Natural Face Masks: Brands and Buying Tips

Natural Face Masks: Brands and Buying Tips

Making time for face masks is one of the biggest favors you can do for your skin; regular use lets key ingredients have time enough to really sink in, remove impurities, or both. And while it will do your stress levels good to lie back and relax while masking, you can also enjoy a mask while watching TV, checking email, or doing laundry.

While there are plenty of great homemade recipes for facemasks, most of us won’t take the time regularly to whip them up; having them ready to go in the medicine cabinet assures that the weekly ritual will happen. (Once-a-week masking is what most dermatologists recommend; more often can be stressful to skin). Look for whole-food ingredients in our masks, as well as potent herbs and seed derivatives, said Dr. Jeannette Jacknin a Scotsdale, Ariz., holistic dermatologist and author of Smart Medicine for Your Skin ($38 at amazon.com, or $10 for Kindle edition). "Turmeric has natural cleansing properties and makes the skin appear more radiant and smooth, and ginkgo biloba stimulates circulation and helps give a rosy complexion," she said. Other ingredients she recommends:

> Oatmeal soothes dry, irritated skin

> Cucumber, yogurt, avocado and honey moisturize

> Aloe vera, also a moisturizer, helps protect the skin from the sun’s UV radiation

> Jojoba, also a moisturizer, is an antioxidant

> Tea tree helps treat acne and oily skin

> Kaolin and clay help cleanse pores in oily skin

> Sugar and honey are exfoliants

> Soy is an rejuvenator

Jacknin recommends avoiding facials that contain these ingredients:

> Propyl-, butyl- and ethyl-paraben

> Diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA)

> Diazolidinyl urea and imidazolidinyl urea

> Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate

> Petrolatum

> Propylene glycol

Juice Beauty Organic Facial Rejuvenating Mask


The first ingredients in Juice Beauty's face mask are organic  lemon, white grape, apple and aloe juices, so you know this mask is going to smell delicious! Sunflower and olive oils and botanical extracts of carrot, chamomile, geranium, and calendula mean that it’s nourishing and healing for normal to dry skin.

Astara Sunstar Purifying Mask


Made by Astara, this face mask is sold under the Teens Turning Green brand, which was formed by a group of young women who were concerned with the potentially harmful ingredients most teens put on their skin. As such, the Sunstar Purifying Mask is ideal for young, turbulent skin, with tea tree oil to fight breakouts, and bentonite clay to sooth and draw out impurities that can cause inflammation.

Lush Mask of Magnaminty


The Mask of Magnaminty is the only Lush masks available online. The rest are available only in Lush stores, as they are made from such fresh ingredients that they need to be made weekly and stored in a refrigerator. Check out Lush's skin-changing Brazened Honey and Love Lettuce masks. The Magnaminty is packed with fresh peppermint goodness that makes the skin tingle, and ground aduki beans that polish. This mask can also be used on décolleté and back areas that might need a little smoothing. at amazon.com or $22 at lushusa.com)

Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Mask


Sounds like it might make a great smoothie, but this Pangea Organics facial includes goji berry as an anti-aging agent, seaweed and Irish moss to re-mineralize, and green tea to soothe redness.

Kiss My Face Pore Shrink Deep Pore Cleansing Mask


A multi-sensory experience, lemon oil, clove, witch hazel and tea tree oils provide stimulating aromatherapy while they go to work attacking inflammation, acne and over-sized pores.

Cattier Yellow Clay Facial Mask for Dry Skin


Made with yellow and white clays, jojoba and peppermint oils, the Cattier Face Mask for dry skin is mild enough to be used by those with sensitive skin. Plus, Bio certification by Ecocert means this French company's products

Weleda Wild Rose Intensive Facial Masque


Made with peach, almond and rose oils, this regenerative face mask is billed as a solution for dry or combination skin. Weleda products are made with certified Biodynamic ingredients, many of them grown on the company's own farm in Germany.

Skin Perfection Charcoal Detoxifying Clay Mask

Made up of green clay, detoxifying charcoal, Vitamin C, blue-green algae powder, and not much else, this mask comes as a powder, so you can mix it up with whatever is freshest in your fridge. Skin Perfection suggests goat milk, fresh-squeezed fruit juices or organic yogurt, but it also works with water.