When it comes to simple skincare routines, less is more as far as the number of products. Not only does this keep things simple as far as executing a routine, but it also makes it easier to keep an eye on what’s working for your skin, and what, perhaps, isn’t.
The foundation of a simple skincare routine covers: gentle cleansing, hydrating (which isn’t the same as moisturizing – see this blog post), moisturizing (lipid barrier support), and some form of sun protection during the day. So, if you already have a simple routine that makes up the foundations of a simple skincare routine, why might you want to add a facial mask in every so often?
In a nutshell, for additional skin support when your skin needs it. Commonly, we see the support that’s needed the most is for one of the following reasons:
We’ll explore each of these, through a 3 part series, to figure out if your simple skincare routine could benefit from a facial mask. This is part 3 in our series. See part 1 and part 2 if you missed them.
Reason 3: Nourishing (lipid barrier support)
Supporting our lipid barrier can often get overlooked in the fast-paced beauty world that focuses on “squeaky clean” cleansing rituals and “acne busting” aggressive treatments. Diminishing your skin’s shield against factors that create the majority of common skin concerns is something I’ve written about in this article. I can’t stress enough how important it is to support your lipid barrier and not make your skin’s job of keeping congestion at bay, irritants out, and hydration in, any harder than it needs to be. See my previous article for how to not make things harder on your skin.
If you’ve joined team lipid barrier, let’s look at some the ways to know if it’s time to add additional barrier support to your simple skincare routine via a facial mask.
How to know if your skin needs additional barrier support:
- You have rosacea or rosacea-prone skin
- You have skin that is prone to redness
- Your skin feels tight
- Your skin feels dry
- You exfoliate your skin every day
- Your skin has a rough texture
- Your skin appeals dull
- You’re having problems keeping your skin hydrated
- Your skin is flaky
- Your skin is sensitive
- Your skin is prone to feeling itchy or stinging
- Your skin feels oily yet dry (this is a sign of dehydration, but that dehydration is often due to hydration leaking out of a weak lipid barrier – see other reasons for this here)
- You’ve been using or have recently used traditional approaches to treating acne (topical products or procedures that are hard on our lipid barrier, strip all oil from our skin, or have ingredients that break down our lipid barrier. Examples include foaming cleansers, alcohol-laden toners, etc. If you’re unsure if this point applies to you, head over to our facebook group for support).
- Your skin has recently been exposed or is often exposed to, harsh elements (wind, temperature, sun, pollution)
- You’re new to green beauty – I’m adding this point because the majority of customers that come to us who haven’t been using green beauty products for very long (or at all), often show the signs of weak lipid barriers
Note that not all the signs above need to be present to signify a weak barrier. If you can relate any of the symptoms mentioned above, it’s time to support your skin through lipid barrier replenishing ingredients and nourishing practices. I highly recommend making sure you’re setting up your daily routine for maximum barrier support (see this article). To take a quick step at supporting your lipid barrier, go with a facial mask that contains lipid supporting ingredients.
Examples of a lipid barrier supporting face masks:
There you have it! Nourishing ingredients are the last reason you may want to add a facial mask to your routine and that wraps it up for this series. Miss the first two posts in this series? No worries! Just click the links below.
- Face Masks: Should your simple skincare routine include a face mask? Here’s how to know: Part 1
- Face Masks: Should your simple skincare routine include a face mask? Here’s how to know: Part 2
With love and radiance,
Pin this article for later:
