Our best piece of advice? use a mask tailored to your skin's unique needs. Is your skin dry? Congested? Dull? What does it precisely need for health to be restored.
This should you be your guiding question when picking the mask(s) for you.
To give you a hand, we’ve broken down the different categories of masks and our top picks from INÈS
If you suffer from breakouts, oily skin, or congestion- clay masks are for you. Minerals found in clay work to stimulate the lymphatic system, and draw out impurities, toxins and dirt from your pores. They are detoxifying, purifying and mildly exfoliating.
For those needing ongoing support of congested skin- NIOD Flavanone Mud Mask is iconic. You can feel the activity pulsing on your skin with use. It not only works to treat breakouts as they appear, but goes deeper beneath the superficial layers of your skin to help prevent breakouts before the occur.
We also love MARA Volcanic Sea Clay Detox Masque- formulated with ashwagandha, honey and marine botanicals to soothe and hydrate while it purifies, and Circumference Green Clay Detox Mask- an elegant clay mask that unclogs pores without leaving skin dry.
Pro Tip: you can use your clay masks to spot treat when a breakout occurs.
To calm and hydrate uncomfortable skin, a creamy, vitamin-infused mask with hydrating and nourishing ingredients should be a top priority. Look to ingredients such as shea butter, plant oils, fatty acids and hyaluronic acid, delivered in a rich soothing formula to relieve skin of tightness, dryness and a dull complexion.
Circumference In Depth Hydration Mask offers a luxurious rich cream texture that soothes skin the instant its applied. Creating a barrier on the skin to lock in and retain moisture- this antioxidant rich mask leaves skin noticeably recharged, soothed and supple in only 20 mins.
For the all-natural green queen- Josh Rosebrook’s every popular Advanced Hydration Mask is a rich blue texture that melts into the skin on application, traversing a cream to oil consistency. Extremely rich in hydrating ingredients plus anti-inflammatory plant actives
For a cooling, hydrating mask suited to sensitised skin- iS Clinical’s Hydra Intensive Cooling Mask is your professional strength formula. Not a cream texture, but a unique gel formula- this mask offers a cooling sensation on application. It’s refreshing, calming and leaves skin luminous after use. This mask is a summer go-to when skin suffers overheating, or sun exposure.
Pro Tip: hydrating masks are great for all round skin health, offering a good place to start if you’re new to masking and not sure where to begin.
Pro Tip: hydrating masks are great for all round skin health, offering a good place to start if you’re new to masking and not sure where to begin.
We love an exfoliating mask, they are the go-to for an instant skin pick-me-up. Formulated to remove dead skin cells and enhance the skins natural turnover process, they offer great support to continued skin health. Exfoliating masks are typically made up of chemical exfoliants such as AHA’s or BHA’s, or physical exfoliants, such as finely ground particles to buff and polish the skin surface. The caveat here- don’t overdo it. Once a week- twice max is the sweet spot with exfoliating treatments.
We love an exfoliating mask, they are the go-to for an instant skin pick-me-up. Formulated to remove dead skin cells and enhance the skins natural turnover process, they offer great support to continued skin health
For the best of both worlds, Josh Rosebrook’s Active Enzyme Exfoliating Mask offers dual-action exfoliation, making it more effective than one method alone. Enzyme activity eats away at dead skin, while ground walnut shells gently buff the skin surface. For a gel-cream mask with AHA and BHA activity- look to Codage Peeling Masque. Infused with chemical exfoliates to brighten skin without abrasion- it resurfaces and minimises fine lines and dark spots.
Lastly, for fans of iS Clinical, the Tri-Active Exfoliating Mask is a quick fix 5 minute treatment with eco-friendly micro breads and botanical enzymes and fruit acids from papaya and pineapple, it offers physical and biochemical exfoliation in one, leaving skin smooth and glowing.
Go forth, and mask!