Masks were once considered a 'special occasion' beauty treat or something we'd occasionally apply after a Sunday night bath as a way to treat ourselves Now we hear about their daily use, but how often we use them and how long we leave them on our face, there is a confusion about how they work most effectively.
And with good reason because there are so many options in masks and the same things do not apply to all of them. They differ in material (clay, fabric, hydrogel, clay) in single or multi-use, wash off. Disposable sheet masks are our easiest and most common choice.
Sheet masks - 8 common mistakes and how to avoid them
Sheet masks are disposable fabric masks, they can be moisturizing, exfoliating, nourishing, anti-aging, etc. They can be wash off - that is, whether we need to wash our face with water afterwards or not.
- Everyday use. The answer is usually no. There are masks for daily use and they usually come in multipacks. But the majority of masks require use 1-3 times a week. Masks such as exfoliating or cleansing will wear out our skin if used daily.
- We don't read the ingredients. While when we buy creams or serums we study the smallest detail, in masks we don't even look at the ingredients or the instructions. The ingredients in masks are just as important as in other skincare products, one ingredient may favor our skin in particular or we may be allergic to another. We have a concentrated amount of ingredients and corresponding results. We have to check whether they can be combined with the rest of the products in our routine. Eg retinol mask after cleaning with acids is likely to irritate the skin.
- We leave them on our face for a while. The moment we put on a fabric mask is for most of us a moment of relaxation and care. But we overdo it with relaxation and forget the mask on our face for a long time or leave it on purposely thinking that we benefit more. Masks should not dry on our face unless this is mentioned in the instructions for use, some masks take 5 minutes to work and others 30, it depends on their ingredients. We always follow the instructions, the masks are designed to stay on our face for a certain period of time.
- We wash or wipe our face after using them. Most cloth masks do not require washing after use. There are certainly exceptions, they will be referred to as wash off masks or it will be written in their instructions. When we wash or wipe our face after using a mask when we don't need it, we actually lose most of its benefits.
- We use them at the wrong time. Exfoliators should be used after cleansing and before toner, moisturizers after cleansing toner (and serum) and before our moisturizer. If we skip the previous step, we have essentially not prepared our skin properly or if we use them after moisturizing, we will not benefit and may damage our skin. read more here
- We don't pay attention to details. Some have a protective film that we have to remove, some have a double casing under the eyes that we have to adjust, in others we have to avoid the eye area. These details are designed for a reason and they really do make a difference, let's make the most of them.
- We store them incorrectly or reuse them. The storage of the masks should be in a cool dry environment. High temperatures, exposure to the sun may alter the product, as is the case with almost all cosmetics. But correspondingly, very low temperatures are not good for our skin. We do not keep opened masks in the refrigerator for a long time. We do not reuse single-use masks.
- We notice our skin. If we have breakouts, redness or a skin issue, we pay attention to which mask we will use. We observe our needs and use the right one for our skin, we may love cleansing masks but if our skin needs hydration we need to listen.
