The Skin Project - Face Masks and Treatments

Hello lovelies this post is a day late but could not be helped I'm afraid. I have been lain up in bed all weekend with all sorts of aches and pains accompanied by horrendous sneezing. Not to worry I am feeling  much better after plying myself with vitmain c, water and Innocent Smoothies all weekend. While I am on the mend, I thought I would write up this weeks entry for #TheSkinProjectSeries.

This week the skin project started by Lianne over at www.thebrunettesays.co.uk is all about face masks and treatments. I must admit that I do not have many treatment but I am someone who loves a face mask. High or low money is not a deciding factor when I purchase a face mask or treatment, I am in for the results aka the way my skin feels after I have applied the treatment/mask.

Face masks are used to treat a host of skin ailments, combat ageing,  provide moisturising/hydrating properties and some even offer gentle exfoliating. The number of active ingredients in facemasks vary according to skin type and remedy.

Due to my skin type being Oily/Sensitive and Blemish prone I tend to stick to clay based face masks and chemical exfoliators. However there is alot of love in my heart and space on my potions counter for the Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Face Mask, especially now during the winter months. I find myself popping it on here and there during the week to give my skin a quick boost.

My Favorite Clay masks:

The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay mask - My absolute favourite from the bunch. This is highly effective as a spot treatment.

                                                         


Avon Clearskin Pore Penetrating Black Mineral Mask - Don't sleep on the Avon skincare, they currently own Liz Earle. This is a light clay mask, great for drawing spots to the surface.

                                                                     

Superdrug Mud Therapy Aloe
                                                               
These three are my favourites honorable mentions go to the Origins Active Charcoal Mask, it was nice but I can live without it in my skincare routine.

Treatments:

REN F10 Smooth and Renew Mask - this is a gentle chemical exfoliator.

                                                           


REN Glycolic Mask - This is a more suited to my oily blemished skin. It has a strong citrus scent. It is a bit stronger (stronger is a fluid term) then the Smooth and Renew mask but just as lovely if not even more so.

                                                           


Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel - A cult beauty product for a reason. The results of this are clearly evident withing the first few uses.

                                                                  

My skin slways has a very soft and plump feeling after a treatment with one of these chemical exfoliators. Products absorb better and the difference in makeup application is evident. I tend to treat my skin with a mask on Sunday and a chemical exfoliator on a Wednesday. That way my skin gets some recovery time in between two deep treatments.

Here's to hoping that you guys,

 are having a great new year so far.,

Review - REN clean skincare F10 Smooth and Renew Mask: a review

        I have oily skin, and in recent years, I have been plagued with blemishes and residual  scarring left from pimples. In October 2011 I broke out with a bout of Cystic acne which took weeks to clear up and left my  entire left cheek very scarred. I have been  on a little kick lately trying out some chemical exfoliants  and I must say they have been working really really well.  The REN clean skincare F10 Smooth and Renew Mask  was originally intended for use by my roomate. She has sensitive skin and wasn't really a fan of the orange peel ( a signal that this mask was full of vitamin C, a key ingredient in most scar reducing lotions and potions ) smell so she passed it to me.  I decided to try this on my oily skin, this mask bless its soul is intended for use by persons who suffer from sensitive skin. None the less it is a chemical exfoliant and I decided to try it and do a review. 

Application - how to use:Apply a generous amount to clean skin. Leave for 10 minutes, Dampen enclosed cloth and gently wipe off mask. Rinse skin with warm  (not hot) water.  

The product has a viscous texture similar to honey, it spreads well and evenly for the most part. The instructions said to leave it on for 10 minutes, I left it on for 30 minutes plus the time I took to walk downstairs and put a load of clothes in the washing machine.  During the time it was on my face, it was quite pleasant, it "dried" a bit, but was till soft to the touch. Removal was quite easy as well, I dipped a muslin cloth in warm/emphasis on cool water and removed from the left cheek (since I applied it there first) my forehead (which is recovering from an allergic reaction to the new Lancome Tient Idole foundation,), the right cheek, then chin/jaw area. 

The results -  my skin felt very smooth to the touch, after I had patted my face dry and allowed the excess moisture to dry. It was not tight nor ashy. There was no crusting or flaking in the areas on my face where my allergic reaction is healing. 

Cons -The size of REN skincare sample products. If you were to get this in a sample size at a counter I would advise that you secure at least 3 of them. REN skincare samples come in 5ml sizes which is only enough for 1 application. I am a firm believer that with skincare/makeup products you need to try them at least 1 - 3 times before you can form a valid hypothesis on whether or not your skin will react. 

The price - A 50ml bottle of this retails for £20.  Yes I know I know £20 to some persons is  relatively alot of money for 1 single item. However it is 2012 and if you want to the good stuff you HAVE to suck it up and pay the money.

Pros - This stuff is great, it makes your skin super smooth and clearer (it actually does).  You do not need to be scraping your face and worrying about getting in the cracks of your nose and hairline as one would usually do with manual exfoliators. It comes with a PUMP, so that just extended the life of the product by 50%. I used 1.5 pumps when I did my treatment. So long run when you look at it you would only purchase this item ONCE a year. 

would i purchase? - yes
would i recommend? - yes
would i buy full priced? - yes