Lookin' Good: Join the masquerade

Facial masks are a great way to maintain beautiful skin, but deciding which one to choose may deter some people.

By LAURA TAUB
Join the masquerade (photo credit: ingimage/asap)
Join the masquerade
(photo credit: ingimage/asap)
Which facial mask, if any, should we invest in? Like all products, the mask should be suited to one’s skin type and needs. Assuming that one knows what her or his skin type is, it is important to remember that the skin changes not only with time but also from season to season.
While all skin types require the occasional peeling and purifying. Sensitive, dry, tired and mature skin need more hydration and less aggressive cleansing. As a general rule, all skin types require hydration, especially after cleansing.
Before applying a mask, there are a few essential steps. All manufacturers say you must first clean the face and remember not to neglect the neck and decolletage.
The new thing in face masks is anti-aging and rejuvenating masks for all skin types. These are expensive masks, but using a good one regularly may actually eliminate the need for your next visit to the beautician, so it may be a good investment. Here are a few new face masks that arrived recently in the shops:
Proactive Anti-Aging Energy Correcting Mask by L.RAPHAEL Geneve is an antiaging mask that is part of the Pro-Active line. Its goal is to slow the appearance of lines and correct other age-related problems by giving skin an “energy injection,” while rejuvenating, calming and protecting it. Ingredients include bearberries – an anti-oxidant that helps to smooth the skin – soy-derived firming agents and wheat protein, which invigorate the skin. Apply on clean skin and leave for 15-20 minutes, up to twice a week.
NIS 288. Available at Ronit Raphael Centers and by phone 1- 800-802-802
Stendhal’s Pure Luxe Total Anti-Aging Premium Mask was developed using Gemo-Therapy, a new field of treatment with the power of precious stones. The mask is based on diamonds and sapphires, as well as other patented ingredients such as a complex of wheat, rice and soy proteins, active ceramides and more. This mask pampers the skin, leaving it glowing and rejuvenated. Apply with the enclosed brush once or twice a week, leave for 10-15 minutes and remove with absorbent cotton.
NIS 950. Available only at April shops.
Priori’s Replenishing Mask with a patented formula of lactic alpha hydroxy acid (advanced AHA) was recently approved for home use. The mask promises to dramatically elevate the level of hydration in the skin, using a complex of hydrating agents, antioxidants and alpha hydroxyl acid, which gently peels the layer of dead skin cells, exposing a fresh layer of skin. Until recently, the mask was available only at beauty centers; but after ensuring that the results were highly effective, the company decided to offer it for home use as well. Suitable for all skin types. Apply once a week in a thick layer and leave on the skin for 10- 15 minutes. Apply sunscreen after using the mask if you go out in the daytime.
NIS 419. Available at beauty and cosmetic centers. Call to find a point of sale near you: 073-210- 2030; www.dermalgroup.co.il
Junena’s Instant Optimal Look Mask promises to give the face a radiant look in less than five minutes. The mask is light to the touch and has a cooling effect, giving the face a fresh, soft and glowing look, thanks to an equalizer that blurs away shadowy spots; hyaspheres, which settle in the lines and fill them in, helping to create a smooth surface; as well as caffeine and soy extract, which add energy. The mask also has long-term benefits, working to improve the activity within the skin cells. Good for all skin types. Apply on face and neck, wait five minutes and remove with lukewarm water. 
NIS 300 at the Pharm chains.
L’Occitane’s Angelica Instant Hydration Mask  is a part of the Angelica collection, which makes use of the angel grass plant, a fast-growing plant with many healing properties known to man since the Middle Ages, when it was used in a wide number of ways. The mask has a gel-like texture, giving the skin instant hydration. Apply a generous layer on clean skin, wait three minutes and remove with lotion. Use two to three times a week.
NIS 169. Available only at L’Occitane shops. www.loccitane.co.il