Activated charcoal mask

Modern society is an era that values ​​appearance. There are many people who love beauty. Most people have the experience of applying facial masks. Nowadays, there are many types and functions of facial masks on the market. Among them, activated carbon masks are very common. In fact, the biggest function of this mask is to absorb oil and toxins on the face. Regular use of this mask can not only treat acne, but also inhibit oil secretion, which is very good for facial skin.

Are activated charcoal masks useful?

Depending on the basis of classification, there are many types of facial masks. According to product form and usage, it can be divided into: facial type, cream type, peel-off type, clay/plaster type. This classification is easier for consumers to understand. Of course, the masks can also be classified according to the symptoms and the people they are suitable for.

Are activated charcoal masks useful? The role of facial masks

It is generally believed that facial masks can cover the surface of the skin, isolate the air, infiltrate and soften the stratum corneum, increase the local temperature of the skin, expand the pores and sweat gland openings, thereby promoting blood circulation in the skin and promoting the penetration of active ingredients in the mask; after infiltrating the stratum corneum for a period of time, the keratin cells swell and arrange more neatly, which can make the skin look bright and smooth in a short time; during the drying process of the mask, it can tighten the skin and temporarily lift the loose skin; through adsorption by porous substances, or through the formation of a gelatinous film during the tearing process, it can remove excess oil and aging cuticles.

Below, we will introduce several types of masks according to their usage:

1. Facial mask

The materials of facial masks are mostly paper, cotton fiber, transparent gel, etc.

Facial masks are made of a variety of materials - paper, cotton fiber, transparent gel, etc. There is not much difference between masks made of these materials. They all allow the skin care products attached to the materials to stay on the face for a period of time, allowing the moisture in them to penetrate the stratum corneum. It’s nothing more than the different fit of various materials and the performance of attached skin care products.

The materials of some new facial masks aim to isolate the air as much as possible, making the effect of expanding pores and promoting local skin warming more obvious. If penetration-promoting ingredients are added, the penetration of whitening and antioxidant ingredients can also be promoted. However, in order to prevent bacterial contamination, a large amount of preservatives are added to this type of mask. Due to the penetration-enhancing effect, preservatives can more easily penetrate into the skin and cause sensitivity problems. Therefore, even if the preservative content in the mask meets the standards, it should be used with caution by people with allergic skin, and should not be used frequently.

The compressed paper film that DIY enthusiasts love most also belongs to this category and may be soaked in mineral water. Although there is no problem with preservatives, the skin-brightening and skin-softening effects will disappear quickly as the water evaporates. Therefore, when your skin is dry and uncomfortable, it is a good idea to use this mask to temporarily increase the water content of the stratum corneum and increase comfort. You still need to use moisturizing products afterwards, otherwise there will still be problems with dry skin.

2. Cream-type mask

Cream masks look more like moisturizers.

The appearance of a cream-type mask is closer to a moisturizing cream, but the ratio of ingredients is different. It contains more or less film-forming agents to form a skin-softening film, which can isolate the air, increase skin temperature, and promote blood circulation. When using this type of mask, the film-forming effect will be affected by the different amounts used - to some extent, a moisturizing moisturizer can also act as a cream-type mask if applied thicker, and some leave-on cream-type masks can actually work well as a moisturizer if the amount is controlled properly.

3. Peel-off mask

The peel-off mask forms a removable film after being applied to the skin for more than ten minutes.

Peel-off masks contain more film-forming ingredients. After being applied to the skin for more than ten minutes, a solid film will be formed as the water evaporates. In the process of peeling off the film, the skin oil and dirt attached to the adsorbent in the mask will also be peeled off, which can help remove aging cuticles. Some peel-off masks with high adhesion can stick to the top of blackheads and pull them out, but the peeling process is also very irritating to the skin. If you apply too much of this type of mask, it will be difficult to form a film, and if it is too thick, the moisture will not evaporate easily; if you apply too little, it will not form a continuous film and it will easily break when peeled off.

4. Clay mask

Some raw materials of clay masks are in powder form, which can be mixed into a paste by adding water.

Clay masks are mainly composed of a mixture of uniform and fine powder, water, and oily ingredients, and have a paste-like appearance. Some raw materials are in powder form, and you need to add water to mix them into a paste. Powders are generally porous ingredients with adsorption properties, such as kaolin, activated carbon, etc.; there are also some powders with lubricating properties, such as talcum powder, titanium dioxide, anhydrous silicate, starch, etc. Porous powder has a large surface area and can absorb the oil secreted by the skin, so this type of mask has a stronger cleansing effect and is more suitable for oily skin.

The more special one in this category is the plaster mask, also known as the inverted mask. The appearance is powdery, mainly plaster of Paris. When using, add water to make a paste and apply on the face. When plaster of Paris reacts with water, it generates heat and gradually solidifies. The heat generated during the reaction can expand skin pores, accelerate microcirculation, and promote the penetration of active ingredients such as antibacterial and whitening ingredients. Finally, the cured plaster needs to be removed and the skin cleaned. Plaster-type masks are used in beauty salon treatments to treat pigmentation and acne. Skin with allergies and infections is not suitable for inversion mask treatment.

There are many kinds of facial mask products. Simply put, the most reliable functions are cleansing and moisturizing. Whether it can be used continuously for a long time depends on many factors such as personal skin type, usage method, environment, etc. Personally, I think the key is not whether it can be used continuously for a long time, but whether it is necessary. After all, the role of facial masks is not irreplaceable, and daily cleansing and moisturizing products can fully cope with the task. Perhaps many of them just cater to the feelings of some consumers in terms of usage, and create a visual effect of soft, bright skin in a short period of time. For example, some friends like to use a moisturizing mask every day, which can make the skin comfortable for a short time. However, if the moisturizing effect is not strong enough and no subsequent moisturizing products are used, it will cause dry skin. Some people think that their pores will be very dirty if they don’t use a cleansing mask. In fact, the cleansing effect of a cleansing mask is mostly aimed at the sebum on the surface of the skin and cannot clean the inside of the pores. Those who have used peel-off masks to remove blackheads will feel very happy when they see the solidified sebum in the pores after being pulled out. However, they may also feel the irritation to the skin, and some may even leave marks of enlarged pores.