In my skincare practice and my remote skin
coaching program, Eval by Email® Adult Acne Clearing Program for
adults 24+, an at-home weekly use of an exfoliator and mask is an integral part
of my method of clearing Adult Acne. I
wrote a little about this last week when talking about how to prep for
vacation.
Continuing Mask Madness Month at Daniela’s
Facial Studio®, let’s talk about how masks work and what ingredients
and benefits make them such an integral part of an at-home regimen and
in-studio facial.
There are several different types of masks, as
illustrated in my post kicking off Mask Madness Month, when I included a video about
how to apply one.
- Clay Mask, which is opaque with a thick mud-like consistency, or like an extra heavy pancake batter, can harden but doesn’t have to (it actually shouldn't), and is rinsed off after 10 minutes;
- Cream Mask, which looks like a wet, thick, rich and creamy moisturizer, is tissued off after 15 minutes before rinsing, or the remainder can be massaged into the skin without rinsing;
- Gel Mask, which applies like a thick, goopy gel and is tissued off before rinsing completely, and;
- Exfoliating Mask with a thick, gelatin-like consistency, which in some cases is dried and then peeled off, or in the case of one of my products, can be either rinsed, or rubbed off for extra exfoliation and then rinsed.
But what do masks do exactly and what are they
primarily made of ? Ok, well, there’s so
much to talk about with this subject, I needed to divvy this up a bit !
So, this week I’ll be talking about Clay and
Gel masks, while next week I’ll be going over Exfoliating and Cream masks.
Clay Mask
“Clay” is a general term that refers to
several mineral rich compounds taken right from the earth. Examples are Bentonite, Rhassoul, and several
forms of Kaolin. They each contain various
minerals, such as iron oxides (quite literally, rusted iron), salts, calcium, and
trace elements. The cool thing about
clay is that the very elements that give them their respective therapeutic
qualities also give them their varied colors. These clays are scientifically proven to be active
against a wide range of skin conditions such as acne, dermatitis, eczema,
psoriasis, and seborrheic dermatitis. They draw out impurities from within the skin by attracting positive ions (free
radicals) to their negatively charged selves, promote healing, and in some
cases, increase blood circulation bringing much needed oxygen to tissues while removing waste. Clay
can also absorb excess oils while adding health-promoting minerals into the
skin. While anti-inflammatory,
analgesic, and astringent, clays do not cause allergic reactions in their dry
form, because they are inert. However,
if left on too long, they can cause dryness, and if left on really long, irritation, as they can draw out water as well
as oils and impurities.
Product Spotlight:
Daniela’s Zinc and Sulphur Mask
This is one of my favorite masks for clearing the kind of acne that features numerous blackheads, infection, and excess oiliness. It also softens the skin as it heals, and can help serums and lotions penetrate more deeply when first massaged into the skin before application of clay. This mask contains wonderful things like Sulphur, a superpower known for antiseptic healing, Zinc PCA to enhance the healing process and aid in calming, then packs a punch with cooling and purifying Eucalyptus essential oil, absorbent and texturizing Bentonite Clay, and an alcohol-free, naturally astringent Witch Hazel. Acne clearing gets a real boost using this clay, to the extent that there is a marked difference between getting clear with a basic daily regimen alone, and boosting that regimen using this mask once or twice a week. My daily products are amazing, super effective, but there's nothing like a good clay mask for extra help with purifying, calming, oil absorption, and retexturing.
Gel Mask
Gel Masks have the most immediate and obvious
feel of hydration and cooling. They are
perfect for calming and soothing dehydrated, irritated and troubled skin. This cooling and wetting effect is common to
all gel masks, with various active ingredients creating endless
possibilities for benefits to the skin.
With its gel consistency, this type of mask does not set or dry, and can
have varying times to be left on the skin before being rinsed. I advise using non-lotion facial tissue, Viva paper
towels or a super soft washcloth to remove as much as possible first before rinsing
with tepid or cool water. Why? Because what makes a gel mask gel actually grows
with water. If you try to rinse it off while
it’s on full force, it’ll feel like it will never come off.
Product Spotlight :
Daniela’s Soothing Gelle
Mask
I have tried other gel masks and some actually
made my skin sting a little, as it did the skin of a few of my clients. Others didn’t make our skin feel hydrated for
long enough after removal, giving a feeling as though the facial never
happened. This one is very special, because it not only contains hydrators that actually last far beyond removal of the mask, it also features a magical
ingredient combo of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant EGCG isolated from Green Tea (one of my all-time fav ingredients), skin stress relieving and wound healing Helichrysum, aka "Everlasting", anti-redness, anti-irritant Allantoin from Comfrey root, and moisture-leveling, anti-inflammatory panthenol, aka Provitamin B5. All of these making this mask a healing powerhouse!
Next Week :
Exfoliating and Cream Masks !
If the
descriptions of the masks I just talked about here are not enough to get you
going, please contact me for more individualized attention.
Next week: What Do Masks Do? Part 2!
Next week: What Do Masks Do? Part 2!
Have fun with your masks!
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