7 Face Mask Mistakes You Should Stop Making

Using a face mask as part of your regular skin care routine could be beneficial for your skin — that is, if you’re doing it right. Face masks can help address specific skin care concerns such as dullness or excess oil, plus, they can make for a great self-care experience.

But there are a few common mistakes you may be making that could be interfering with you getting the most out of your face mask. Here, we’re sharing the face mask mistakes you should avoid and what you should be doing instead in order to get the clear, glowing skin you desire.

1. You Don’t Customize Your Mask For Your Skin Type

You likely choose your facial cleanser and moisturizer based on your unique skin type and concerns — and that’s how you should go about picking a face mask, too.

2. You Apply Your Face Mask to Unwashed Skin

In general, you’ll want to apply a face mask to clean, dry skin, so make sure to cleanse your skin first and pat dry.

3. You Apply Your Mask With Dirty Hands

It’s important that your face is clean before applying a face mask, but it’s also a must to have clean hands. You don’t want to transfer oils or bacteria from your hands to your face.

4. You Use Too Much Product

As with many other skin care products, when it comes to face masks, less is often more. A super-thick layer won’t result in a more effective masking session. Typically, you should only need to apply one even layer to your clean, dry skin. 

5. You Leave Your Mask On For Too Long

Unfortunately, leaving a mask on for an extended time won’t ensure it works better. In fact, if the mask has highly active ingredients in it, like alpha hydroxy acid, leaving it on too long could even cause irritation.

6. You Don’t Moisturize After Masking

Moisturizer is just such an important step in every skin care routine so we can’t stress enough how you can’t skip it. After masking, you need to follow up with moisturizer, otherwise masking might result in dry skin.

7. You Don’t Use Face Masks Regularly

You don’t have to reserve face masks for special occasions. Depending on which one you’re using, your complexion might benefit from applying it more than just every so often. In fact, you may even want to consider using one up to three times a week. Check out the directions on the packaging to see how often you should use it — it will vary from product to product. 

Source: L'Oréal