Hello GlamFam! It's Summer which means beaches, pool, vacation time, and possibly vacation food! It also means our faces need some extra TLC since there is more exposure to the sun. Today, I'm sharing my top five clean beauty masks to get your glow on!
I've always been a fan of masks, but could never "find time" to do them. Now I sneak them in whenever possible, and I just learned about a new hashtag #bumpertobumperbeauty! Here's a quick list of how to mask when you're busy:
APPLY A MASK WHILE...
- Brushing your teeth. Two minutes is better than zero minutes right?!
- #bumpertobumperbeauty: Why not mask on your drive to work?! So genius! (I do wear makeup every day so maybe I can eye mask and then reapply concealer.)
- Relaxing in a bath. That's at least 10 minutes!
- Before then during a shower. Just be sure to keep clear of your eyes.
- Doing Yoga! I've done this a couple of times while using the Downward Dog app at home.
- While watching your favorite Netflix show at night. This will get you to actually STOP watching and take off your mask!
On CLEAN BEAUTY:The skin is the largest organ of your body and absorbs what you put on as well as protects you against all of the environmental pollutants. Why not feed your skin with goodness?
Okay, now that we've covered how you can find time to mask, let's get to the fun part!! Here are my absolute FAVORITE masks!
*Received as PR Samples
In my book, Tata Harper can do no wrong and I basically LOVE everything in her line. {Read about my face routine HERE.} The Resurfacing Mask is some kind of magic in a jar that gives you a wonderful glow! Okay, okay... it's not magic but a mix of 11 wonderful active botanical ingredients including beta hydroxy acid (BHA from Willow Bark) and pomegranate enzymes that minimizes pores and redness in addition to the "glow".
To use, apply a thick layer to clean skin and leave on for 20-30 minutes. I usually only have time for 10 minutes once a week but get the benefits. Remove with warm water. You can use this up to 3x week depending on your needs. This is my HOLY GRAIL mask!
During her Masterclass, we learned about a trick called the Glow Getter which is FIVE minutes to an instant glow. On a dry face, apply the Regenerating Cleanser in circular motions until it's white. Then apply the Resurfacing Mask over the cleanser and leave on for 5 minutes. Viola - INSTANT GLOWING SKIN!!! I use this method A LOT because it's efficient and I LOVE the results!
Her products are SO AMAZING that I must mention the Clarifying Mask and Hydrating Floral Mask. The Clarifying mask contains 39 active ingredients including salicylic acid and lactic to combat blemishes. It also has soothing honey for hydration. I use this as a spot treatment and on my T-Zone. It's NOT overdrying which is wonderful for an anti-blemish mask.
The Hydrating Floral Mask has 43 active botanical ingredients including hyaluronic acid (from sweet potatoes) that will hydrate and plump the skin. It also contains anti-inflammatory agents that decrease redness. This is a newer mask that I started using this year and LOVE it! You can also use it as an overnight mask and sleep in it.
I use the Clarifying mask on my T-zone and Resurfacing or Hydrating Mask on the rest of my face. It looks a little weird but targets what I need on the different parts of my face! BTW, Tata Harper is now carried at Neiman Marcus (where I get mine), Nordstrom, and Sephora! Sorry, I will get off my Tata Harper novel! LOL!
This comforting mask has been a skin saver!! Even if I do all things right with my skincare, my skin sometimes gets so sensitive, mad, and irritated. (I haven't figured out if it's stress, diet, testing new skincare products, or who knows what!) This mask does EXACTLY what the name says - CALMS and comforts my skin.
It even feels good going on - more like a lotion than traditional mask. The white mushroom extract soothes irritated, sunburned, wind-chapped, dry, stressed, or jet-lagged skin. It also contains arnica which is a potent anti-inflammatory agent that reduces redness.
To use, apply a thick layer over clean skin. Leave on for 10-15 minutes and remove with a damp cloth or cotton pad. When my skin is really upset, I use an essence/toner sprayed on a cotton pad to remove the mask. (My faves are the Tata Harper Floral Essence, milk + honey hydrating rose mist, and Ranavat Jasmine toner.)
