How to get the most out of your face masks and fully benefit from their properties
Many people go straight from washing their face to chucking on a sheet mask (if they even wash their face) and then call it a day. This is likely why you’re not seeing the full affects of your mask and for some, maybe even why your skin seems worse! There are four simple steps you neeeeeed to follow in order to fully benefit from your masks and I promise
Steam
Steaming your face is the most important part of a face mask. This helps to open up your pores and loosen up any buildup and dirt within them; meaning you can penetrate your skin deeper once the mask is applied. Steaming should be done for 8-10 minutes with a facial steamer, but if you don’t have one, you can also boil hot water, and cover your head with a towel as you keep your face in the steam produced.
Keep it pure
A common mistake when indulging in face masks is jumping straight into a sheet mask, but realistically you’re just layering products on top of your already clogged pores. Now that they’re open, you need to remove all of the build up, dirt and sebum sitting within them. To do this you specifically need a clay face mask, as they perform a deep cleanse; absorbing all of the impurities. This is especially good for acne prone and oily skin because the excess sebum is extracted. Don’t leave this on for more than 15 minutes or you’re at risk of drying out your skin.
Sheet
At this point you’re probably feeling a little stiff, but at least your skin in squeaky clean inside and out (literally!). It’s now time to restore all of the moisture using a sheet mask. If you choose one with other benefits such as acne or hyperpigmentation focussed, it’ll have an even better effect now, because the product can seep deeper into your skin and target the issue better due to the open and unclogged pores. Using a face roller or gua sha on top of your mask will help the ingredients penetrate deeper into the skin, as you’re physically pushing the product further in and increasing circulation also. If you don’t have one using your hands works great too! Don’t forget to squeeze out any excess left in the packaging, and apply to your neck, hands and décolletage, because they need love too!
For some reason they make these masks seventeen million times the size of our actual faces, so you can take it a step further and use a face mask holder to keep it in place whilst you binge on Gilmore girls or do some bits around the house. Again, don’t leave this on for more than 15 minutes to avoid skin irritation but if you just so happen to fall asleep don’t stress! Think of it as errr…extra relaxation hehehe.
The Aftermath
It can be confusing what to do once you’ve finished a face mask. Do you wash it all off? Do you just leave like that? Think of the sheet mask as a serum. Especially if it’s targeting skin concerns, you don’t want to wash off all your hard work. Instead, once you’ve removed your sheet mask seal everything with your normal moisturiser and carry on with your day.
If you’re doing this just before bed, make sure this is at least 30 minutes before so everything can soak in, and if the suns still shining (or the rain if you’re reading this from England lol) make sure you’re using SPF on top - as discussed in “Creating the perfect skincare routine”!
If you’re anything like me, all this step by step is probably the last thing you want to be doing. It’s been a loooooong day and you just want to sit on the sofa with your face mask on, tv remote in one hand and a glass of Clicquot in the other. But…think about your skin!! Whilst it seems long winded, these 4 simple steps will take your skin to the next level and don’t we all want that glass skin?
Find my face mask and face steamer recommendations here xoxo
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