Korean Beauty has garnered some intense attention ever since the debut of BB, CC creams, and cushion compacts. What’s hot right now is the modelling rubber mask and the V-lift face contouring mask in Asia. This blog will examine different types of masks in general, the functions, and how you should use the mask for a more glowing you. Most importantly what the Korean trend may mean for U.S. market in the mask category.
Types of Masks Available On the Market:
- Clay Mask: This is the most commonly seen mask on the market for detoxyfication. It’s fabulous to draw out oils and impurities on the skin. It gives a very tight skin feel when it’s dried. This type of masks are more commonly seen in USA with classics like Borghese to the latest Glamglow Mud.
- Cream Mask: This is often used as the sleeping mask too as it’s a soft cream base. Brands like Langie, Clarins and Chanel carry this type of mask for super hydration.
- Gel Mask: This is like a cooling gel. It soothes the skin and feels refreshing. It’s perfect for after sun care or a quick pick-me-up. Shiseido and Forte in Asia carry this type of mask for a quick boost of moisture.
- Sheet Mask: This is the most popular mask in the US right now which everyone just slap on piece of sheet soaked with some actives. Majority of this type of masks are imported from Asia originally. Brands like Karuna, My Beauty Diary carry this type of mask for an easy on the go.
- Specialty Eye Patch Mask: Pioneered by Estee Lauder’s Stress-Relief Eye mask, Shiseido, SkynIceland also carry the patches just for the eye area to instantly calm, hydrate and sooth the delicate eye area. In Asia, the steam eye mask by Kao is a huge success. It’s a patented process where it releases heat when the mask applied on the eyelids. It’s a must have during cold winter for the extra comfort.
- Traditional Peel-off Mask: Started by Shiseido, it’s a polyvinyl alcohol based mask where you apply and it dries like a film. The idea is when you peel, you also will peel off some dead skin. This type of mask has been less popular as people are shy away from alcohol for potential drying of skin and potential flammability during manufacturing. Biore also has some success with the peel off patches which applies like a sticker and peel off.
- Modern Seaweed Mask: Seaweeds, algaes and kelps are highly consumed in Asia. People believe what’s good to eat is also good for the skin. The benefits of seaweed mask is it’s full of minerals and can calm and tone the skin. The alginates can form a gelatin texture to coat the skin for extra moisturization retention. This type of masks are more often seen in salon back bar where the aesthetician will do all the mixing and apply the cooling mask then peel off to reveal a more radiant you.
So where does this Modeling Rubber Mask lie in the landscape of masks? It is the DIY home version of seaweed mask! In U.S.A., brands like Bliss and Grand Central Beauty have similar offer. Grand Central Beauty mask also comes with a proprietary mix of botanicals, fruits and marine ingredients which magically allows the clinically proven effects of smooth, moisturizing, anti-aging, redness-reducing and toning (S.M.A.R.T.) benefits. This is about the only mask that has clinically proven results in 15 minutes.
Another trend is the V-lift face contour facial. When people get older, the chin gets rounder or some get “double-chin”. The V in the V-lift symbolizes a pointy and slim chin. The V-lift face contour is a mask you apply and then use a bandage to hold up your chin. The mask heat up and your facial contour will feel and look slimmer. Clarins has developed a more elegant facial lift shaping facial with wild success. Many would apply before their big event to depuff the cheeks and chin area. It’s now available in USA in limited distribution. Additionally, Estee Lauder also launched the liquid tape, new dimension face serum all for the purpose of a better facial contour at every angle.
The need for beauty is universal. We can see “variations” of the modelling rubber mask and v-lift contour facial starting in the U.S.A. We should expect them to go main-stream as the K-Beauty craze continues.
In addition to different types of mask textures, there are also different types of masks targeting different needs. Boscia and Glamglow tend to “specialize” in this. If you only have skin dullness issue, you can just get a brightening mask. If you only have dryness issue, you can get a hydrating mask. You can often see bloggers have different masks all-over to “Multi-Tasking” as their “mask trend”. Granted not everyone can afford to buy all the masks for all the skin needs, a multi-tasking, rather, multi-efficient mask should be of value to consumers. Yes, multi-efficient smart skin care is the way to go as you can multi-task but not efficient (in this case, you will have to own 5-6 jars of products if you have more than one skin issues).
Whether you choose to mutl-tasking or multi-efficient masking, happy masking! Do it at least once a week for the optimal benefits!
