Masks are an occasional step, left on for a few minutes and then rinsed or peeled away. Clay masks absorb oil, enzyme masks use fruit enzymes to loosen dead skin, and sheet masks hold a serum against the face.
They stay on longer than a cleanser but are still rinsed off, which puts them somewhere between a wash and a leave-on product.
Reading the label
- Clays
- Kaolin is generally considered the mildest of the common clays; bentonite and illite absorb more oil. They are mineral ingredients and are listed by name.
- Powder masks
- A powder you mix with water has no water in it until you add it, so it needs little or no preservative. That often makes for a very short ingredient list.
