Treat your skin this winter with hydrating face masks from Neutrogena, Kiehl's, Drunk Elephant
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Sometimes, a robust moisturizer during the winter months just isn't going to cut it when it comes to adequately hydrating your skin. This applies to those with oily skin as well as dry—all skin types can get dry or dehydrated. Therefore, you may want to consider setting aside your satisfying-but-drying clay mask and instead adding a hydrating face mask to your routine for an extra dose of moisture when your skin feels especially parched.
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Not all the hydrating face masks work the same, but they do address a host of concerns aside from moisture-deprived skin. Ahead, a look at some of the most popular hydrating face masks for winter, according to skin concerns and types.
1. For eczema-prone skin: Topicals Like Butter Mask
We should all be exercising caution when trying our hand at new skincare products, but those who develop itchy patches of tomato-red skin known as eczema always have to go the extra mile when in search of new skincare goodies. Those that have eczema-prone skin and are in need of some extra moisture should consider looking to the Like Butter Mask from Topicals.
This moisturizing mask is supposed to pave the way for "buttery-smooth skin," according to the brand, by calling on ingredients like colloidal oatmeal to minimize redness as well as madecassoside, derived from the Centella asiatica plant, and ceramides to soothe a compromised skin barrier. You can either use this as a 20-minute mask on damp skin or as an overnight hydrating treatment that you can wash off in the morning.
"I have dry skin and eczema and this has really helped with that," one Sephora reviewer writes. "It keeps my face feeling refreshed and moisturized after use."
2. For an overnight treatment: Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Night Cream
Want to wake up with glowing, hydrated skin in the morning? The Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Night Cream mask swears to accomplish both, given that the overnight treatment claims to brighten with vitamin C and hydrate and plump with squalane and hyaluronic acid.
Just like how you'd use a moisturizer, slather the mask onto the skin until it's fully rubbed in as the last step in your nighttime skincare routine. For optimal results, the brand recommends using this everyday.
"This mask is an absolute gem that will be part of my regular rotation for my nighttime skin care routine from now on," a Sephora customer exclaims. "It leaves my skin smooth and hydrated. The texture of the mask is incredibly enjoyable and quick to absorb. My skin felt soft and looked incredible the next morning."
3. For a sheet mask: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating 100% Hydrogel Mask
If you love to sneak in a beauty treatment while on the go, try the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating 100% Hydrogel Sheet Mask. Specifically made for dry skin types, this one-time use mask relies on hyaluronic acid to deliver hydration to the skin.
Place it on the skin post-cleanse and pre-serum application and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Follow up with moisturizer to seal in all the goodness. You can save some cash when you buy a pack of sheet masks, and then you can stash some in your carry-on for travel or your bathroom for pampering any time.
"It's a cooling, refreshing in-home spa treatment!" boasts one Amazon reviewer. "My skin looks great after use: Youthful, perky, glowing and soft!"
4. For stressed skin: First Aid Beauty FAB Pharma Arnica Relief & Rescue Mask
Stressed skin takes on many different forms: Some may experience extra dryness, while others may encounter a tightening sensation. The First Aid Beauty FAB Pharma Arnica Relief & Rescue Mask promises to relieve irritated skin by addressing dryness, tightness and redness, among other concerns.
The mask uses botanical extracts arnica, calendula flower and Centella asiatica to aid in the skin's healing process. Reach for this mask two to three times a week, and let it sit on cleansed skin for 15 minutes.
"This is the product I never knew I needed," a Sephora customer declares. "I bought it on a whim because I was having trouble with some irritation on my neck and around my nose from Retin-A and cold weather. This cleared it right up overnight!"
5.For a skin-brightening formula: Bliss Mighty Marshmallow Bright and Radiant Whipped Mask
The Bliss Mighty Marshmallow Bright and Radiant Whipped Mask avows to not only provide your skin with a dose of hydration but also give your complexion "a fresh, 'lit-from-within glow.'" The mask calls on vitamin C, marshmallow root extract and olive leaf extract to brighten and moisturize, respectively. Apply a thick layer onto freshly cleansed skin two to three times a week and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
"I love how this mask is brightening once removed," an Amazon customer writes. It leaves a beautiful glow to my skin. I recommend this product to those with dry skin."
