The simple answer here is- NO. (I mean, it’s probably better than NOT masking.) Your skin has a cycle of about a month, that generally follows the menstrual cycle but slows over time as it ages. The cycle goes from dry to normal to oily/acne prone. (So be careful not to misdiagnose your skin based on the cycle.) It is the process and time it takes as new skin cells are formed at the deepest layer of the epidermis and works its way to the surface. When it reaches maturity, it will ultimately flake off. It’s the accumulation of dead cells on the surface of skin that causes sagging, fine lines and wrinkles. Trapped bacteria will cause blemishes, breakouts and discolored and irregular cells can cause spots or discoloration and melanin is overproduced.
So if you really want to take advantage of your products, the key is to give it AT LEAST one full cycle to see whether it is right for you. Jumping from brand to brand can over sensitize you skin causing it to flare up and make your skin more sensitive and less tolerant. Our protective outer layer (the epidermal lipid barrier) grows weaker as we age, and it becomes less efficient at blocking out irritants. It can become highly prone to reactions such as redness and allergies. Anything from over exfoliation, improper product use, pollution, weather, diet, to excess sun can cause your skin to react, and jumping from brand to brand can worsen this!
Take a look at the chart that shows how long it takes for the most popular ingredients to show results. You’ve heard this before, but the key when trying new products is PATIENCE.
The great thing about Mask Moments is that we offer all the types of mask you need in each cycle, so you can address your skin needs as fit and stay within one brand line. Get on a subscription to help you stay consistent and sticking to a routine. The anti-inflammatory coconut masks will help keep the flare ups down too!
“Clean beauty” is definitely a growing trend within the beauty industry, so I want to address what the terms we hear, like “natural/organic” really mean. I must start by informing you that these terminologies are not legally binding and there’s no regulation when it comes to brands using these terms. In other words, a lot of it can be marketing! (think “non-toxic” or “hypoallergenic”)
When we hear “natural/organic,” we assume that such products are more “gentle.” However, beauty products are really talking about the purity of the ingredients when we say “natural” or “organic.” There’s a danger here though, because in reality, many people have reactions and irritations to pure ingredients. (Think of all the things in nature we are allergic to, and it depends on the person!) So “natural/organic” is not necessarily safer, and in fact, so many more synthetic ingredients are better tested in labs to be safe for your skin!
If you swear by natural/organic beauty, that’s fantastic, but remember that lab tested ingredients may often be more effective, too. For example, some people like DIY skincare with ingredients made at home (using lemon, honey, coconut oil, avocado oil etc.). Doesn’t get any more natural or organic than that! But when used incorrectly, this can backfire and you can have irritation, whereas lab products are tested for safety and formulated in controlled in dosaged. I’ve heard some Youtubers claim they don’t use products with ingredients they don’t recognize. Beauty is personal, so that’s a choice that I respect. But, beware when assuming that everything in nature is “safe” and “gentle.” It’s also an assumption to think that all “synthetic” or “chemical” is always “bad.” Rather, tons of lab-made, science backed ingredients are synthetic (and “chemical”- everything is a chemical you guys!) and often much better tested and can be MUCH more effective! Think of all the anti-oxidants that are lab made and work in different pathways to support anti-aging. Who are we kidding? After all, we’re trying to FIGHT nature here when it comes to anti-aging! There are also other agents that help certain ingredients absorb better or simply act as emollients.
Another example is when people fear “alcohol” in the ingredient list. What you want to stay away from is any drying alcohol (which Clean Beauty products do not use) but some types of alcohol serve as emollients and can be hydrating. The other word people fear is “preservatives” but what you want to avoid here is toxic preservatives (listed below). All cosmetics must have certain formulations to preserve your product for your sake! If you’re making a home made product using ingredients you bought at the grocery, you must use it right away or these products will go bad and will have an adverse effect on your skin!
The beauty industry has come a long way and very few brands would dare include a “toxic” ingredient in their product and add anything that’s unnecessary. More specifically for “Clean beauty” though, this means that they do not include the following: parabens, sulfates SLS and SLES, phthalates, mineral oils, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban.
It can also mean that they either have 1% or less synthetic fragrance and don’t use dyes. Clean beauty brands are generally also cruelty-free, eco-friendly and sustainable.
In case you were wondering, Mask Moments masks also fall into the natural and clean beauty category. Our premium bio-cellulose sheets are all-natural, made from fermented coconut water, which has naturally healing and restorative properties. These sheets are also biodegradable and eco-friendly. They hold fluid 100 times its dry weight and 10 times more than fabric or paper mask sheets!
Our serums include the best, proven ingredients of nature and science that are known to be effective and take caution not to add any unnecessary ingredients. We include NO synthetic fragrance and less than 1% of diluted essential oils- only enough to provide the aromatic therapy that calms your mind and brings focus to your senses, but not to irritate your skin!
While some people really do have hyper-sensitive skin with visible reactions to certain ingredients, the truth is, we should ALL be treating our skin as if we are the “sensitive” type. If you don’t have sensitive skin now, chances are, your skin will grow to become more sensitive as you age. Unfortunately, it’s just part of the aging process as our bodies, including our skin, grow less tolerant. That’s another way of saying that we ALL need to be treating our skin as gently as possible, ALWAYS.
This is why everyone, at one point or another, will experience “sensitive” skin, because irritated skin is INFLAMED skin. Over 40% of people who come in for facials have some sort of skin inflammation, and our skin also goes through 30 day cycles with periods of inflamed skin. There are two types of skin inflammation: acute and chronic. The difference is how long the inflammation lasts and anything over six weeks can be considered chronic, like eczema, rosacea and psoriasis. But acute inflammation includes acne, sunburn, allergic reactions and redness or bumps. Who HASN’T been there? Translation: we ALL deal with inflammation (sensitive skin) and need to treat our skin accordingly.
This explains why most beauty products for sensitive skin include ingredients that help soothe, relieve and calm irritation. Personally, my skin develops rash-like bumps when irritated. My solution to treat inflamed skin? Mask Moments, of course! The coconut jelly is naturally healing and the biocellulose sheet our masks are made of has been known to treat burn wounds in the past. Although all of our masks are made with coconut jelly to relieve inflammation, our Calming mask is especially formulated for irritated periods of our skin cycle. An example of this is when our skin breaks out. Clients ask me about what sheet mask they should use for acne, and I always point them to the Mask Moments Calming mask. A tip on how to use this: leave the sheet on your skin until it is FULLY absorbed (can be anywhere from 30- 50 minutes, depending on the condition of your skin.) You will see that the sheet will thin out in the places of your skin that needs the most treatment. And as always, don’t forget to moisturize afterwards to seal in all the good stuff!
Stay tuned for more questions and secrets behind the beauty industry. See the full video.
