You’ve got time (*sigh*). Lock yourself in the bathroom and treat yourself to a DIY spa treatment.
Winter + pandemic + virtual school is probably taking its toll on your skin (and then there’s always age, but whatever). Adding a face mask* to your week just might be the complexion saviour you need right now—and it’s the perfect excuse to take some quiet time for yourself. (You might have to hide behind a locked door with headphones on, but we digress.) With so many mask options, we’ve narrowed it down to a solid five, starting at $4.00.
*For these purposes, we mean face masks to make your skin feel great. But we take every opportunity to say WEAR THE OTHER KIND, TOO.
Skyn Iceland 's Arctic Hydration Rubberizing Mask
Lockdown probably sucked the life right out of you sometime last April but Skin Iceland’s Arctic Hydration Rubberizing Mask will save you (and maybe even your soul, we can’t say for sure). Vitamin C is the antioxidant ingredient you’ll recognize, and the wintered red algae complex will work its magic by restoring balance in dry and combination skin with its skin-conditioning complex of marine minerals (it sounds fancy, so we’re in). Let’s not forget the Icelandic glacial water with six essential minerals, too, that both hydrates and detoxifies your skin. With two-pouches (one gel, one powder) and a spatula that requires mixing into a paste then applying to your skin, it’s a little time consuming, which let’s be honest, isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you’re on day 172, 329 of lockdown (fine, an exaggeration, but it kinda feels that way).
Cost: $12 // Time: 20-25 minutes // skyniceland.com
Skin Republic's Bubble Purifying + Charcoal Face Mask Sheet
This one bubbles…do you really need to know anything else? Made with activated charcoal (which has been having a moment for a couple of years—it acts as a purifier), this mask starts to foam when it’s exposed to the air. (This is going to be a big plus for those of you who think that tingling means it’s working, right?) Key ingredients in this mask also include tea tree oil with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties—if you’re acne-prone, these are the words you wanna see—as well as apple fruit extract for exfoliating, refining and rejuvenating.
Cost: $7 // Time: 15-20 minutes // skinrepublic.ca
Bliss's Rose Gold Face Mask
A full bottle of serum in one sheet mask is the claim-to-fame of the new Bliss Rose Gold Face Mask. Soothing and conditioning is critical for sensitive-skin types, and this mask has it all at a totally affordable price. Using rose extract flower and colloidal gold to soothe and condition your skin, the latter ingredient also promotes skin repair by reinforcing its natural protective barrier. Plus, this sheet mask forms to your face, which increases the absorption of all the good stuff.
Cost: $4 // Time: 15-20 minutes // blissworld.com
Cake Beauty's Six-Second Morning Mask
Wake up and enjoy the beauty benefits of a mask in just a minute (not even an exaggeration). With Cake Beauty’s Six-Second Morning Mask, that’s all it takes. Unlike a traditional face mask, these are pre-soaked pads that exfoliate and tone your skin. Featuring the hydrating properties of olive and rice oils, the sugar maple extract contains antibacterial properties to exfoliate and helps prevent breakouts. And you can totally stretch that one minute into half an hour, right? It’s for your own good.
Cost: $18 // Time: 60 seconds // walmart.ca
Province Apothecary's Regenerating Exfoliant Resurfacing Mask
Antioxidant rich and anti-inflammatory with six raw, organic ingredients, Province Apothecary’s Regenerating Exfoliant Resurfacing Mask is the secret to your skin’s revival. Green tea maintains your skin’s collagen production while lavender not only soothes the skin but also prevents breakout-causing bacteria. Mix the powder with water—other options include mixing with oil for dry skin or yogurt for oily ski—then apply in a thin layer using circular motions. This one’s gentle enough to be used every three days.
Cost: $36 // Time: 1 to 3 minutes // provinceapothecary.com
Post image: Ana Sol/Unsplash