Face Masks To Keep You Looking Fresh Amidst the Holiday Stress

Just because you need to cut skin care time down to a minimum doesn’t mean you have to cut corners on your actual skin care.

The holidays are near! While that means celebrations and spending time with our loved ones, it also means more stress at work, which leads to duller-looking skin. With Halloween, Christmas and the New Year happening one after the other, that means lots of parties, which means taking lots of photos. How does a strong, independent woman (or man, for that matter) look best while conquering work challenges? 

Say hi to face masks! No need to drastically change your regimen during more stressful periods. Just smooth a mask on once or twice a week, and you’re good to go!

1. Sheet Masks

Sheet masks are most likely the kind of masks that come to mind when people hear the phrase “face masks.” They are very popular nowadays, thanks to K-beauty and ease of use. All one has to do is grab a pack, open the wrapping, and put on the sheet soaked in beautifying serum. Sheet masks are for busy folks who have no time for an elaborate beauty routine, but still have skin care as their top priority.

There are so many sheet masks to choose from, and we can try all of them, of course! My current favorite is Purederm Animal Sheet Masks, which are available at Watsons for PhP99 each. The animal design is just too cute. Who says you can’t be silly and have fun while taking care of your skin? Bonus if the masks available feature your favorite animals. (I will always go for the piggy face mask!)

2. Bentonite (Green Clay) Mask

If you are looking for powerful skin detoxification, this mask is for you. Evidently, clay masks work so well that they have stood the test of time. The bentonite clay mask is widely known to have been one of Cleopatra’s beauty secrets. Don’t we all want to be as mesmerizing as she was?

Clay masks are touted to help treat acne, get rid of blackheads, shrink pores, and help tighten the skin. They are even recommended for insect bites and for the hair, according to some sources. Very few other beauty products are as versatile as bentonite clay.

The most popular bentonite mask brand in the market is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, which is available on Lazada for PhP 400 for a 1 lb jar. Another beauty brand, Luxe Organix, offers their clay mask for PhP 379 at Watsons for the same amount.

3. Sleeping Masks

You work overtime a lot, so why shouldn’t your beauty products do the same? Aside from your faithful night serum and moisturizer, your face mask can also work hard while you have your beauty sleep. 

Slather the mask on at night, and then forget about it until it’s time to wash your face in the morning. No need to wait for fifteen to twenty minutes after putting the mask on to rinse it off. Perfect during crunch time when deadlines and work loads take a big chunk off of the time you spend on pampering yourself. Just because you need to cut skin care time down to a minimum doesn’t mean you have to cut corners on your actual skin care.

If it’s your first time to try a sleeping face mask and you’re not yet sure you want to commit to adding yet another item into your arsenal (but, really, why wouldn’t you?) a good one to try would be Namu Life SnailWhite Icy Mask. It’s available in 7 mL sachets for only PhP 70 at NamuLife.ph. Also perfect for traveling! You’ll wake up in the morning ready to take IG-worthy selfies!

4. Peel-Off Masks

Back when masks were not yet as big as they are now in everyone’s skin care lineup, and were considered more of a luxury than an essential product, peel-off masks were widely available in the market, aside from clay masks. 

Peel-off masks are easier to use than clay masks, so they are the OG when it comes to skin rituals that pamper you the way a spa treatment would. They were part of our mom’s or grandma’s special weekly beauty routine when we all were just wee tots looking up to them and observing them, eagerly awaiting that time when we would be grown up enough to try all those pretty, colorful, and fragrant potions that they kept on their beauty shelves.

If you want a peel-off mask as pretty as you are, try Retinol Gold Peel-Off Mask. Not only does it have retinol and gold, both potent anti-aging ang repairing ingredients that make you look like a Gen Z member when you really are an older Millennial (teehee!), it also sparkles! Literally! Get it from Beauty Bar for PhP 775 for a 100g tube and let your beauty shine brighter than Rihanna’s diamonds in the sky.