The first time we heard of masks that came in powdered form, we weren’t too enthused. It just sounded like a bit more effort that we wanted to put into masking. But then when we finally tried it, everything made sense as to why this has become the new go-to masking format.
Slow Beauty as luxury: for starters, luxury and self-care is predicated upon taking the time to actually practice care. The process of “activating” a powder mask is both therapeutic and really gives the user a level of control over the entire experience. There is something about the process and involvement that makes this more intimate and luxurious than slapping on a ready made mask.
Ingredients: the powder aspect means that everything in the jar is there for a reason and there are no fillers. Most ready made masks are saturated with a water base which then requires preservatives and emulsifiers, in other words things that aren’t directly beneficial to your skin. Using raw plant ingredients that literally activate right before being slathered onto one’s face is basically the freshest form available.
Customization: these masks can be activated with any liquid base from water to teas and juices and even apple cider vinegar. From there one can adjust for texture and consistency, mixing in some honey or yoghurt or even a moisturizer cream. The experimental nature of powder masks allows for advanced users to really exercise limitless personalization options to create the perfect match for their skin.
Tl;DR: Basically, powder masks are where it’s at.
Here are three stand outs:
- Dr. Alkaitis Cellular Repair Mask: a fruit mask made with only 7 organic ingredients, 5 of them berries (Raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, bilberry)🍇🍓. This pinkish powder mask looks like jam especially mixed with honey. You’re advised to keep it from drying for the 20 min. duration so we elected to only use it as a mixed with honey rather than spray a face mist every 30 sec. This super gentle mask is subtle and benefits come from the super concentration of antioxidants from the berries that promote cellular repair.
- May Lindstrom The Problem Solver: This one is at the opposite end of the spectrum. You’ll feel it right away. We heard about the initial heat, but this stuff burns. The Jet Black mask kind of “puffs” out with water in a cool science lab way though we prefer to it mix with a buffering base such as The Honey Mud, regular honey or yoghurt. We’d also advise that this mask should be reserved during pre-cleanse to avoid irritation. The mixture of warming spices (including cayenne pepper🌶), salts, Vitamin C, baking soda is not for the delicate skinned but if you want to “feel” a product work, this is it. For those seeking to wake up sluggish skin, this intense mask will do the trick.
- YÜLI Pure Mask: We’ve been awakened on the benefits of natural clays, e.g they’re ionically charged to bind pollutants, toxins and even heavy metals & this mask contains four types of clays. The texture of this powder is really fine and becomes silky when activated (there are literally rose petals). Yuli advises allowing it to dry for purifying and clarifying benefits, or keeping it activated to maximize rejuvenating benefits. We prefer activating with green tea to work with the Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs like goji berries, matcha, mung beans to soothe and repair skin. It feels like a green juice 🌿 for skin.
Photographed and Written by: GW Team
