Face masks, a fundamental element for your weekly skin care routine

Moisturizing, purifying, anti-age, illuminating: here are face masks benefits for the skin’s health, and how to best integrate it in your beauty routine for visible and lasting effects.

Face masks are one of the most versatile and effective means for facial skin care, so much so that they have been used since ancient ages as a key part of complex rituals. Evidence of similar treatments dates back to Ancient Egypt, where Cleopatra, famous for her legendary beauty, used donkey milk and honey to make face and body compresses that promoted skin hydration and brightness. Even in Greece and Rome, face masks were integrated into the beauty routine of rich women, who used natural ingredients such as clay, olive oil and chamomile to prepare healing, illuminating and toning compresses.

Even the noble women of the European Renaissance courts were particularly attentive to the appearance of skin, which they treated with masks based on plants and natural oils, such as rosemary, known for its toning and circulation-stimulating properties, and almond, emollient and nourishing. A very popular custom was also the use of refined floral waters like lavender and rose, appreciated for their soothing and refreshing properties.

Starting from the 19th century, cosmetics industry began develop increasingly sophisticated beauty treatments, with the introduction of chemical ingredients in the formulations of skin care products, such as glycolic and salicylic acid to exfoliate skin, and the advent of modern cosmetics in the following century, which saw the making of masks and facial treatments enhanced by innovative ingredients like hyaluronic acid, retinol and peptides, now widely used to hinder the signs of aging and improve the elasticity of the epidermis.

Today, face masks are available in a wide range of formulations and types, which satisfy different needs, from cleansing pores to improving tone and brightness, yet also treating for problems such as excessive sensitivity and redness. Textures became relevant as well, with an increasingly pleasant feeling to the touch and innovative formats, such as night face masks and sheet masks, which offer a practical and even application, allowing to carry out other activities or enjoy a relaxing and regenerating experience for your skin and mind.

Different types, textures and ingredients: a complete guide to face masks

Face masks are a key element of facial beauty routine: in fact, they are intensive treatments that, unlike classic creams and serums, which require a daily application, are designed to be used at least on a weekly basis. This is possible thanks to the high concentration of active ingredients, capable of visibly and lastingly transforming the appearance and state of health of the epidermis, nourishing it deeply and giving it greater brightness and tone, as well as an immediate sensation of well-being and freshness, while acting in a targeted and extremely effective way on specific skin issues.

Not all face masks are the same. What changes first and foremost is the formulation and its effects, with different active ingredients to respond to the needs of different skin types. For example, hydrating face masks are ideal for deeply nourishing dry dehydrated skin, repairing skin’s barrier and restoring softness and brightness, while purifying ones, specific for oily skin, detoxify epidermis, help remove impurities and prevent imperfections.

Moreover, anti-aging face masks focus on preventing and reducing the signs of aging, thus promoting cell renewal and skin toning through active ingredients such as collagen or retinol, while illuminating treatments leverage the prodigious effects of vitamin C to provide a wonderful glow effect to the complexion.

These different types of face masks then correspond to unique textures and formulations, which is why choosing the right mask doesn’t only depend on the result to achieve, but also on the sensation you’re looking for on the application and the effectiveness of the key ingredients contained in the product.

Here is a guide to navigate the amazing universe of face masks.

Face masks types: cream, gel, powder or sheet?

Here’s a list of the main types of face masks, divided by consistency and application method:

• Cream face masks: the most common, versatile and easy to apply, thanks to their rich and soft consistency, particularly suitable for dry or normal skin, which needs a boost of hydration and comfort;
• Gel face masks: fresh and light, they’re perfect for soothing and hydrating sensitive or dehydrated skin; they’re usually formulated with soothing ingredients such as aloe vera or cucumber, and provide relief and freshness;
• Sheet masks: practical and rinse-free, fabric-made masks hydrate and illuminate skin in just a few minutes; they are made with materials soaked in concentrated serum, perfect for those looking for immediate results, whether it’s deep hydration or a wonderful illuminating effect;
• Peel-off masks: they are applied like a gel and, once dry, they get removed like a film; they are ideal for gently exfoliating, purifying the skin and removing impurities and dead cells, leaving complexion brighter and smoother;
• Powder face masks: extremely customizable, to be mixed with liquids such as water or hydrolates and then applied evenly on your face; usually based on natural ingredients such as clay and rhassoul, suitable for multiple skin needs.

