I think we can all agree that seeing the crap on the back of a charcoal peel-off masque that we've just ripped very painfully from our faces is, truly, very satisfying. Knowing that all of that gunk is out of my skin leaves me feeling pretty great about my life. The thing is, though, we're actually doing more harm than good by using these types of masques.
I'll never forget a video that Tati posted on her YouTube channel using a peel-off masque called the "Hell Pore". I'd say based on that video, "Hell Pore" is an understatement. Unfortunately, most peel off masques, especially detoxifying masques, HURT! Some of them burn while they're on your face, and pretty much all of them feel like you're ripping off your epidermis when you take them off. But we embrace the pain in order to have that breathtaking beautiful skin FAST.
The first thing you learn in Aesthetic School is that tingle is good, pain is bad. If a product is causing you pain, DON'T USE IT. It's that simple. I think a lot of people think that pain means something good is happening in their skin, but really, all pain means is your skin does NOT like what you're doing to it and is starting to sensitize. This means that now, even though you've pulled out everything you think is bad, your skin is more suseptible to sun damge, wrinkles, dryness, and breakouts. I know, seems the exact opposite of what you thought it would do, right?
So what happens when you use a peel off masque?
Everyone knows that they have pores on their face. Mainly because you can see them when you look close enough. But what is a pore? Your pores hold essential oils that your skin needs to stay hydrated and healthy. Having oil in your skin is ESSENTIAL to preventing fine lines and wrinkles. The oil also helps keep the pH of your skin balanced. This is crucial for all parts of skin health.
So you've layered on this masque and it's starting to get hard. In order to get hard, the masque has to dry out. And what makes the masque dry out? That's right. Alcohol. It is NEVER a good plan to put alcohol on your skin. Ever. There is absolutely NOTHING good that comes from putting alcohol on your face. Alcohol strips all of both water and oils from your skin, And we've already established that your skin needs oil to be healthy.
So you're lying there stripping out all the water and oil from your face, which is just...NOT GOOD. What happens next is the "magnetic pull of gunk" from your skin. Getting gunk out of your skin is not a bad thing. In fact it's a very good thing. But when you have something so strong, it's going to pull out both the good stuff AND the bad stuff. I've researched some of the most popular peel-off masques on the web and a key ingredient in many of them is Witch Hazel.
Witch Hazel is not bad, but it's VERY strong. It's most common uses are treated hemorrhoids, minor bleeding, and skin irritation from poisonous plants and chemicals. There is no valid research that suggests it can actually make your skin better unless you have one of the above ailments and even then there's no absolute proof for any of those things. So why use it on your face? When diluted, witch hazel can have many antibacterial properties that can help with skin irritation. However, along with killing all the bad bacteria, witch hazel also takes down the good bacteria. That's why you should only use it diluted, as a spot treatment. Mainly because it will lower your skin chance to fight bad bacteria.
Now it's time to take off your masque. You've now effectively striped your skin of all its natural oils, water, and bacteria. Wow. Don't you feel accomplished. Since the masque is hard, you have to pull it off. Once you start pulling, you're pulling up the entire top layer of your skin, leaving behind parched, sensitized, exposed, hurting skin. I think this is the part that is the worst when people masque at home. If you're going to damage your skin that much in one pull of a masque, you've GOT to repair it. This requires a soothing and hydrating toner to help rehydrate and desensitize the pores and a super hydrating cream with LOADS of spf to put back all the water and oil that you just stripped from your skin. Sun protection is CRUCIAL since your skin is now basically raw and you're now super susceptible to sun damage.
Do you think the average human behind knows that this is what you have to do after any masque let alone an aggressive peel off masque. No. Most people just rip off that masque and run, which means they've basically just torn up their face for pretty much nothing except that gratification of seeing all the good things your skin has on the back of a piece of dried up masque.
In short, don't use a peel off masque. Ever. Trust me when I say there's something better out there. Just go talk to your aesthetician.
Peace,
Megan
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