The number of people who’ve seen your full face in the past year is probably pretty limited. And while masking up has certain advantages (beyond slowing the spread of COVID-19!) that include not having to worry so much about the state of your skin, it’s going to be a huge relief to unmask in vaccinated company this summer regardless—because, smiles!
The stresses of this past year may, however, be written all over your face. And so, it might make sense to engage in a little skin care 911 in preparation for the big reveals. Below, find 15 face masks—of the skin-care variety—boasting a range of helpful ingredients to restore your skin to its former, pre-pandemic glory so you can let it shine at (vaccinated) outside your quarantine bubble at long last.
15 Skin-Care Face Masks That’ll Rejuvenate Mask-Weary Skin
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Oily and Acne-Prone Skin
1. Eve Lom Rescue Mask
This kaolin clay mask is infused with honey to calm and clear the skin simultaneously. Ground almonds then gently exfoliate, resulting in a fresh-faced look that’s ready to meet new-old friends for the first time in over a year.
2. OMOROVICZA Silver Skin Saviour Face Mask
The key ingredient in this mask is colloidal silver, which is known for its anti-bacterial properties. It works in tandem with the mask’s niacinamide to clarify the skin. Acids—glycolic and salicylic—then endeavor to further unclog pores. The overall effect is clearer, brighter skin that’s moisturized yet shine-free.
3. Lancer Clarifying Detox Mask
Green tea and green clay combine in this mask to clarify and clear skin alongside detoxifying sulfur and radiance-boosting azelaic acid. Use as a spot treatment or all-over face mask, and after just 15 minutes, the appearance of acne will be visibly reduced and your skin will appear healthier, brighter, and more even in tone.
4. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx Blemish Solutions Clarifying Mask
This clarifying mask from an editor-beloved brand relies on colloidal sulfer, bentonite clay, and kaolin clay to banish blemishes. And though it’s designed for oiler skin types, it does its work to clear skin and absorb skin slicks without drying skin out in the process. The mask is also formulated to reduce redness and leans on aloe to soothe inflamed skin. It can be applied as a spot treatment or left on overnight.
5. Dr. Jart+ Dermask Micro Jet Clearing Mask
This sheet mask is infused with Clearing Solution Complex, a proprietary blend of niacinamide, tea tree leaf oil, and salicylic acid designed to zap zits. It’s specifically formulated to treat oiler skin, and as such, it offers gentle hydration without further clogging pores. After use, your skin will look calm, clear, and bright.
Dry and Mature Skin
1. La Mer The Treatment Lotion Mask
In no world is this a budget-friendly find, but at least you’re shelling out for *actual* results. This mask’s serum is a blend of Miracle Broth (La Mer’s proprietary formulation), Revitalizing Ferment (sea minerals and algae), and micro-fiber technology, and it will hydrate the s**t out of your pandemic-weary skin. The $165 price tag includes just six masks, but those should last you six months to a year given they’re more of a once-in-a-while fix than they are a part of a daily regimen (unless you’re, say, Kylie Jenner-rich). If you have the cash, these babies are worth the spurge to revitalize parched, world-weary skin.
2. Kiehl’s Avocado Nourishing Hydration Mask
There’s something so indulgent, and yet simultaneously earthy, about slathering your face in an avocado-based cream. And while there’s not exactly a smushed avo in here, this mask is formulated with ultra-hydrating avocado fruit extract and avocado oil, as well as with evening primrose oil. It goes on for just 15 minutes and leaves skin noticeably less thirsty, tired, and dull.
3. Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask
My skin is as dry as the desert in which I live (Los Angeles!), and this is one of my go-to products for hydration. The whipped concoction utilizes plant-based squalane, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and betaine to effectively moisturize and plump skin. One of the things I love most about this mask—aside from how good it is at doing it’s job—is that you can slather it on at night and forget about it, as opposed to having to wash it off before bed.
4. True Botanicals Moisture Lock Overnight Mask
This sweetly-scented mask utilizes ingredients such as plant-derived hyaluronic acid, squalane, mango butter, and a seaweed-sourced amino acid blend shown to increase collagen production by 400 percent after 48 hours. Like the Youth to the People mask, this one also allows you to slap it on before bed and forget about it overnight while it works its magic. And while many moisturizing masks can cause breakouts on even the driest of skin, this lightweight product won’t clog your pores and is safe to use as often as you’d like.
5. Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask
This sheet mask is unique in that it’s dry, meaning there’s no slimy mess to contend with when you mask up. For this reason, it’s also resuable for up to three ultra-hydrating and plumping sessions, and it can even be worn over makeup (though for best results, use it on cleansed skin when possible). To moisturize, calm, and brighten the skin, the mask’s active ingredients include niacinamide, shea butter, avocado oil, mango butter, crocus bulb extract, peptide complex, and sea fern extract. In a very small trial run by the company, 91 percent of users reported improvements in the moisture content of their skin.
Inflamed and Uneven Skin
1. Alpyn Beauty Calming Midnight Mask
This delicate mask is made from antioxidant-rich wild dandelions sourced from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which are included for their anti-inflammatory prowess. Other power ingredients include bakuchiol (plant-based retinol) as well as magnesium and valerian root. The overall effect of this overnight mask is calmer, plumper, and better-hydrated skin by morning.
2. Three Ships Soothe Rosehip Vitamin C Clay Mask
Vitamin C is essentially the “it” skin-care ingredient du jour for brightening skin. Here, it’s found in rosehip extract, which is mixed in with detoxifying pink clay for an overall clarifying and brightening effect. Use this mask in advance of makeup-free summer days for a Photoshop-esque effect.
3. Chanel Hydra Beauty Camellia Repair Mask
This whipped mask will hydrate even the thirstiest of skin. It’s formulated with a combination of efficacious ingredients including: white camellia wax, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin to seal in moisture; calming panthenol; and antioxidant-rich Blue Ginger PolyFractioned Active, a proprietary Chanel ingredient.
4. Chantecaille Gold Recovery Mask
If you’re the type to treat yourself nice, this mask is a splurge well worth its price in, well, gold. First and foremost, it’s formulated with black currant seed oil, which importantly helps build and protect the skin’s barrier. It’s also actually infused with 24k gold and silk extracts which promise antioxidant benefits, along with probiotics and a combination of peptides that tone and brighten skin while firming and moisturizing at the same time. Though it’s effective in just 10- to 15-minute increments, you can leave it on overnight for more intensive results.
5. Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask
This Tata Harper gem is actually more of a peel than a mask, one which utilizes beta and alpha hydroxy acids to smooth and calm the skin and, ultimately, create a more even and bright skin tone. It’s the perfect pre-hang skin reset that’ll sweep away old skin in preparation for a new, post-vaccination social life.
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