Face Masks that Actually Work!

by Ruth Crilly | Jul 14, 2012

Don’t get me wrong, I love a soothing, pampering, rose-scented face pack or a chocolate-orange peel-off mask. I’m all for a bit of relaxation in a steamy bath, slathering my face in something that feels rich and unctuous and thoroughly decadent. But don’t you sometimes feel that face masks are a bit pointless? I swear that some of them are just exactly the same formula as a moisturiser – except that you don’t even leave it on, you rinse it off!

I am always on the hunt for masks that “actually do something” – instant results, visible difference, immediate improvement. Masks that cleanse and purify and renew and resurface and all of those things that – added together – equal glowing, smooth skin. I’ve already talked about Deep Cleansing Masks quite extensively (you can see some individual reviews here) but now I want to move on to Renewing and Resurfacing masks. Masks that will slough off the dead skin cells and really give the skin a good kick up the arse so that you see a proper difference in a short amount of time.

Some of these are perhaps best avoided by very sensitive skin – always do a patch test if you’re unsure – but all are brilliantly effective. Most of them use AHAs (acids that take off the dead skin cells and help cell turnover) so don’t go overboard with them – once or twice a week is plenty, especially if you use Liquid Gold. Don’t use the masks after using any kind of skin scrub or after cleansing with the Clarisonic – it’s just too much in my opinion!

These masks are all great for skin that is starting to lose it’s freshness and glow – mid to late twenties and above, perhaps, although if you’re younger do feel free to give them a try and see how you like them! They can help to improve clarity and keep breakouts to a minimum, but if that’s your main concern you might want to take a look at deep cleansers for your mask of choice.

Watch the video for more details on each mask – the REN Glycolactic and Elemis Papaya are, I think, brilliant “starter” masks whereas the Liquid Gold really packs quite a hefty punch. The Bee Venom mask is excellent – see the individual review here – but doesn’t work with AHAs so far as I know, just with bee stings. Normal. The Liz Earle is a lovely little quick fix – it only needs about a minute to really get going, and you don’t leave it on for more than two, so perfect if you’re in a rush. All of the links are below the video pane if you need pricing, stockist details and any more info!