Hey Sharks! Has this ever happened to you: “My face is just not bright enough, I wonder what I can do!?” Here’s a concept, face masks! We tried out three different types of face masks so you don’t have to! We used two different store bought masks that are within a $5 budget and made one DIY mask that works wonders. Disclaimer: As all masks do, each had its pros and cons. Not each one works for every skin type and some can aggravate existing conditions, so please use our notes at your discretion and don’t disregard your usual skincare routine as that can be more damaging than any one mask gone wrong.
Katherine has sensitive skin, dry-normal.
Manya has not as sensitive skin, simply combination (her nose gets kinda oily but that’s about it).
Mask #1: Shea Moisture Peace Rose Sensitive Skin Mud Mask Packette ($2.97 at Target)
Initial thoughts: Mask feels cool and heavy on initial application and smells like roses and happiness.
It came in a small package that stated it was single use (we both were able to get one use out of it, feel free to save the leftover mask in a ziploc for second use within a week).
While wearing the mask: there was a slight burning sensation around the nose (it freaking hurt). And the mask felt cold on the face.
After removal: our skin had become like that of a tomato. The redness didn’t go away for a solid half hour. And the burning feeling didn’t go away even after putting on lotion.
Overall ranking: 1.3 out of 5 stars, would not recommend
Mask #2: SpaLife Hydrating Honey and Collagen Facial Sheet Mask (pack of 3 for $4.00)
Initial thoughts: “Sheet masks are suffocating” to quote Manya. Seemed like a typical sheet mask, nothing fancy about it.
While wearing the mask: The mask was a little cold. But mostly we just laid on the floor and thought about how tired we were.
After removal: It was just a typical sheet mask, nothing to write home about. The next day, our skin felt a little dry and that’s why we decided to do a detox mask next.
Overall ranking: 3 out of 5 stars,
Mask #3: DIY Bentonite Clay Detox Mud Mask
Manya decided she needed more of a detox than the other masks had provided, so she whipped up her own clay concoction. It was heavenly. “It was a good mask” -Katherine
Bentonite clay is pretty great because it produces an electric charge when it becomes wet, it literally pulls the toxins out of your skin and traps them within itself and then they just all wash away when you take it off. Manya swears by this clay.
Materials:
~Bentonite Clay (get some here)
~Water (distilled if you want to keep it for later use)
~Jojoba oil
~Activated Charcoal capsules
~Elmer’s School Glue (throw it back to the good ol’ days)
~Aloe Vera gel (optional)
~Plastic or glass spoons/bowls (using metal with bentonite activates the healing properties before it even gets to your face, rendering the mask pointless)
~a washcloth, dark if you don’t want it to look too dirty
Procedure (we doubled this recipe for the two of us and had some leftover)
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Scoop one tablespoon of the mask into a paper bowl (or anything that’s not made of metal)
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Pop open a few tabs of charcoal depending on how much you wanna detox (we used 3)
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About a quarter sized amount of Elmer’s Glue (general rule: however much shampoo you use)
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Add water! Hydration is key! In other words, make sure it’s equal parts water and clay and mix it well otherwise it clumps very easily.
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Make sure you wash your face, and tone before slathering this bad boy all up on there. Keep away from eyes and lips mostly bc it tastes weird, and hardens so it will hurt under your eyes.
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Keep it on as long as you want or until it dries, the longer you keep it on the better but who are we to stop you from living your life.
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Wash it off with slightly tepid or lukewarm water and a [dark] washcloth.
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Moisturize with jojoba oil if you’d like, it helps to promote sebum production in your pores. Bentonite clay really helps to bring out the toxins deep in your skin. Keep in mind you might break out over the next couple days, just because the process has been activated. It just means the mask worked!
Initial thoughts: Feels like a mud mask, yo.
While wearing the mask: The thicker the layer, the longer it takes to dry. Once it starts to dry down it feels tight. This mask also cracks A LOT (it’s kinda messy).
After removal: The skin felt smoother and little tight. But with lotion, skin felt hydrated. Manya followed up with a little bit of jojoba to moisturize since it helps prolong the effects of the bentonite and also absorbs into skin without getting all over your sheets.
Overall ranking: 4 out of 5 stars — it was relatively better than the other masks we used.