Face time! The best facial masks for every skin type
A facial mask can perform many tasks: unclog pores, slough away dead skin, give your face a healthy, rejuvenated glow and help lock in moisture. Oh, and did we mention your green, masked face might startle your husband and kids—which, now that we think of it, could be a good thing if you need a little down time for an at-home spa night?
Mask types vary—you’ll find everything from clay to cream to pumpkin to avocado. There’s also been, well, buzz, about celebs getting facials with bee venom to firm their skin. (Psst: Can’t get an appointment at an upscale spa on Rodeo Drive? You can find Rodial Bee Venom Moisturizer at Bloomingdale’s).
Ready for some face time? Let us play mask matchmaker to help you find the best mask for your skin type.
Skin type: Dry
Provided by Sephora
Best formula: Heat blasting in your car and in your home this winter are probably drying out your skin even more than usual. Look for masks that are creamy and hydrating and that will lock in moisture.
Product pick: Quench your thirsty skin with Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, $25, Sephora. This moisture mask is like a hydration pack for your face, and is made with avocado, apricot kernel oil and Japanese seaweed. It’s an instant moisturizer, but will also help you build a reserve of moisture for the next day to give your skin a dewy glow.
Skin type: Oily skin
Provided by Ulta
Best formula: Clay masks are your best friends as they’ll absorb surface oil and prevent pimples and blackheads.
Product pick: The Mario Badescu Special Mask for Oily Skin, $18, Ulta, is a clay and calamine mask made with algae extracts. Apply a thin layer for 20 minutes two to three times a week for clean, healthy skin.
Skin type: Acne-prone
Provided by Sephora
Best formula: Feel like your teenage years came back to haunt you with those pesky pimples? No need to dot your face with toothpaste. Turns out, a mud mask will do the trick, stat!
Product pick: Hands down, we love Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment, $69, Sephora, to zap breakouts, eliminate black or white heads, and even combat razor bumps and in-grown hair. The mud draws out dirt with “Activated-X Charcoal.” You can spread a thin layer on your face and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes or you can use it as a spot treatment to target problem areas.
Skin type: Mature
Provided by HSN
Best formula: Stay youthful with healthy, glowing skin. For an anti-aging mask, look for formulas that firm and tighten the skin and also hydrate it.
Product pick: Forget Botox: Get an instant cosmetic lift with the Reverse Facial Five-Minute Firming Mask with Argifirm, $22.50, HSN. The mask tightens skin for a firmer-looking complexion, while also infusing moisture.
Skin type: Puffy eyes
Provided by Sephora
Best formula: Whether you’ve been burning the midnight oil or are just prone to puffy eyes, you can’t bear to hear one more person tell you that you look tired. A moisturizing gel specially formulated for under the eyes will soothe your skin and make you look like wide-eyed and bushy-tailed (even if you can’t wait to take a nap!).
Product pick: The Instant Depuffing Eye Mask, $6, Sephora, is a refreshing hydrogel that tones and energizes your skin to reduce the puffiness and dark circles. It’s made with HydroSenn, which is a polysaccharide derived from an Indian plant called Cassia angustifolia. The extract forms a protective barrier on your skin’s surface to retain water. These eye masks come in individual packets, so we suggest loading up and keeping them stashed in your nightstand. They work their magic in 15 minutes after being applied to your eyelids.
