Aesthetic masks are a new way to enhance your beauty at home. Yes, there are many benefits but there are some warnings too. Here’s a complete guide to a radiant faceMask that unveils beauty

An aesthetic mask is one of the methods to condition the skin and give it a boost for a more youthful and radiant appearance. The modern-day facial mask isn’t just about being pampered, but about nurturing the skin with the right ingredients.

Working of a mask

Face masks occlude the skin, meaning you’re creating a barrier between the air around you and the product in the mask that’s meant to be delivered to the skin. So, rather than some of that product evaporating into the air around you (as happens with moisturizers and other creams you rub onto your face), that product has nowhere to go but into the skin. It makes it penetrate deeper and be stronger.

Great benefits

Because of their occlusive design, face masks are good at moisturising the skin. Even if you were to just put a mask on top of the skin with nothing in it, it would naturally moisturise the skin. Face masks deliver ingredients deeper and more potently, so whatever they’re going to do to your skin, they’ll do it more quickly. That means they may provide a quick fix for complaints like redness, dryness, oiliness and inflammation.

Flip side

Because you’re getting more penetration and a relatively higher concentration of a product when it’s delivered via face mask, anything that could potentially irritate the skin, will likely irritate the skin to a higher degree in a face mask. Anyone with an allergy or sensitive skin should be extra cautious.

Many options

Facial masks are available in four basic formulations: wax-based, vinyl- or rubber-based, hydrocolloid and earth-based.

Watch the ingredients

Always, keep in mind that before using any type of facial mask, it’s important to try it out on a small patch of skin, especially if you have very sensitive skin. Some common ingredients that tend to be more irritating than others to sensitive skin include: retinol (especially in the rosacea-prone) and ingredients with the word ‘acid’ in them (an exception would be hyaluronic acid, which is actually a moisturizer the body naturally produces).

In case of trouble

If you are diabetic or on blood-thinners, consult your dermatologist before using a facial mask to avoid any adverse effects. If you experience severe redness, itching or swelling with the facial mask, seek medical assistance immediately, as any allergy may become fatal.

(Dr Sharma is a Chandigarh-based dermatologist)