Beauty Buzz: At-home face masks to soothe your frazzled holiday skin

By Andi Douglas, nwaMotherlode beauty editor and mama of 3

So, who’s just a little bit busy right now?

There’s a few things that need to get done, like buying all the gifts, wrapping all the gifts, planning parties, attending parties, refilling your prozac prescription…the usual holiday stuff.

The stress alone can wreak havoc on your skin, let alone the blustering wind outside and dry heat indoors, leaving you with chapped, flaky skin. Not exactly the glowing complexion you would want for party season.

Unless your Elf on the Shelf is skilled enough to give you a beauty treatment during his nocturnal shenanigans, getting party ready is going to require some multitasking.

Facial masks no longer require a spa day, thankfully, since a trip to the spa right now is about as likely as a trip to the North Pole. All the rage right now, the range and availability of at-home face masks are growing daily.

One mask that will help remove the dead skin and clean out your pores is the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Face Mask. Some reviewers did warn of a tingling sensation while the mask sets for about 5 minutes, but felt it was worth it as they had soft glowing skin afterwards. And it smells like pineapple!

If you are new to the mask world, a variety pack like the 7 Days & 7 Mask pack from Ariul will let you try seven different formulas to find the perfect fit for you. The benefit of using a sheet mask, instead of a jarred cream version, is that the product will not dry out as it sits on your face and will stay put as you go about your tasks. You could get 10 gifts wrapped in the 20 minutes the mask needs to sit, that is if you can ever find the FRIGGIN’ TAPE!

If you have zero time to sit around waiting for a mask to dry, give Biore’s Self-heating One Minute mask a try. Put the mask on, move the dang elf, then rinse it off. Voila! The charcoal in the mask will leave you with clean pores and refreshed skin.

The Baby Pet Magic Mask Sheet would make a perfect gift or stocking stuffer for a beauty obsessed tween or teen in your life. They seem to have a pretty mild effect (ie: they make your skin feel softer but doesn’t last for long) that is actually ideal for young, sensitive skin. These silly masks would be a hilarious addition to a slumber party or girls night. The anti-wrinkle pug received the best reviews so you might want to save that one for yourself.

One of the downsides of writing a post like this is that I get major psychosomatic itchy face syndrome. I can feel my clogged pores!

So, I will just have to add this little beauty treatment to my to-do list. If you have a favorite mask that you use, leave me a note in the comments, and I wish you all Happy Holidays, Mamas!

Andi Douglas is a mama of three and loves to play with makeup and other beauty supplies. She likes to try new products and services in the name of beauty editor here at nwaMotherlode.