Face masks textures: which is suitable for every skin type

Face masks are intensive treatments that improve skin’s appearance quickly and specifically. Depending on the type of skin (dry, oily, sensitive, etc.), some textures feel better than others, to ensure the desired achievements without compromising health. Let’s check out the main face masks textures and the most suitable ones for each skin type.

• Rich and creamy: ideal for dry and mature skin, these textures envelop skin, giving intense hydration and a sensation of lasting comfort; perfect for evening treatments, they deeply nourish and contrast dryness and dehydration;
• Light and fresh: designed for oily skin, they help balance sebum production, giving freshness and purification and leaving the skin soft and refreshed, therefore ideal especially for summer;
• Reinforcing and thickening: used in anti-aging treatments, they contribute to cell renewal and improve skin’s elasticity, leaving it more toned and compact.

Face masks ingredients: what are the most common?

Each face mask is made of specific ingredients, which give solutions for target needs:

• Moisturizing such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin or honey, for dry and dehydrated skin;
• Purifying such as clay, activated charcoal or tea tree, for oily skin;
• Illuminating such as vitamin C, fruit extracts or niacinamide, for a radiant complexion;
• Soothing such as aloe vera, chamomile or marigold, for sensitive or irritated skin;
• Anti-age such as retinol, collagen or peptides, for mature skin lacking elasticity;

Trying different types and textures of face masks is therefore the best way to enrich your beauty routine and find out the most suitable treatments for your skin needs.

How to choose the best face masks for you

To sum up everything, here are a few guidelines to choose the right face mask:

1. Dry and dehydrated skin

For dry skin, the priority is to provide hydration and nourishment. Face masks for this type of skin are usually rich in moisturizing ingredients such as:

• Hyaluronic acid: a powerful moisturizer that retains moisture within skin;
• Aloe vera: soothing and refreshing, it helps reactivate proper hydration;
• Honey: rich in emollient and nourishing properties.

Cream or gel face masks are the most suitable, as they give a rich texture that leaves skin soft and hydrated. Sheet masks can also be a good option, fast and effective, especially those soaked in intensive nourishing serums to restore skin’s elasticity.

2. Oily and acne-prone skin

Oily skin requires purifying treatments to balance sebum production, prevent blemishes and reduce enlarged pores. They’re made of ingredients such as:

• Clay (green, white or pink): it drains the sebum excess and deeply purifies skin;
• Activated charcoal: it retains impurities and toxins, thus purifies skin;
• Tea tree oil: due to its antibacterial properties, it’s the best to prevent acne.

Peel-off or clay face masks are excellent for oily and acne-prone skin, as they purify the skin and make it smoother and cleaner. You shouldn’t ignore also powder-based face masks (for example those made of clay or coal), which can be customized according to specific needs.

3. Mature skin with aging signs

Mature skin needs treatments to stimulate collagen production, improve elasticity and reduce the visible signs of aging. Anti-aging masks are rich in active ingredients such as:

• Retinol: it stimulates cell renewal and hinders blemishes;
• Peptides: it promotes collagen production and improves skin tone;
• Vitamin C: it fights aging signs, illuminates complexion and reduces stains.

Cream and gel face masks containing these ingredients are perfect for mature skins. Face masks with richer and thicker textures help improve skin’s elasticity and reduce aging signs, with a toning and smoothing effect.

4. Dull and irregular skin

In case of dull or irregular skin, it’s key to opt face masks that gently exfoliate skin’s top layer and stimulate blood circulation for a more bright and even appearance. Exfoliating face masks often include:

• AHA Acids (alpha-hydroxidacids): they exfoliate skin by removing dead cells and stimulating cell renewal;
• BHA (salicylic acid): excellent for combination or acne-prone skins, to promote pores cleansing;
• Natural skin scrubs such as sugar or fruit seeds, for a gentle exfoliation.

Exfoliating masks with these ingredients are ideal to have a more even, bright and smooth skin. Same goes for powder masks, mixed with water or other liquids, which offer a gentle but effective exfoliation, removing dead cells and leaving skin fresh and smooth.

For what concerns combination skin, it is also possible to use different masks to treat specific areas of the face. For example, apply purifying masks on T-Zone (forehead, nose and chin) to regulate excess sebum, and hydrating ones on cheeks and eye contour to deeply nourish and restore skin barrier.

How to apply face masks and optimize treatments effects

In addition to choosing the type of face mask that best suits your skin’s needs, it is important to follow a few simple tips that can really make a difference in terms of effectiveness.

Here are some advice to make the most of the benefits of applying face masks.

