Skincare has always been a fascination of mine. All the creams and butters that can make your skin soft, glowy, dewy…the options and combinations for gaining the perfect skincare routine are endless. There is always a facemask to help you along the way to greatness. I think of my face masks as the accessory to my whole routine, the cherry on top if you will. So, here is my routine and some general tips for getting the most out of your facemask.
Ok, so after I wash and exfoliate my face, I rub the Full of Grace solid facial serum from Lush into the areas I want to put my mask. You can use any serum you like depending on your skin needs. Serums boost the effects from whatever mask you’re doing by locking in moisture and calming your skin (so no redness!). You can use your serum under your moisturizer as well, but I love to incorporate it into my mask routine.
Next, I put on my mask! There are many different masks out there depending on your skin type. I recently bought this honey mask from my local farmers market that has been amazing to me. Although I am literally putting straight honey on my face, it isn’t as icky as it sounds because it washes off so easily with no sticky mess. I leave it on for 3-5 minutes while the honey works it’s antibacterial magic that gets rid of breakouts and prevents them from spreading. My mask came mixed with jojoba seeds, which acts as the exfoliant when you scrub the mask off, getting rid of all the dead skin and dried oils that clog your pores and cause acne (ew). They’re also not micro-plastic exfoliants, so the oceans will be very grateful. Finding a mask with honey is super easy, you can get one at Lush, at Sephora, or basically any drugstore. It is very gentle on the skin and does not leave you feeling dry, so it works for any skin type.
Another mask I also use is the Mega Galaxy Greens clay mask from Glossier which has a ton of vitamins and aloe to soothe and get rid of redness. Clay masks help unclog your pores, which in turn makes them less visible. Clay masks are incredibly varied, so you can easily find ones that are more moisturizing or ones that are more meant for oily skin. Leave clay masks on for at least 15 minutes to give them time to work their magic. As a little bonus, I like to leave the mask in the fridge because the cold temp will close your pores up even more and reduce puffiness. I also really like to do this with sheet masks for the same reason.
All of the masks (and the rest of my skincare products) are paraben free. Parabens are a nasty preservative that has no place near your body. Using natural ingredients and avoiding harsh chemicals will keep your skin balanced and calm, especially if you are already using a drying acne medication. My best advice is to experiment with different brands and different ingredients because you never know how your skin will respond. So take a bath, get a good book to read, and treat yourself to a facemask, girl.