Now I understand why this Drunk Elephant mask has received cult status! I was SUPER nervous about trying this because it contains 25% AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) and 2% BHA (beta hydroxy acid) in addition to glycolic, tartaric, lactic, citric, and salicylic acids. Basically, I thought it was going to burn off my face, but I still tried it. LOL at the things we do for beauty!
Just an FYI, it also contains aloe leaf extract, green tea leaf, milk thistle, and apple extracts to help condition and soothe the skin.
After preparing for my skin to fall off, I was pleasantly surprised by some minor face tingling! I left it on for 20 minutes as recommended and did Yoga with the Downward Dog app to be efficient while I was waiting. Then I washed it off with warm water and applied only Marula Oil. I wanted to see exactly what it did without using my faithful Tata Harper beauty products. Now I switch between using the Marula Oil and my regular night time routine (with Tata Harper).
The next morning, my skin was pretty much amazing - it was glowing, smoother, and not burned off! I was hooked. So here we are! It's recommended to use once a week, but I use it every 2-3 weeks because I'm usually alternating with the others listed in this post.
This balm-to-oil is not the traditional "mask" in the sense that I leave it on OVERNIGHT and I actually use it as the LAST layer to seal in serum/moisturizer. On Reddit, it's called the "Slug Life" when you use an "occlusive" to seal everything in. It only contains ONE ingredient, 100% Organic Butyrospermum Parkii Butter.
To use, squeeze a pea-sized small amount, and rub hands together until it becomes an oil. Then apply where needed. I usually do a facial massage and my face looks like an oil slick! That's why they call it the slug life! LOL!
The packaging is easy to drop in your bag and use to moisturize whatever is needed (like dry patches, lips, etc).
LXMI (pronounced LUX-me) contains USDA Certified Organic and Fair-Trade Ugandan "Nilotica" (NILE-ot-i-kah), a rare relative of shea that delivers superior hydrating and healing benefits to skin. This one ingredient contains fatty acids (plump and hydrate skin), allantoin (promote healthy cell development), and Vitamin A (decreases fine lines).
Just a heads up, there are lots of questions about using the term "Nilotica" because it's a cousin/different form of shea butter. According to LXMI, this is sourced from nuts and trees in the Nile River Valley and contains 25% more fatty acid content than West Africa shea butter and is less cakey. I've have NOT compared it to other Shea Butter so just an FYI.
This pretty pink vitamin C mask is one that I do before/while brushing my teeth and use as an exfoliant. The French and Australian pink clay detox, tone, and firm the skin. Rosehip and strawberry extract (both rich in vitamin C) help collagen production and signs of sun damage.
To use, mix a teaspoon of the powder with a few drops of water until desired consistency.
Clay masks have a tendency to dry out my skin which is why I use this for a shorter time period than the 10-15 minutes recommended. To help with hydration, I mix it with Ranavat Jasmine Tonique. (If you try this, then I recommend spraying the toner into the dish FIRST, then adding the mask mix otherwise it makes a huge mess!)
HONORABLE MENTION
milk + honey enzyme exfoliating masque: I've only tried this once during it's testing phase but loved my skin after using this mask. Plus, it's from milk+honey, and I love ALL of their products!
I literally cannot WAIT to tell you about a mask that I've been testing for 001 London! It's AMAZING!
What is YOUR favorite mask? And are you a fan of clean beauty?
Happy Tuesday GlamFam! Today I am pre-shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! I'll be working on my Dressing Room Diaries post, and others have asked more blog posts about sale picks via category. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the sale. All details will be listed in my dressing room post.
Also, what did you think of today's post? This was the 3rd most requested post on social media. I LOVE blogging about topics that are relevant to YOU so comment on other topics that you'd like to hear about on the blog!
♥︎ ♥︎ STAY GLAM, DO GOOD ♥︎ ♥︎Thank you so much for stopping by and supporting SOS!
JOIN THE #GLAMFAM // SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER BY CLICKING HERE.
CHECK OUT MY INSTAGRAM SHOP HERE TO SHOP ALL OF MY INSTAGRAM LOOKS!
