If there is one thing in my beauty routine that I’m not so very good at, it’s using face masks on a regular basis. While I love the way my skin feels and looks after treating it with a nice mask, I sort of feel like it’s almost a mission to slap the mask on, let it dry, then wash it off, tone your skin, etc. I think I’m just lazy. BUT, I still try to do it, once a week, every Saturday (twice a week, during those hot Summer months when my skin gets very congested).
Over the years I’ve tried countless masks and mask-like products; some were more affordable than others, some worked wonders and some did absolutely nothing for me. Here are my top three:
1. Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask
I’ve previously talked about it in my videos, wrote about right here on my blog and you will probably hear me talking about it many more times in the future. That’s how much I like this mask. It contains Activated Charcoal that acts like a magnet to draw out all the gunk out of the pores and White China clay that absorbs the environmental toxins and dissolves impurities while removing the excess oil and dirt from the skin. It doesn’t contain any synthetic fragrances or dyes, parabens or sulfates.
The main reason why the Charcoal Mask is my favorite is because it’s the only product that seems to work on diminishing blackheads and REALLY clearing out the pores. It has a very thick and creamy consistency (be careful when you wash it off though- it gets EVERYWHERE), a very pleasant scent but it can be quite tricky to remove (because of how thick it is). I like to use a very warm wash cloth right before applying the mask, to open up the pores. This products costs about $24.00 and last forever. I had my tube for almost a year and it’s not even close to being empty.
2. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque
Oldie but a goodie. I’ve used this mask ever since I was in high school, it was actually one of the first masks that I’ve ever tried. It’s very simple, very affordable and it’s effective. This mask is great at healing and drying out active breakouts, it removes excess oil from the skin and shrinks enlarged pores. The skin feels incredibly refreshed after using this. If you have oily skin, you will LOVE this mask.
3. Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment
This is where it gets fancy. A 1.2 oz jar of this goodness will cost you about $70.00 and if you can afford it, I say go for it. The Glamglow masks became quite popular around the beauty community when they first hit Sephora stores and of course I jumped on the bandwagon and purchased the Glamglow Exfoliating Mask. I liked it quite a lot, so when months later I heard about the Supermud Clearing mask I knew that I had to try it.
Besides from having an amazing scent and feeling super luxurious on the skin this product is actually great at fighting breakouts. It can be used both as a spot treatment and as a mask; it contains a proprietary blend of six AHA and BHA acids that aid the damaged skin, minimize pores and breakouts. It also claims to remove acne scarring- I don’t know about that; it might actually brighten the pigmentation with regular use, but it ain’t a miracle worker when it comes to evening out the skin tone. However, it’s still an amazing product that leaves the skin looking very bright and clear.
I also thought that I’d mention that I use a foundation brush to apply my masks; it lets me keep my hands nice and clean, allows for a not-so-messy application and helps to save a lot of product by not wasting it. Getting the product out of that Glamglow jar can be quite tricky at times, if using your fingers. I use the Elf foundation brush ($1.00 at Target).
I realize that all of the above products are targeted predominantly at oily and blemish-prone skin. I’ve been trying to find a good moisturizing mask (my skin feels really dry at the moment), had no luck. Has anyone heard of/used a moisturizing mask that they really liked? Anyone? :)
Paula xx