Facial masks

February 25, 2016 5:14 PM
Beauty

If you have been to a good beautician lately chances are they put layers and layers of seruns, masks, you name it onto your skin. The new way to wear skin products is by layering products so that they potencialize their effect. Now you know why your pore-cleansing clay mask that you’re using independently is not giving you the results you were expecting. This alarming fact was something I learned over the two hours I spent being steamed, massaged, accupressured, peeled, extracted, and moisturized by my beautician. After which, I kid you not, I saw my 16-year-old self reflected in the mirror. My skin was glowy with that “What are pores?” innocence, my eyes were brighter, and my face had lost any hint of sag. It was such a dramatic result. The face lift didn’t last long (maybe 48 hours?) but the glow carried on and on and on. But happily you can achieve similiar results at home. I firstly came across this korean brand, Erborian, at Sephora Barcelona and I have absolutely fallen in love with it since then. We all know how koreans know how to treat their skin, and these products deliver. It is an overnight mask. All you have to do is apply at night and wake up with a more rested looking skin, specially good for those times when we are stressed. Exfoliating is also a crucial part of the my skin routine, so I like to have options, I wear this charcoal mask by Origins, particularly when I feel that my skin is obstructed and I need to refine the pores. Charcoal draws dirt out of pores, absorbs sebum, and improves blood circulation. Another product that I always refer to is this Clinical Peel & Reveal by Peter Thomas Roth. You apply it like a scrub giving more attention to the T-zone, then you leave it on for 7 minutes and it will the warm up your face. The warming action gives a similar effect as a steam treatment, boy do I love technology!  And last but not least, this Reviving with a Biological Scrub by Valmont is quite a different product to anything else I have used that comes under the meaning of scrub. The texture is like a very thick gel which is almost clear in colour. It is extremely gentle on the skin, so for those days when I feel my skin is oversensentive, this one is my go-to. It is gentle yet very effective.  Howerver, almost as imporant as it is to exfoliate the skin, never use a pore-refining mask on its own because it will absorb your skin's oil, causing your face to feel dry, and, in turn, overproduce oil in order to compensate. Instead... Finish with a hydrating mask. You need to replenish your skin with water, so be deliberate. I will stop here as hydration creams and masks are another chapter.

However, in addition to the skin care products, I like to lit candles and burn essential oils with my diffuser, while I am proceeding with my home facial. For me, aromatherapy is an intrinsic part of the process as it calms down the nervous system allowing the products to do their thing the best possible way. Essential oils have been known for their therapeutic properties for eons, however, it is important to be familiar with them as well as how to acquire quality ones in order to rip its benefits.

Self-care is an act of love and respect for ourselves, and it's important to make some time on a weekly basis for that. Time should never be an excuse no to. Stay well everyone xx

Let me know your favourite skin care routine below.