Hi there. If you haven’t noticed by now, I am OBSESSED with natural and green beauty and have been for quite some time. This post is the beginning of a series I will be sharing for the rest of the summer of my favorite green skincare and beauty products, as well as more information about why I made the switch!
Today, I want to talk about masks. I have tried a lot of masks. I LOVE MASKS. But they are not all created equal. Some are better than others, and the ones I want to focus on today are what has left my skin feeling moisturized and glowy, which is always my primary goal!
I stay away from masks that are drying or big exfoliators because they are right for my skin, so if you have extremely oily skin, skip to the bottom where my honorable mentions are listed.
100% Pure Masks. The first 100% pure mask I tried was actually the eye masks, which I LOVE and will talk about below. When I saw that they made full face masks, I had to try them. These masks are kind of like a sheet mask, but they are made of hydrogel (composed from 95% organic aloe water and 5% plant cellulose made to intensely hydrate). They are a little heavy compared to a sheet mask, so when I use them I like to be sitting down or laying down (perfect time to scroll that Instagram feed). I try to leave this mask on for as long as I possibly can, to get the maximum benefits.
There are three types: Green Tea Water Bomb, Caffeine and Ginseng Collagen. I have tried all three and liked them all, but I think the Caffeine was my personal favorite! Read about the ingredients and what benefits they deliver before choosing.
Unlike a lot of sheet masks out there, these all full of AMAZING ingredients that you will recognize and feel great about putting on your skin. For example, there’s aloe, honey, vitamin c, green coffee, seaweed, green tea and chamomile.
Before I switched over to natural beauty, I used some random sheet masks that made my skin feel irritated and itchy. These masks make my skin feel healthy and moisturized. Highly recommend.
100% Pure Bright Eye Masks. I am OBSESSED with these eye masks. They are one of my favorite things I’ve ever tried of all beauty products, period. So good.
I like to keep mine in the fridge because there are even more benefits when using them cool. They contain matcha tea and green coffee to help with “morning face” (as I like to call it).
I have always struggled with eye circles. Some people just have them more than others. The only trick I have learned to minimizing them (besides makeup, of course) is to keep them really moisturized and I only use natural products because I truly believe that the number one way to have pretty skin is to focus on getting healthy skin. For me, that included drinking a lot more water and replacing some of my cups of coffee each day with herbal tea (these days I normally just have one cup of coffee).
These eye masks are also great for travel and for anytime you have an event or photos and you didn’t get enough sleep. Just wear them while you are eating breakfast or whatever, for as long as you can before putting on makeup and stuff.
Jade Roller. My jade roller was an impulse buy. I didn’t have too high of expectations, but it appealed to me as a natural solution for de-puffing my eyes and face. I read all about the benefits and how to use it (you can see a little guide in this link). And honestly, I love anything that I can use to create a home spa experience. I usually do masks and little self-care things like this every Sunday.
Anyway, after using my jade roller for a few months, I am pretty sold on the benefits. It does make a visible difference in how smooth my skin is that day, by reducing the appearance of fine lines and pores.
I keep it in the fridge and use it when it is very cold. It feels so good and is a great addition to my morning routine because it helps me wake up. Kind of random, but I really love it!
Herbivore Brighten Mask. This is probably my number one favorite mask. It goes on clear, as you can see from the photo above. It contains gemstone and pineapple and papaya enzymes that naturally brighten your face. I wear mine until it is completely dry, which can look kind of freaky, and then I rinse it off with a warm wash cloth.
This mask is pretty gentle and really does brighten my skin. Besides eye circles, my biggest struggle is dull skin. I don’t necessarily have dry skin, but I do feel like it looks, especially after my makeup is applied. So I use this once or twice a week to keep my skin bright.
Herbivore Blue Tansy Mask. This mask is similar to Brighten, but it’s a bit more intense. It is blue, but it mostly goes on clear. The natural scent is much more intense. If you want something more exfoliating, I would choose this mask.
Note: These masks are pricey, but they last a long, long time as you don’t use much product in each use. Also, always shake these before each use (that’s a thing with a lot of natural products).
My newest obsession is LeahLani. I have just discovered it and everything smells and feels incredible and the ingredients lists are A+.
Mermaid Mask. My photographer, Amber, had been raving to me about the mermaid mask. To be totally honest, I wasn’t that excited to try ANOTHER green mask. But I eventually did order it and it really lived up to the hype. First of all, if you accidentally get a little bit of the mask in your mouth (I did—haha!), it tastes like honey and all natural ingredients because it IS. What makes it green is the Hawaiian spirulina, chlorella, French green clay and luminess algae.
It’s also one of the best smelling masks I have ever tried.
Meli Glow. Another honey based option. By the way, if putting honey on your face freaks you out, don’t let it! I tried it for the first time in a professional facial and have been obsessed ever since. It feels SO good on your skin and if you just wash it off with a warm wash cloth, it’s not messy at all.
Anyway, this mask smells very fruity and is made to make your skin glow. It’s definitely a keeper in my routine.
