Yahoo Beauty

5 Types of Face Masks and How to Use Them

Yahoo Beauty

Updated Sun, March 15, 2015 at 4:18 PM UTC

Sheet Masks — If your skin has fine lines, discoloration, or dullness, try an anti-aging sheet mask packed with active ingredients—like retinoids, squalene and glycerin—to build collagen and restore hydration. “Sheet masks can allow active ingredients to better penetrate the skin, thanks to the occlusion they provide,” says Graf. “A barrier is formed when you place these masks onto the skin, which helps trap ingredients. As a result, skin is better primed to drink in particles, instead allowing them to evaporate into the air.”Try: Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Intensive Revitalizing Mask ($63)

Powder Masks — Adding water, yogurt, or other liquids to powder masks not only delights our inner chemist, but allows us to control the thickness of a mask. Many powder masks are formulated with oats, which can serve as a great exfoliant and anti-inflammatory. But according to Graf, oily skin types can benefit from powder masks stocked with sulfur or clays (like bentonite clay), as well, since they “pull oils out of the skin and deep-cleanse the pores.” Try: Earth Tu Face Exfoliating Powder Mask ($72)

Gel Masks — If you have dry or sensitive skin, gel masks gently deliver a shot of hydration. These cooling masks can also help soothe irritated skin when stocked with chamomile and aloe. When formulated with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5—ingredients that hydrate the skin, help reduce natural water loss, and help in wound healing—gel masks can restore the skin’s moisturization, an aspect of skincare that takes a particular hit in blistery winter months.Try: Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Masque ($54)

Peel Away Masks — We’ve always been told not to tug at the skin on our faces at the risk of losing elasticity, so it would seem that using a peel-away mask—which must be shed like a snakeskin—would be a mistake. But Graf says this isn’t necessarily true, as long as the mask is formulated for easy removal. “These masks should be easily peeled off without sticking to the skin too much,” she says. “Little remaining bits should be able to be rinsed off the face. Which formulations make the grade? Those with soothing ingredients like aloe vera and willow herb.Try: Boscia Cool Blue Calming Mask ($34)

Paste Masks — Thankfully, gone are the days in which we slapped plastic bead-laden pastes on our faces and proceeded to rough skin up as a way of brightening complexions. Now, a gentler route can be taken when exfoliating, thanks to paste masks made with Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids. “Lactic acid can exfoliate and enhance the penetration of moisturizing ingredients,” says Graf. Lactic acid works wonders since it brightens the skin by sweeping away dead skin cells and stimulates cell turnover. Try: True Nature Botanicals Pacific Exfoliating Moisture Mask ($90)

Sheet Masks

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If your skin has fine lines, discoloration, or dullness, try an anti-aging sheet mask packed with active ingredients—like retinoids, squalene and glycerin—to build collagen and restore hydration. “Sheet masks can allow active ingredients to better penetrate the skin, thanks to the occlusion they provide,” says Graf. “A barrier is formed when you place these masks onto the skin, which helps trap ingredients. As a result, skin is better primed to drink in particles, instead allowing them to evaporate into the air.”Try: Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Intensive Revitalizing Mask ($63)

Masks have evolved from the green, goopy concoctions worn by our mothers to include a mind-spinning array of textures, formulas, and delivery mechanisms to suit your every need. From mix-‘em-yourself dry powders to creams, pastes, gels and sheet masks, the oversaturated market is admittedly daunting—which type of mask is best for your skin? Thankfully, Dr. Jeannette Graf, a New York-based dermatologist and author of Stop Aging, Start Living, reminds us that a mask’s powers are largely due to its ingredients, not its form. Read on for tips on which ingredients to look for and how each type works its magic.

Related:
Face Masks 101: Why (& How) to Use Them
10 Best Sheet Face Masks
Glossier Launches New Face Masks

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