What is the best mask for your skin? Find out!

Skincare

Jan 15

With the increasing popularity of masks, it's not surprising to see so many different kinds from your favorite beauty stores. It can get pretty confusing to find the right one for your needs, so let's take a closer look at the features and benefits of each!

Sheet Masks. Usually made of a cotton sheet with cut-outs for the eyes, nose and lips, sheet masks are soaked in essences or serums designed moisturize and revitalize your skin. Sheet masks can be used by all skin types, though different brands and formulations sometimes recommend masks to address particular skin issues. Check out the Project Vanity staff favorites here to see what we love to use for our specific skin probs.

Hydrogel Masks. Made of gel-like cellulose, it looks and feels like a more luxurious version of the sheet mask. They often have a cooling and soothing effect on the skin. I find these better than ones made of cotton as the essence or serum is not absorbed by the hydrogel mask.

Sleeping Packs. These are in cream or gel form - like moisturizer - and slathered all over the face. They moisturize the skin overnight, and may need to be washed off the next morning. These are usually best for dry or mature skin.

Wash-off Masks. You can usually find these packaged in a tub or a tube. Most have a cleansing, exfoliating, or hydrating effect. Clay masks are a popular example of this type, and they harden and set on the face as you wear it.

Peel-off Masks. These are applied in the same way as wash-off masks but instead of hardening, the product forms a rubbery, peelable layer on the skin. This type of mask provides deep cleansing, and are designed to pull out comedones as it is peeled. As such, this is often recommended for trouble-prone skin.

Nose/Chin Packs. A spin-off of the peel-off masks, this type is popular for their ability to pull out blackheads in one go. Simply stick the adhesive side to your skin, activate the mask by adding moisture then let dry before peeling off the strip.

Specialized Masks. Masks specifically made for other parts of the body fall in this category. There are lip masks for moisturizing your lips, V-line masks to define your chin, and neck masks that are similar to sheet masks but cut and shaped to fit your neck. There are also hair packs similar to a leave-on treatment for your hair. Hand masks are basically cotton gloves soaked with essence, or you can opt just to use nail masks. And if you're looking for a foot mask to remove callouses, you may want to try out Baby Foot! (We're posting about this later!)