OK, that’s it for today! I know I threw a lot at you, but don’t feel like I am pressuring you to buy a bunch of new stuff at once. I am just sharing my favorites that I have collected over time. And one of the things I like about collecting masks is that you can switch it up and they do last for a long time.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, I’d love to answer in the comments. xx. Elsie
33 Comments
I’ve had such a hard time finding face mask that doesn’t sting after I use it! These ones look like the perfect solution.
I totally relate!
xx
These are great recommendations! I have a friend who’s into vegan, cruelty-free everything and her top recommendation was the Herbivore Blue Tansy. If so many people like it, it must be worth the hype!
Nicolette | http://www.nicolette.co
Great post! I’ve tried 100% pure nail polish (&I love it!), I haven’t tried their masks yet though.
The jade roller sounds great, I might have to get that one. I only use natural beauty products too, so I’m looking forward to seeing more of your posts like this.
I love the vibrant colours of the 100% pure masks! They look so fun to use. Dunno if my face shape would fit them though, I have a very long face, haha!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
You really make me want to try some face masks now, although I always like to try those things myself! Do you have a DIY idea for a face mask? Or imagine making a sheet mask yourself!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Yes! I am working on a post for a DIY sheet mask, but I am waiting on one of our products that is coming out for fall….. shouldn’t be too much longer.
They are very easy to make! 🙂
Love! Have you tried Glossier’s masks? They feel great but I can’t tell if they really do much for my skin. Since you have so much experience with a variety of masks I’d love to know your thoughts.
I haven’t tried them.
xx- Elsie
I love 100% pure masks
Happy to hear it! I am kind of obsessed!
xx
I haven’t heard about these till now- I will have to try them out! I love face masks!!! ❤️
This is such good info! I’m the same way… my skin just get kinda dull and my bags are significant so I’ll definitely try some of these!!! Thank you!!
You may have mentioned this before, but is there a website that specifically sells only natural beauty products or at least one that has compiled a list of them?
I shop directly from the brands a lot, but I don’t know of a site that exclusively sells it (and has a great selection). I will work on a list and post it soon! xx
Definitely checking these out! i love relaxing with a good face mask!
http://www.themoptop.com
This is a great list of face mask. You shared awesome information. Thanks.
Thanks for this post! I haven’t tried any of the Herbivore masks, but I do love their oils. You mentioned a few times that you remove the mask with a warm washcloth – any particular wash cloth that you use? I wouldn’t want to risk all the work the mask does with a synthetic wash cloth…?
Use baby wash cloths made of either cotton or bamboo. 🙂 I like the smaller texture of them- less fluffy. xx
All of these sound really good!
great recommendations! I would like to try the Herbivore masks.
http://www.babyonlinedress.fr
Great post thanks for sharing!
The Pink Pineapple
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I love masks!!! I will have to try the herbivore ones since you recommend them =o)
https://dreamofadventures.com/
So glad you guys have been doing this. I’ve been trying to clean up my beauty routine for awhile, even though everything I use is cruelty free that doesn’t mean its junk free. Thanks Elsie!
True! Some vegan products are amazing, clean and great for the environment… and some aren’t.
Please keep up the green beauty buys, love your recs!
Ahhh I kind of want to hop on the jade roller train! Your words might have convinced me.
shannoninthecity.com
I’m obsessed with masks as well and let me share with you one of the BEST masks I’ve found for brightening dull skin. Although I do love to try expensive all natural stuff too, this one I make myself! You can find recipes online but I don’t even use a recipe. It’s raw honey, greek yogurt, and lemon juice all mixed together into a drippy mess (think Mrs. Doubtfire). Shmear that stuff on your clean face and let it dry sticky. Warm washcloth it off and voila! I’m telling you, even if my skin is doing funky stuff (zits, super dry, etc) it responds happily to this mask every single time.
Thanks for the suggestions! I love Herbivore but haven’t tried any of their masks, so it’s good to know they’re natural and work well. The Mermaid Mask seems wonderful! I could probably do masks everyday. Haha!
http://www.shessobright.com
Hi! thank you so much for sharing, I’m also very into healthy skin care and it very hard to find good products… when I first try to use something natural it was not from a good place and after 2 weeks using I didnt react well and had to take antibiotics for 2 months.
I try to order your recommendations but they only ship in the US. If you have recommendation for something that have worldwide shipping I would love to know (I live in Tel Aviv) 🙂
Thanks again!!
I love this post! I’m having a baby in December and am looking for some ways to pamper myself and make myself feel pretty in the months after I give birth! These posts with your go-to masks and treatments are such a great resource! I would love to see a post here about exactly how to use a face roller too! Like, do you use any special (or can you) oils or anything or just on it’s own?
I’m SO NEW to skin care beyond just a simple cleanser ( I use Burt’s Bees anti acne) , and a SUPER SIMPLE moisturizer (jojoba oil) and I am EATING UP THESE POSTS for more info and things to add to my Christmas wishlist 😉
Spirulina is a popular superfood made by blue-green alga help in cell growth, repair and healer for your skin. Spirulina’s excellent omega-6 essential fatty acid content may help enormously with the structural integrity of your skin.
thanks for Sharing.
I love your picks! So many lovely things!
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