My Face Mask Wardrobe

If you've been reading my skincare updates for a while, you know that I'm a devoted follower of the Hirons' school, and whatever Caroline preaches, I try to bastardize adhere to. A big part of Caroline's skincare wisdom is developing a good, working skincare wardrobe consisting of staple products to suit the changing needs of our skin. As much as I aspire to women whose beauty regime consists of a face wash and a moisturizer, unfortunately, I just can't be counted among them as I do need a (much) wider selection of products to satisfy my fickle skin.

Towards the end of last year, I'd decided to work on my perfect face mask wardrobe I could call on in the times of need, that is, when my skin is congested, dehydrated or dull, or oftentimes all of the above all at once. Here are three products I've found which tick all of the boxes:

Eau Thermale Avène Soothing Moisture Mask for Sensitive Skin - this light cream mask, elegantly scented with white florals, is a perfect pampering treat after a long work day. It contains 70% of Avène thermal spring water to soothe as well as safflower seed oil for a more intense moisturizing action. Oponents of both mineral oil and parabens in skincare would be appalled but Avène's mask really reduced redness, alleviates surface dehydration, softens and plumps up my tired, sensitized skin - plus, it's a joy to use. In the US, Avène skincare is readily available at drugstore.com.

Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant - I've already extolled its virtues in my January Favorites post but let me repeat myself annoyingly for the sake of having all the useful information in one place. This smoothing face mask contains 4 different exfoliants: 2 fruit acids and both salicylic and lactic acids, plus a base of diatomaceous earth that gives it the typical clay mask appearance and feel on the skin. I'm not sure if it's the combination of different exfoliants or simply the formula but Dermalogica's Gentle Cream Exfoliant works like no other on my face: it brightens, tightens the pores, smoothes out little bumps all without irritating my skin. Go get a sample now if you haven't already!

Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores - how genius of Origins to offer some of their masks in the 50ml travel size?! Clear Improvement is definitely your go-to if you have some noisy children or nosy neighbors around who need to be scared to death, as it features a rather thick consistency that dries to an attractive charcoal (duh!) grey color on your face. Other than being a perfect choice for Halloween, it absorbs oils, shrinks spots and brightens the skin without feeling awfully dry and stripping; it's also much more comfortable to use and keep on your face than something like the Aztec Healing Clay. While I do think it's quite effective, it's probably my least favorite out of the bunch, and I'm still on the hunt for my HG clay mask.

Do you also keep a wardrobe of different face masks? What are your favorites?