I love caring for my skin, and I started at very young age. I always loved facial masks as well, it's sort of a skin care boost to detox, remove impurities, and nourish the skin with 'nutrition'. During weekends I can easily do 3-5 a day! I have used over 50 different masks from various brands, in cream or cloth form, from pharmacy to high-end department store brands. In retrospect, I have purchased some based on marketed benefits, promotions, or positive reviews, without thinking too much about the ingredients, but I choose them more carefully. (For product ingredients and the benefits of skincare ingredients, feel free to visit ewg.org or paulaschoices.com for individual produce reviews)
In my opinion, facial masks are not absolutely necessary but it is a great way to address specific skin concerns. However, using facial masks incorrectly will result in wasting the products and your money, or worse, making your skin worse! So whether you're looking to do a deep cleaning or adding some hydration to your face, be sure to avoid these mistakes:
1. Not looking at the product labels - read the labels carefully to make sure that you are not allergic to the products' ingredients
2. Buying the 'natural' marketed labels - Don't get me wrong. I love natural products and try to avoid certain chemical ingredients as much as possible. But poison ivy is natural but it isn't good for the skin, and ingredients like Retinol (Vitamin A), Hyaluronic Acid (or Sodium Hyaluronate), or Glycerin might sound foreign to you, can be good or even essential for the skin
3. Not cleaning your face thoroughly - Clogged pores and dirt prevent you from getting the most out of the facial masks. Even if you're using a cleansing mask, it's still a good habit to remove the dirt from the surface and let the mask absorbs the impurities from your pores
4. Opting for cream mask because it seems to be cheaper and lasts longer - Cloth mask also does wonders. When you leave it on your face, it seals the ingredients onto the skin. For cream masks, apply generously onto your skin, you do need a good amount (more than the daily moisturizer amount) in order for your skin to absorb the essence.
Not following instructions
5. Leaving the mask on for too long (except for overnight/sleeping masks) - This is a huge mistake. Cleaning mask with clay and charcoal can dry up your skin quickly. When your skin is too dry, it can become flaky and cause peeling, or worse, form fine lines! Even if you are doing a hydrating mask, some masks have intensive formulas that you shouldn't leave it on for more than 5-10. After the recommended time the ingredients could irritate your skin. So the longer isn't always better.
5b. Using your facial/eye masks as a substitute to your regular skincare products. Facial masks ingredients are formulated for special skin concerns and provide a boost to the skin, but they don't provide the same protection as the regular skincare products (SPF, seed oils for antioxidants)
6. Not rinsing/wiping/rubbing properly - If it says "wipe off excess", use a facial tissue to gently wipe off any residues on your face; for rinsing, use lukewarm water to rinse off completely. If it says massage onto your skin, use your fingertips to rub the essence onto your face in circular motions. Be sure to follow the regular skincare routine as instructed.
7. Talking/Laughing/Eating - Try to relax as much as you can. Your skin will relax too and absorb the ingredients better. In addition, if the ingredients are drying, intensive motion on your face will pull your skin and can create fine lines.
8. Using only one facial masks - I would switch with a few products, or at least try something else and then go back to your favorite. Once your skin is used to the ingredients, the products will become less effective.
9. Picking one that is colorful and smells like its marketed ingredients - If you care about the ingredients, try to stay away from the colorful ones or the ones that really smell like the ingredients (like 'rose' or 'cucumber'). A lot of times they contain synthetics colors and scents to make the products more 'believable' and don't add any benefits to your skin. I prefer not having Green-3, Yellow-3, CI-xxxxx (artificial colors) and fragrance/parfum (could be made of synthetics) added to my skincare boost.
So that's it for now! Don't forget to Happy Masking!
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