Mad for Moisture Here are the creamiest, richest face masks on the market.
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Facial 101
We have one more homework assignment to add to your workload. Don't complain, this one's actually fun. In order to make sure your skin retains a gorgeous, year-round glow, a weekly facial is in order. To learn how to do the best at-home treatment, we spoke with Jaime Trompeter, spa director and esthetician at Oasis Day Spa in New York. She and her team treat celebs like Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, and members of The Roots.
Step One: Cleanse
Ready? Okay, pull your hair back, splash some tepid water on your face, and get ready to wash, which will remove impurities, perspiration, and makeup. "A gentle product is best," says Jaime. "Cleansers come in creamy or gel form. A creamy cleanser is usually recommended for skin that might feel dryer or lacks oil. It's more nourishing and leaves you feeling hydrated. People with normal to oily skin might prefer a soap-free foaming cleanser. It won't strip the skin but leaves you refreshed and cleansed."
Step Two: Exfoliate
Jaime says that proper exfoliation is extremely important, since it clears away the dead cells on your face, improves the condition of the skin — relating to blackheads or impurities — and makes your skin more receptive to accepting the products put on after. "Do not exfoliate more than once or twice a week," she says, "and watch out for scrubs with grits or granules that have really sharp edges — they are too harsh and can cause microscopic lacerations in the skin." Jaime recommends a bead-type exfoliation, one whose granules are rounded without any sharp edges. If your skin is very sensitive, or very red, use a creamy exfoliant that works enzematically to eat away at the dead cells, and if you've got a lot of acne, only use an exfoliant that's creamy. Grittier scrubs could aggravate the skin rather than help it.
Step Three: Mask
Using a mask after exfoliation rebalances the skin, and can give dry skin needed moisture, or help oily skin control excessive oil. Which is why, when choosing a mask, it's really important to pick one based on your skin type. For normal to oily skin, choose a skin-refining mask or a skin-balancing mask. If you've got normal to dry skin, an intensive moisture mask is great. If you've got sensitive skin — easily irritated or red — pick a calming mask. Someone with inflamed acne should go for a mask with salicylic acid in it, which helps control the acne. "Masks with lavender are great," says Jaime, who also warns against masks that get really dry, making it hard to smile or talk. Unless it's a mud mask, she says you don't want a dry, crackly feel.
Make sure to read the label. Not all masks can go on the eyelids or lips, so you might want to use an eye or lip cream while your mask is on. Leave it on for 10 to 12 minutes and rinse a lot — like six times to make sure all the product is removed, otherwise you could get blackheads from the residue. "When you remove your mask, your skin should feel refreshed and balanced, and leave you looking radiant and glowing," says Jaime. If you really love the feeling, go ahead and use the mask twice a week (always after exfoliating), but no more than that.
Step Four: Tone
Toner is key, according to Jaime. It soothes your face after your mask, leaving it hydrated, fresh, and rejuvenated. Toner is essential to maximize the moisturizer's effect — it leaves the skin dewy. "I recommend toners that come in a spray bottle, so you can spritz a fine mist of toner on your skin. This should be an alcohol-free (alcohol can strip the skin) and fragrance-free product that actually goes toward correcting the skin. The light misting spritz makes your skin feel fresh, and it's also a prep step. Anything you're going to put on after is going to go on smoother. If you leave your skin still slightly damp from the toner when you apply your moisturizer, it will apply evenly." Which leads us to the final step...
Step Five: Moisturize and Protect
"It's important to have moisture no matter what your skin type. Water is as essential to our skin as it is to a plant," says Jaime. "When we don't apply moisture, it depletes from our skin." And if you haven't already gotten the message, Jaime wants to make sure you know that you should be wearing SPF every day, year round. For day, Jaime suggests wearing a light SPF (of at least 30), like Shade by Coppertone, and then using a moisturizer at night to give your skin hydration and to control excess oil.
Picking Products
There seems to be an overwhelming array of products out there, so Jaime suggests sticking with one line — products that are created to work well together — because it can really make a difference. For those of us (uck, like me) with sensitive skin, test the product on the base of your neck and wait 24 hours to see if you have a reaction. And if you've got a severe case of acne, or your skin is acting funny, talk to a dermatologist, who might have a line of products she can recommend. For really stubborn cases she can prescribe medication.
Special offer only for ym.com readers
Ym.com readers can receive a 10% discount on any Oasis facial during September. Please mention ym.com when you're booking your appointment. To get the discount, bring a printout of this article along with you to the spa.
Get a Dermalogica trial kit with small sizes of products for your skin type, at 10% off the normal price of $30.
For more information on Oasis Day Spa, call (212) 254-7722, or visit www.nydayspa.com.
