How often do you mask? Using face masks is a ritual Monday through Friday for me, a routine I got into once quarantine started. Now, I really look forward to using a mask each morning to suit whatever my skin needs that day. And I went through a few this past month.
We’ve left the city to spend some time with family in Vermont (after negative COVID tests) and are enjoying the true start of fall. I can’t believe it’s already October.
But I used up more than masks in September. Here’s where we ended up:
Repurchase:
SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense — My clear winner this month, this serum helped solve my maskne issues and reminded me why oily, congested skin like mine needs needs needs salicylic acid. My skin had gotten used to BR’s Serum Complexe Iribiol so I knew I needed something stronger to deal with wearing face masks outside of our home. This serum combines salicylic, dioic, glycolic and citric acids as well as LHA. I used it every morning with a couple of weeks of minor purging.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir — This face mist is legendary for a reason. The blend of green grape, rose, peppermint, rosemary, musk rose and myrrh not only make this mist smell wonderful but also help it balance the skin. It has such a find mist I never felt soaked after using it, which I did multiple times a day for a boost.
Lixir Skin Vitamin C Paste — This paste freaked me out when I first saw it. It felt oily and thick and I was worried it would break my skin out. Thankfully I was proven wrong and this mask became a weekend favorite of mine to brighten my complexion in just a few minutes. With 10% L-Ascorbic Acid, it gives your skin a jolt of antioxidants and then washes away cleanly for seriously smooth skin.
Olival Refreshing Tonic Immortelle — I use P50 1970 each morning during the week, so on the weekends, I like to use a gentle, hydrating toner. This one I grabbed in Croatia has aloe vera, immortelle oil and grape seed to calm and moisturize the skin. It’s very soothing and preps the skin nicely for other products. The packaging has changed, but the link included appears to be for the equivalent toner.
Lovinah Blue Butterfly Stem Cell Hydration Mask — I had my eye on the gorgeous blue mask for a while and really enjoyed using it. The sea water gave my skin a slight tingle (nothing unpleasant) when I applied it and the prebiotics, vitamins, minerals and spirulina provided a nice reset for my complexion. I used it once a week to hydrate and balance.
On the Fence:
Youth to the People Superfood Skin Reset Mask — The vitamins along with kale, spinach, green tea and alfalfa in this mask make it super hydrating. I also loved that it didn’t become stiff, dry and difficult to remove. It was nice, but it’s pricey for a pretty small jar. I used it once a week and got about eight uses out of it.
Pass:
Naturopathica Plant Stem Cell Booster Serum — The echinacea and butterfly bush in this serum are meant to address signs of aging and help hydrate the skin. Unfortunately, it gave me too strong a tingle and not enough of a drastic change in my skin to pick it up again. My skin usually isn’t bothered by essential oils but this one didn’t seem to agree with me.
Heimish Hydrogel Eye Patch, Bulgarian Rose Water — I consider eye patches like these very much an extra. I prefer eye creams to any mask and didn’t notice any major improvement in the appearance of my eyes when I used these each morning. They’re also very thin and tear easily.
See what else I’ve used up here.
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