While the skincare trend of facial masks (sheet masks in particular) may seem fairly new, facial masks have been in use throughout history. In Indian Ayurvedic tradition, facial masks came into use 5000 years ago. One of many strange royal skincare remedies during renaissance time was a lovely mask of pigeon poo to achieve the dewy youthful look. Fast forward to today, and masks remain one of the most popular non-invasive, instant result skincare treatments. There are hundreds of options for store bought foaming-bubbling-clarifying-detoxifying-moisturizing-anti-aging masks to remedy any skin care issue you can think of. If you have an event coming up like a wedding or photos where you want your skin to look beautiful with less makeup, masks are a really safe way to prep and get that glow. Doing a moisturizing and exfoliating mask before an event is a great way to have the makeup lay more flawlessly on your skin. No dry patches = no cakey foundation! Here are some tried and true favs!

The Erno Lazlo brand has been around for nearly 100 years, making it a very trusted source of skincare products in my book! They make two INCREDIBLE sheet masks, one that is gentle for moisturizing and plumping, and one that is more detoxing and pulls out impurities. I love them both. It also feels like the skin of a sting ray, which it basically the softest thing you will ever touch, and if you haven’t touched it you should get yourself to an aquarium ASAP. When I wear these, I will gently massage my face and then leave the mask on for hours if time permits, until it starts drying out.

A bit pricier than your average sheet mask, but worth every penny! Here’s a four pack

For a much more affordable option at about $4 per mask, the Pacifica sheet masks work really well and come in a variety of treatments. The sheet is a bit trickier to arrange on you face, the the result is worth the minor struggle. If you’re picky about ingredients, this is a great clean beauty option! I love the “disobey time” rose and peptide mask , which makes my skin so juicy and plumped! Wear in the evening for an hour or so, and you’ll see beautiful dewyness and plumped skin in the morning.

Now for something that doesn’t come in sheet form - let’s mask the old fashioned way! This gentle and super exfoliating water mask is just amazing. Through some really cool skincare tech, they have created this light-weight water based gel mask which peels off the dead layer of skin in the most gentle way, Try it once, and I swear you’ll be hooked. Skin is instantly baby soft and glowing with a fresh layer of new skin. A bit on the pricey side, but the bottle will last you a year at least.

Lastly, we need a mud mask. These are a great formula for combo/oily skin types and acne prone skin types. A mud mask is fun because it feels so effective when it dries out and you can see the oil being absorbed right before your eyes! This glamglow mask is an award winner and works with activated charcoal and a blend of acids to minimize pores and detoxify the skin.