Saturday 18 January 2014

My Top Rated: Hydrating Masks

Liz Earle - Aromatherapy Associates - Rodial


January is a miserable month. The days are short, the New Year feelgood factor has gone and the weather wreaks havoc on our skin.

Blimey, that is miserable. Roll on Spring. Well, we can’t speed up time but we can at least give our skin a little bit of extra TLC to help it through the winter months.

A brilliant treat in winter is a deeply nourishing mask which will help replace the moisture sapped from our skin by the unavoidable fluctuating temperatures – we’re outside in the cold and wind one minute, then indoors with the central heating set to max the next. No wonder our skin complains.


In winter I like to use a hydrating mask twice weekly, even more if I’m also treating with a home laser such as the ReAura or Tria which boost cell renewal but can leave skin extremely dry (even sandpaper like). BTW, ReAura review by an early adopter coming shortly.

There are three hydrating masks I currently use that I rate very highly, each one delivering its own special qualities.

 

Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask


This is a white creamy mask, rich but not thick or cloying. Geranium essential oil delivers a rose-scented fragrance which is light and not overpowering.

Other key natural ingredients include soothing comfrey, borage for moisture, and shea butter to boost skin elasticity and barrier function.  

The mask glides on the skin and a little really does go a long way, though Liz Earle recommends applying thickly and this is something you will want to do if your skin is particularly parched. It dries quickly a bit like a clay mask but doesn’t feel tight on the skin, as clay masks generally do.

After 10-15 minutes the mask is removed with a damp muslin cloth. It wipes away easily without leaving a residue. Your skin is left deeply nourished and soft. This is my cream hydrating mask of choice.

£14.75 for a 50ml tube starter kit. More info here.

Aromatherapy Associates Rose Hydrating Face Mask


Aromatherapy Associates are famed for their beautiful and rich aromas, so it’s no surprise that this Rose Hydrating Face Mask has the most divine fragrance. It is the runniest of the three masks but doesn’t drip once applied. It is a clear gel and feels immediately cooling and soothing on the skin.

All three of my top rated can be left on overnight for a deep nourishing treatment but this is the one I prefer to use for that, mainly because on my skin it sinks in the best and doesn’t leave any residue.

What I also love about this mask is its simplicity. The list of ingredients is short yet what is there is lovely. I actually think this would make a good choice for use with ultrasound devices, which push products deep in to the dermis. The rose flower water is hydrating, the aloe vera soothing and the sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid) excellent at plumping.

£36 for 100ml. More info here

 

Rodial Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic Mask


This is the second of my top rated to include skin plumping hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally in skin and whose decline after the age of 30 is a key factor in ageing (why so many of us love to see it in skincare). It is also especially good at treating redness.

This is the thickest in texture of the three masks and is an opaque gel. It glides on beautifully and you can really feel the silkiness of the silicone, a controversial ingredient perhaps but it is widely used in skincare and roundly applauded for its healing and protective qualities.

As this mask is thick you only need apply a thin layer. It can be kept on for 10 minutes to absorb and then the excess removed, or it can be left on completely for an overnight moisture boost. I personally prefer to dab off the excess with a tissue. 

The ‘Dragon’s Blood’ element of the mask is an ingredient sourced from the red sap of the ‘sangre de drago’ tree found in the Amazon region of South America. This ingredient works to form a protective film on the skin and contains anti-inflammatory properties to calm and reduce redness, making it a fab mask to use after a laser treatment.

£35 for 50ml. More info here

All in all three great masks, each with their own special qualities.

SHARE:
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
© Face Up Fitness. All rights reserved.
Blogger Designs by pipdig