2014/02/20

The Sunday Mask














My Sunday nights are always reserved for the deep-cleansing mask, because my skin always looks great the morning after using these masks and I like to start the week with my best face (and make Mondays a little bit less terrible). When I say "deep-cleansing mask" or "detox mask", I'm referring to the clay/mud/charcoal mask. These masks are designed to draw impurities out of your pores and get rid of clogged pores, which often result in spots, black heads, white heads, and larger looking pores. Although it may be tempting to use these masks every other day to keep skin super clean, a deep-cleansing mask should really only be used once or twice a week, because they can draw moisture out of the skin and dry it out. 

My current deep-cleansing masks of choice are the Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque and the Avene Cleanance Mask, so I'll be talking about both of them today. The Kiehl's mask is made up of kaolin and bentonite clay, and is just your most basic clay mask. It claims to purify skin and minimize pores, which most clay masks do. The texture of this mask is very smooth and almost feels creamy, which is a bit odd for a clay mask, but it feels wonderful to apply. This mask also contains aloe vera juice and oat flour, both fantastic ingredients for soothing and calming the skin, and really helps in reducing the inflammation in those really big, red spots. 

The Avene mask is both a clay mask and an exfoliating mask. It contains kaolin clay, but also contains glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which are chemical exfoliants. Chemical exfoliants are a great way to exfoliate because they can get rid of that top layer of dead skin without the irritation of physical exfoliating scrubs. This mask gets rid of the dead skin and then draws out impurities with clay, making it extra effective. Avene is a brand targeted towards those with sensitive skin, so even though this mask sounds super heavy duty, it's not harsh at all.

Both of these masks are applied the same way. After cleansing, press a hot towel on your face to open up the pores, or skip this step if you shower at night. Spread an even layer on the face, avoiding the eye area. After leaving it on for a few minutes, the mask will start to dry. We all know that feeling, you can't move your face anymore and the mask starts to crack in places. It's a very satisfying thing to look at and can be a very amusing feeling, but you really should never let your clay mask dry until it cracks. At that point, all the moisture in the mask will have evaporated into the air, and the mask will start drawing moisture out of your skin, which is never a good thing. The stiffness of the mask will also be pulling at your skin as you move your face, which can result in fine lines. I like to spray some Avene Thermal Spring Water on my face when I feel the mask starting to dry, to keep it from getting super stiff. After ten minutes, just wash the mask off with a towel and water, and continue with your regular skincare routine.

I've included the ingredients list for both masks as a point of reference. 

Kiehl's: Aqua/Water/Eau, Kaolin, Bentonite, Propanediol, Glycerin, CI 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Zea Mays Starch / Corn Starch, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Aloe Barbadensis / Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avene Sativa Flour / Oat Kernel Flour, Allantoin

Avene: Avene Thermal Spring Water, Triethylhexanoin, Kaolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycolic Acid, Water, Cyclomethicone, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyethylene, Ceteareth-33, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Gluconate, Bisabolol, Cetrimonium Bromide, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil (Pumpkin), Fragrance, Pyridoxine HCl, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum


Read:
The Face Mask Schedule: here
The Hydrating Mask: here
 The Treatment Mask: here

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Widget by LinkWithin