6.For a skin barrier-supporting formula: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Facial Barrier Mask
If your skin barrier is damaged from too much exfoliation or cold, windy days, the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Facial Barrier Mask purports to supply the skin with what it needs to heal. Panthenol and aloe vera leaf juice supply the skin with much-needed moisture and help skin retain that hydration. Use this sheet mask after cleansing and toning and let it sit on the skin for 15 to 20 minutes.
"If your skin barrier is damaged from abrasive products, this is the face mask," one Sephora customer shares. "This product has become a staple in my routine because of how moisturizing and calming it is for my skin. 10/10. Outstanding. Show-stopping. Spectacular."
7. For a cooling sensation: Drunk Elephant F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial
Those that are looking to have their hydration served with a mild cooling effect should look no further than the Drunk Elephant F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial. The hydrating mask claims to have a "cooling, quenching" feel as it plumps and introduces moisture to the skin, per the brand.
Niacinamide aims to minimize the look of wrinkles and fine lines while vitamin F, which consists of two types of fatty acids, intends to make skin feel soft and smooth. Put four to five pumps of this mask on your skin as the final step in your nighttime skincare routine.
"I can't live without this product," one reviewer writes. "It's good anytime, but it's such a perfect way to top off my nighttime routine. It's got a nice cooling feeling that I love. Highly recommend!"
8. For a warming effect: Farmacy Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask
If you love a face mask but dread the icy-cold feel it can give the skin, try the Farmacy Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask. The mask asserts to offer up a warming feel as it "intensely hydrates and strengthens the skin's moisture barrier."
Standout ingredients panthenol, ceramides and apple extract help revive the skin barrier and equip the skin with moisture. Rub the mask on cleansed skin for one to two minutes until the mask turns into a white paste. Allow it to sit on the skin for 10 to 15 minutes.
"I have very dry, sensitive, and acne prone skin," one Sephora customer says. "Tried this for the first time, and it was amazing! I admit I was hesitant due to the 'warming' sensation but it was actually very nice. I read 'warming' and thought they meant like a ‘burn’—it’s not. It lasts for a minute and is very pleasing."
9. For reducing redness: Laneige Hypoallergenic Cica Sleeping Mask
Redness is the Laneige Hypoallergenic Cica Sleeping Mask's worst enemy. This overnight treatment mask purports to "soothe stressed skin and strengthen skin’s moisture barrier for a healthier-looking, more hydrated complexion." Besides combating redness, the mask hopes to alleviate dryness as well. Cica, a plant extract, works to placate irritated, sensitive skin. Wear this on the skin overnight and wash it off in the morning.
"I live in a frozen tundra and my skin gets absolutely wrecked in the elements," a Sephora customer writes. "The wind, snow and frigid temperatures give me awful, red, dry patchy skin. The Cica Sleeping Mask helps repair the skin barrier, and it's so lovely to wake up with soft, hydrated and even-toned skin again. This will be a winter staple in my skincare kit."
10. For dry skin types: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Face Mask
Dry skin types, take note: The Kiehl's Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Face Mask wants to replace dryness with skin that feels soft and supple. Squalane is the superstar ingredient responsible for providing the skin with hydration. At night, massage the balmy mask into clean skin until it reaches an oil-like consistency that sinks into the skin and then leave on overnight. The brand advises using this mask for a minimum of three times a week.
"I suffer from very dry skin during cold weather," one Sephora reviewer says. "This is the only face mask that keeps my face hydrated all night, and I wake up with my face not feeling oily, but perfectly ready for the next day."
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This article originally appeared on Reviewed: Hydrating face masks: Choose from Neutrogena, Kiehl's, Drunk Elephant
