10 of The Best Facial Masks

Words by Maya Prever

Introducing a facial mask into your skincare routine has two main benefits: one, it bolsters and nourishes your complexion and two, it ensures you slow down and relax while applying. In addition, they have the ability to transform your bathroom into a wellness oasis. With so much choice in the world of facial masks, it can be difficult to find the right ones for your skin concern. That’s where this guide steps in: read on to discover the best facial masks for your happiest skin yet.

Let’s take it back to basics: what is a skincare facial mask? Aside from being a Netflix-accompanying mood booster, a facial mask is an add-on step to your skincare routine after cleansing and is either presented as a sheet, clay, cream or gel mask. While a facial mask’s wear time is different depending on formulation and purpose, it is packed with nutrient-rich skincare ingredients that penetrate your skin’s surface to enhance and optimise your skincare routine. But before you reach for the first facial mask in your sight, you need to establish what your key skin concerns are. Are you trying to treat dry patches, brighten skin, rebalance your complexion or fight excess oil and impurities that could be causing breakouts? Once pinpointed, you can then distinguish the ingredients and formulas in your facial mask that’ll be more of a help than a hindrance.

If you want to alleviate dryness, try a facial mask infused with squalene, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin and fatty acids as well as a cream, sheet or gel formula so as not to dehydrate your skin. Or, if you are looking to brighten your complexion, introduce a facial mask with brightening agents, such as vitamin C, arbutin, azelaic acid or glycolic acid. You may also find that a hybrid-exfoliating facial mask in the form of a cream or clay mask will help to buff away dead skin cells for a brighter and even finish. And if you’re searching for a mask to help plump your skin, ingredients such as centella asiatica, glutathione or NAC Y2 help promote collagen production for a youthful appearance.

Now, regarding the number of times that you apply a facial mask is down to your skin’s condition and the ingredients, so always read the label for its recommended use. But essentially you don’t want to use a clay mask more than twice a week so as to avoid stripping your skin’s natural oils, which could affect the health of your skin barrier. The same can be said for facial masks containing potent exfoliating acids. Also, when considering gentler formulas, overnight masks or cream consistencies, we recommend two to three times a week for maximum efficacy.

It’s important to know that your skin-vironment is forever changing (this could be hormonal changes, diet or even environmental factors) therefore, one type of facial mask may be required one week, with a different formulation required the next, and it’s perfectly normal to switch up your facial mask depending on your skin’s needs.

RéVive Masque de Radiance, £115

With a soufflé-like texture and a pearlescent appearance that turns from white to shimmering gold, RéVive’s Masque de Radiance mask is all about a luxury facial mask experience. It has brightening and energising properties, thanks to vitamin C and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), as well as smoothing and nourishing benefits from mung bean seed extract. The beauty of this mask comes in its application: it’s best applied with the accompanying dual applicator that is smooth on one side and ridged on the other, to stimulate a light exfoliation while applying. After 10-15 minutes, expect to see a brighter complexion that’s smooth to the touch.

Shop Now

La Mer The Intensive Revitalizing Mask, £155

No product from La Mer is complete without the key Miracle Broth ingredient – a cell-renewing elixir derived from giant sea kelp that contains potent self-regenerating properties to nourish your skin. The Intense Revitalising Mask is a testament to this aquatic powerhouse as after eight minutes, fatigued skin can be seen as plumper, healthier, and re-energised. Blended with vitality and purifying ferments, La Mer’s The Intensive Revitalizing Mask helps defend skin from environmental aggressors while simultaneously providing deeper hydration – we call that a recipe for success for any city-dweller.

Shop Now

111Skin Rose Gold Illuminating Eye Mask, £80

A cult favourite among editors and celebrity make-up artists, 111Skin’s Rose Gold Illuminating Eye Mask delivers red-carpet-worthy results in 20 minutes with its cooling hydra-gel formulation. Created with clinical-grade ingredients such as, yeast protein, colloidal gold, and pomegranate seeds, dark circles and under-eye puffiness is lessened, while Natriance stimulates your skin’s radiance from within by

Shop Now

Dr Barbara Sturm The Face Mask, £120

Hectic schedules, overdone skincare routines and a weak skin barrier equate to irritated, inflamed skin which, in turn, can lead to the unwelcome cycle of sensitive, blemish-prone and overly stressed complexions. Applying a generous layer of Dr Barbara Sturm’s The Face Mask will soothe inflammation while calming and balancing your skin. Purslane and chamomile hydrates skin as well as reduces redness. And the gentle kaolin clay helps to draw out impurities caused by stress. So, alongside rebalancing your lifestyle and introducing this facial mask two or three times a week, a calm complexion can confidently be ticked off your to-do list.

Shop Now

La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask, £370

An unsettling night’s sleep can show on your skin; therefore, a great overnight mask will work like a comforting veil. La Prairie’s Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask is a sensorial saviour that wipes away any signs of disturbed sleep, and your best chance to wake up with a brighter, firmer-looking and restored complexion. With our skin cells working double as we sleep, allow for ingredients such as La Prairie’s renowned Caviar Cellular Complex (that is rich in texture might we add) melt instantly into your skin while intensely moisturising, firming and replenishing as you drift away.

Shop Now

Valmont LumiMask Resurfacing Mask, £162

A radiant and healthy complexion is considered #goals and so Valmont’s LumiMask Resurfacing Mask deserves a place in your bathroom cabinet. Containing the brand’s impressive Swiss phyto-complex – a compound of seven skin-enhancing plants – this 2-in-1 peel and mask reveals a refined, illuminated complexion. Also encouraging skin-cell renewal, the resurfacing mask is formulated with glycolic acid and papaya extract to target any texture and pigmentation concerns.

Shop Now

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask, £140

For nights dedicated to recuperation try Sisley’s Black Rose Cream Mask. The star ingredient? Alkekengi calyx extract promotes collagen synthesis, helping to create the ideal environment for collagen production. The facial mask also contains chlorella to revitalise your skin as black rose smooths and can protect against free radicals. We’d take this mask to wind down any day.

Shop Now

Clé de Peau Beauté Precious Gold Vitality Mask, £275

Combining the opulence of gold within your skincare arsenal is as luxurious as it gets, and Clé de Peau Beauté's Precious Gold Vitality Mask is the decadent equivalent. Infused with 24K gold, alongside gardenia extract, and resveratrol, this dazzling mask is said to visibly stressed skin by revealing a radiant and energised complexion. With amino acids to defend against environmental pollution, this pot of gold is more than meets the eye.

Shop Now