Too much of a good thing? Yeah, the virtue of moderation doesn’t just apply to our diet, but also to our beauty routines. And this mantra is relevant even to our favourite pampering pastime: masking.
Before an important day, such as wedding or audition, many of us tend to go OTT with masks, including applying one every day. But this may not necessarily be good for your skin.
Why is over-masking bad for our skin?
Margaret Wu, founder of For Beloved One and For Beloved Girl
Margaret Wu, founder of For Beloved One and For Beloved Girl, shares with Daily Vanity that over-nourishment may stress skin out.
“(Over-masking) may result in enlarged pores if skin is not cleansed properly,” she adds.
“Using masks intended for skin renewal, whitening, and oil control too frequently may also cause irritation to the skin.”
She highlights that daily masking should be avoided, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Hailing from Taiwan, For Beloved One is a professional cosmeceutical skincare brand that is most famed for creating the world’s first Bio-Cellulose mask. For Beloved Girl was launched later in 2016, addressing skin concerns of younger women.
Wu advises that we should mask according to the suggested frequency of different types of masks. For non-woven sheet masks, she recommends using it two to three times a week.
However, for a mask like the For Beloved One A-Grade Thickness Bio-Cellulose mask, which has thin fibres and downward pressure to deliver skincare benefits more effectively, Wu says that masking every seven to ten days would be sufficient.
Dr. Jou Jun Xu
Dr. Jou Jun Xu, an aesthetic dermatologist and third generation of the Dr. Morita founding family also advises that we not leave masks on skin for too long, and recommends leaving it on for only 10 to 15 minutes for serum on the mask to be fully absorbed into skin.
“Leaving it on for too long may be dehydrating to skin due to reverse osmosis effect,” Dr. Jou explains. What this means is that when the mask has less water content than your skin, it starts absorbing hydration from skin, instead of providing it with moisture.
Dr. Morita is a Taiwanese brand that has been a pioneer in masking technology. It has a research centre in Japan to tap on Japanese technology for its products, and the popularity of its high-quality facial masks and eye masks gave Dr. Morita its first claim to fame.
For Beloved One’s Wu, agrees with Dr. Jou, and also recommends using non-woven sheet masks for between 10 and 15 minutes. She further shares that an indication that it’s overdone is when the mask dries.
Experts share how to make the best out of masking
To make sure that you’re receiving the most amount of mileage from masking, applying it the right way is also important. Dr. Jou shares these easy tips:
- The first and most important step: cleanse face with enough water
- Put mask in front of a mirror
- Make sure the mask fully covers face, especially areas that have wrinkles and fine lines. This will ensure that the serum from mask is fully absorbed into these areas, and all over your face.
Wu also shares that we should pay attention to which side of the mask to apply onto skin. She explains that we may need to use a specific side of the mask on our skin.
“Take For Beloved One Bio-Cellulose mask, for instance. Apply the side adhesive to the semi-transparent paper foil to your face, as that is the side the essence was infused during the manufacturing process, and therefore contains the most essence.”
Another tip that Wu shares is to warm up your palms and press them onto face after masking. “This enhances the skin’s absorption of the excess essence on face,” she says.
Dr. Morita’s Dr. Jou recommends applying masks at night before going to bed.
“After enjoying mask treatment, you could go straight to bed without rinsing it off. You’ll find yourself looking glamorous and rejuvenated in the morning. For particularly dry skin, you could apply serum or cream for further care, if necessary,” he advises.
He also shares that Dr. Morita facial masks contain toner, lotion, and serum for intensive skin care. So it can be used as an easy one-step skincare solution.
Dr. Morita products are available at selected Watsons outlets, BHG, and Sasa. We recommend the Dr. Morita Platinum Colloid & Hematite Extraction Whitening Black Facial Mask (SGD19.80 for a pack of 10 sheets) if you have dry and dull skin, and the Dr. Morita EGF Wrinkle Lifting Eye Mask (SGD16.80 for a pack of 10 sheets) if you want to improve circulation and dryness around the eyes.
For Beloved One and For Beloved Girl products can be found in Sephora stores. Try the For Beloved One Melasleep Whitening Bio-Cellulose Mask (SGD63 for a pack of three sheets) to see brightening and firming effect, and the For Beloved Girl Silk Renewal Mineral Cloud-Silk Mask (SGD6 for one sheet) if you’d want to address pore problems.
