There’s not much the best face masks can’t cure… Unifying skin care and wellbeing, these trusted treatments not only encourage you to revel in some R&R but also boost a healthy, happy and hydrated complexion too. And if that wasn’t enough, they’re trending all over our socials – don’t believe us? Check your FYP for proof.
Paying homage to these reset rituals, here at Cult Beauty we’ve uncovered everything from how to use a face mask to how often you should use them and more in our ultimate guide.
WHAT IS A FACE MASK
Face masks are a great addition to any skin care routine. Acting as powerful treatments, they target and tackle specific skin concerns – we’re talking everything from dehydration and oiliness to dullness and redness – while providing an at-home spa. Helping to absorb excess sebum, open clogged pores and reduce the appearance of inflammation, the best face masks work hard to bring your complexion back to health.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FACE MASKS
Available in a range of iterations, how do you know which face mask is best for you and your skin? Don’t worry we’ve done the hard work for you. Keep scrolling to discover how to differentiate between them and uncover the best face mask for you.
SHEET MASKS
While sheet masks may seem like a new fad, they’ve actually been part of Korean skin care regimes for decades. Stemming from K-beauty’s elaborate complexion routine, they’re renowned for their dew-drenching benefits and relaxing connotations. Crafted from fabric and brimming with hydrating heroes such as jojoba oil and niacinamide, they’re suitable for all skin types, tones and concerns, leaving your face feeling smooth, soothed and renewed once you peel it off.
How to use the face mask:- Remove the sheet mask from its packaging and gently unfold it and line it up with your face shape – ensuring the eyes, nose and mouth holes aligns
- Press the mask onto your skin until it sticks evenly to your complexion
- Then, sit back and relax
- Once its desired time is complete, simply peel it off you face and dispose
- Follow with your daily moisturiser and SPF
SHOP ALL SHEET MASKS >>>OVERNIGHT MASKS
Nothing says beauty sleep quite like overnight masks. Also known as sleep masks, these AM to PM treatments boost profound nourishment as you snooze. How? As skin cells replicate and reproduce in the evening, applying these potions before bedtime not only offer your skin’s natural repair process a helping hand, but also gives the ingredients more time to work and get results. Oh, and they’re typically light in texture, so you don’t have to worry about greasy pillows come sunrise.
How to use the face mask:- Smooth a thin layer of the mask over your face, avoid your eyes and lip area
- Then, allow to airdry before getting some shut-eye
- Remove any leftover solution when cleansing in your morning routine
SHOP ALL OVERNIGHT MASKS >>>CLAY MASKS
Renowned for their cleansing and purifying powers, it comes as no surprise that clay masks are considered the most potent of the skin care solutions. Designed for those who suffer from oily skin, the clay used within these formulas are generally alkaline, meaning that they counter the acidity of our complexions to absorb excess sebum and keep blemishes at bay. This being said, those with dry skin can still use them, but in a milder form.
How to use the face mask: - Using your fingertips, apply an even layer to clean skin – spreading the mask evenly across your face, starting at your upper neck and working your way up (avoiding your eyes and lips)
- Leave on for the recommended time, then rinse away with warm water
- Follow with your daily moisturiser and SPF
SHOP ALL CLAY MASKS >>>HYDRATING FACE MASKS
Enlivening dry, dehydrated and sensitive skin, hydrating masks quench your complexion’s thirst by serving up some serious moisture. Essential all year around (especially during the colder climes), they’re flooded with hyaluronic acid and ceramides to nourish and diminish fine linespigmentation and more.
How to use the face mask: - Apply after cleansing and toning
- Depending on the mask type, follow the instructions accordingly
- Follow with your daily moisturiser and SPF
SHOP ALL HYDRATING FACE MASKS >>>EXFOLIATING FACE MASKS
Packed with the benefits of a face scrub (but gentler on the skin), exfoliating masks utilise AHAs and BHAs to draw out dirt and debris that can lead to dullness. A form of chemical exfoliation, they break down dead cells to brighten, retexturize and ease signs of sun damage. Leaving your complexion, refreshed and revitalised, they ramp up your ritual to offer a post-facial finish from the comfort of your sofa.
How to use the face mask: - Apply a thin layer to the entire face and neck, avoiding the eye and lip area
- Leave on for the recommended time, then rinse thoroughly with water
- Follow with your daily moisturiser and SPF.
SHOP ALL EXFOLIATING FACE MASKS >>>CALMING FACE MASKS
If your sensitive skin is easily irritated and you feel more reluctant to try an additional treatment, our advice would be to reach for a calming mask. Comforting your complexion, they’re enriched with reassuring ingredients to reduced reactivity. Melding antioxidants like aloe vera and chamomile, the soothing saviours provide a smooth, supple sign off.
How to use the face mask:- Apply a thin layer to the entire face and neck, avoiding the eye and lip area
- Leave on for the recommended time, then rinse thoroughly with water
- Follow with your daily moisturiser and SPF
SHOP ALL CALMING FACE MASKS >>>HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU USE A FACE MASK
There is no definite answer when it comes to how often you should use a face mask. Simply put, it depends on your skin type, complexion concerns and the type of mask you’re using. We recommend starting by using them 1-2 times a week to streamline your skin care routine and help other products work more effectively.
BEST FACE MASKS
Boasting 1,000 micro and macro molecular sizes of hyaluronic acid, Tata Harper’s Hydrating Floral Mask does what it says on the tin. Saturating your skin with hydration to relieve dry and textured tones, the weekly treatment serves up intense moisture while calming the look of redness and inflammation with its signature 13-flower fusion.
SHOP ALL TATA HARPER >>>The perfect bedtime partner, fresh's Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask brings back balance to firm and plump your complexion. Dreamt up of the brand’s iconic black tea complex – that combines kombucha, black tea extract, blackberry leaf extract, and lychee seed extract – it sculpts, shapes and shield against free radical damage for a happy, healthy and hydrated visage come the morning.
SHOP ALL FRESH >>>
When it comes to Decree’s SOS Revitalising Mask there’s not much this skin care saviour can’t do. From brightening and moisturising your complexion to restoring its protective barrier, the biocellulose sheet is filled with antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and silk amino acids to soak your skin in hydration and treat it to the TLC it deserves. What’s more, it’s certified vegan, meaning it looks after all the planet’s inhabitants too.
SHOP ALL DECREE >>>Awakening both your skin and senses, Kinship’s Mint Mud Deep Pore Detox Mask is the pick-me-up your complexion didn’t know it needed until now. Exfoliating, brightening, softening and balancing it employs jojoba oil beads to tackle uneven texture and clogged pores then instantly resurfaces your canvas with its addition of lactic acid. Now, that’s what we like to call magic mud…
SHOP ALL KINSHIP >>>
Revealing radiance in as little as 15 minutes, SISLEY-PARIS’ Black Rose Cream Mask energises your complexion to disguise tiredness and dullness. Fortified with collagen-rich ingredients, it’s powered by Alkekengi calyx extract to plump and hydrate for all-over glow. Plus, it’s subtly scented with notes of rose to envelope your senses as you wind down for the day.
SHOP ALL SISLEY-PARIS >>>So, there you have it, now you’re clued up on all things face masks, it’s time to pick your preferred potion and revel in the self care remedy.
SHOP ALL FACE MASKS >>> 