1. Cleanse your face thoroughly before the application of the mask: it is key to remove impurities, makeup and excess sebum to allow all the active ingredients to penetrate the skin, so it’s useful to choose a delicate cleanser suitable for your skin type, whether dry, oily or sensitive and, after cleansing, dry it gently with a clean towel;
2. Apply a thin and even layer of face mask: especially if it’s cream or powder based, it is important to abide by the quantity, as just a thin layer of cream over all the face is sufficient to guarantee positive effects without wasting product – it can be useful to use a soft brush for this purpose, or simply use hands;
3. Abide by application timing and remove the treatment by using warm water: each face mask has a recommended application time, usually between 10 and 20 minutes, which must be strictly respected, as leaving it on for too long, especially if it contains “strong” active ingredients, such as retinol or azelaic acid, could irritate skin; same goes for peel-off masks, which should be removed delicately when completely dry. Moreover, when removing masks, avoid using too hot water, which could irritate skin, or rather too cold water, which could hinder the purification process, and use a soft cloth or hands to gently remove the product, without huge rubbing;
4. Toning and hydration after removing the face mask: it is very important to also apply a toner suitable for your skin type, which helps rebalance skin’s pH and prepare it for the next steps in your beauty routine, such as the application of serums or creams. Although many face masks already contain plumping and moisturizing ingredients, it is always useful to apply a moisturizing cream immediately after the treatment to keep the skin soft and nourished, especially for dry and dehydrated skin;
5. Avoid using face masks too often: be careful to apply a face mask as part of a weekly routine, since using them on a daily basis, especially purifying or exfoliating ones, could stress the skin too much and cause dryness or irritation; hence, the ideal frequency of the treatment depends on the mask’s type of mask and skin’s needs.

Facial treatments for a toned and bright skin by Forte Village’s Acquaforte Thalasso & Spa

“Rejuvenate without transforming”: this is the motto of the prestigious Acquaforte Thalasso & Spa by Forte Village, a true heaven on earth for well-being of body and mind hosted in over 50 hectares surrounding the exclusive five-star resort located in Santa Margherita di Pula, close to some of the most beautiful beaches of the island, an enchanting seaside town near Cagliari which for years has stood out in the international context for its highly effective and revolutionary body and face treatments.

Thanks to the precious collaboration with Deasalus, excellence in Sardinia in the field of regenerative aesthetic medicine, an approach to individual beauty and well-being inspired by the philosophy of regeneration (medical-scientific methodology that allows rejuvenation through the regeneration of tissues, without altering the individual’s natural essence), the prestigious Spa gives guests an opportunity to experience amazing soothing, decongestant, hydrating and illuminating effects of a wonderful vitamin C mask, with a powerful formula designed to give skin a phenomenal, and completely natural botox effect.

The mask can be applied either alone or in combination with other treatments by the Spa, such as Peeling prx-t33, which stimulates skin regeneration through a delicate exfoliation of the stratum corneum, removing superficial impurities and exerting a strong bio-stimulating action, completely painless and non-invasive, which gives instant brightness to the treated area, or CFU Elife, a facial rejuvenation treatment based on Hi-Fu technique (High Intensity Focalised Ultrasound), capable of smoothing out the most marked face and neck wrinkles in a single session/from the first session.

Great results can also be achieved by combining the plumping action of the face mask with FM5 Sensory, a protocol promoting the metabolic activation of fibroblasts compromised by chronoaging and photoaging, acting by light frequencies generated by sophisticated and cutting-edge LEDs, particularly appreciated in photo-rejuvenation and photobiomodulation treatments and for relaxation after physical and mental stress.

Acquaforte Thalasso & Spa offers many other unmissable beauty treatments for a radiant and toned face, such as Sofwave, which thanks to the combination of ultrasound and heat helps to soften wrinkles and expression lines and tone skin, Naturalbiolifting Viso, a facial “sculpture” technique aiming at activating the biological cellular rejuvenation process, and Signature Oxygen Facial Therapy Massage, which combines unique cosmetic and therapeutic properties of oxygen with the high quality of Sardinian raw materials to illuminate the face and give it a splendid and completely natural lifting effect.

For further information about the treatments offered by the Spa or for booking a stay at the Resort, please call to +390709218818 or write an email to holiday@fortevillage.com.

Do you want to pamper your skin with tailor-made facial treatments and spend a dream vacation in a true paradise? Book your stay at Forte Village Resort in Sardinia