Ruby Marine Overnight Mask, The Body Shops Hemp Overnight Nourishing Rescue Mask, Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Overnight Firming Mask, Clinique Moisture Surge overnight mask and Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

- Peeling mask: Peeling masks are similar to peel-off masks, but also completely different. Instead of peeling off the mask after a few minutes, the chemicals within the mask does all the work for you and removes the topmost layer of the skin. This is useful for brightening, anti-aging, hyper-pigmentation, and for fading acne marks. These masks are usually only left on for a few minutes between 1 and 5 and are quick to react. They do sting sometimes and so I would not suggest them for sensitive skin. They are also good to incorporate during multi-masking, by adding a soothing mask after using this first. My recommendations include Clarins Gentle Peeling Smooth Away Cream, Elizabeth Arden Visible difference Peel and Reveal Revitalizing Mask, Caudalie Glycolic Peel Mask, REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask and the BioNike Instant Glow Illuminating Peeling Mask.

There are so many other masks with different properties that are not mentioned here. Feel free to share your recommendations with me as well. I hope you’re taking care of yourself, your skin, your health, your mind, and your body during these times. Love yourself and take care of yourself, you might just inspire the next person to do the same.

Keep going, keep glowing, and keep growing. You’re doing amazing.

• B x