Be honest with yourself for a moment: How many beauty products do you actually own? Apparently the average American woman has around 40—which simultaneously seems like a lot and nowhere near enough. Your skin changes every day! You've got to be prepared to feed it what it needs.
For instance, your face always needs moisture. But what kind of moisture does it need today? Maybe you're looking to increase radiance. Or maybe you're looking for something travel-friendly. The sky is the limit! You deserve all the moisturizing face masks that the beauty industry has to offer. Below are the 10 best for any given occasion, as recommended in some of our favorite Top Shelf interviews:
The Best Moisturizing Mask For Lazy Days - Avène Soothing Moisture Mask
Masking takes effort—effort you don't always have. So kill two birds with one stone and use a mask that you can also leave on as a moisturizer. Wipe off the excess when you're done masking and go about your previously scheduled activities. Curator Lolita Jacobs agrees: "I have this hydrating mask from Avène—the Soothing Moisture Mask. You keep it on and then wipe it off, but it leaves some residue on your face like a moisturizer.”
The Best Moisturizing Mask For Every Day - Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask
Sure, we're a little biased, but when you're looking to combat sun-ravaged skin, you might need a low-key moisture pick-me-up more than once a week. #ITGTopShelf Summer Miller says: “After I wash, I use the Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask, which is great for every day. I’m originally from Virginia where it’s really humid, so my skin isn’t really used to the dry winter air.”
The Best Moisturizing Mask That’s Also Antibacterial - Live Live & Organic Bee Yummy Skin Food
Co-Founder of nail salon Tenoverten, Nadine Abramcyk has recommendations for less-toxic everything, including masks. Her latest findings: "I’ve also been experimenting with honey as an ingredient. Someone bought me Live Live & Organic Bee Yummy Skin Food, and then there’s this brand called Honey Girl that people are talking about. I have to try a lot for work, so I try not to jump around too much, because I think that’s when you get your skin into trouble.”
The Best Moisturizing Sheet Mask - Suqqu Stretch Masks
This is a crowded arena, with the most mentioned being SK-II's version. But for the sake of variation, take singer Kacy Hill's recommendation: “My skin also gets really dry, so I do a mask from time to time—or if my skin is feeling dull then I'll put one on. The Suqqu Stretch Masks are amazing, but look really scary when you have them on. I was doing one this morning at the hotel and the minibar guy knocked on the door... I was like, 'Give me a minute!' Terrifying, but they work.”
The Moisturizing Mask You Can Make At Home - Greek Yogurt
When the situation is desperate enough, open your fridge. Good-at-all-things Joanna Godard has a recipe for your face: “When you're feeling tired or in need of a pick-me-up, plain Greek yogurt makes the simplest, soothing face mask. Smooth three or four tablespoons of cold, Greek yogurt on your face, let sit for 10 minutes, and rinse. It feels especially good when your skin is dry or irritated, like after a day in the sun.”
The Moisturizing Mask For Oily Skin - Eminence Organics Stone Crop Hydrating Gel
Yes, acne-prone faces need moisture too. If you're worried about tradition moisture masks, look for a hydrator that can be used as a mask or as a moisturizer depending on how you apply it. Jhené Aiko has a good one: “I do this Eminence Organics Stone Crop Hydrating Gel, which keeps you matte, since I can get, like, real oily in the sun.”
The Moisturizing Mask You Can Sleep In - Erno Laszlo Sleep Mask
You know, in case you forget about it on your face and fall asleep watching Will & Grace reruns. Jayne Min reports: “There's this new one that I discovered from Erno Laszlo, too, which is called a sleep mask but it’s kind of not. You don’t wash it off or take it off. You just sleep in it, and it’s this weird Jell-o-like consistency. It feels crazy hydrating, like you slept with water on your face.”
The Moisturizing Mask For Under Your Eyes - Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Masks
Proper moisturization can also make you look more alive. And if there's one place to focus your efforts, it's around the eyes. Take it from Sky Ferriera: "I get really bad jet lag and the first thing that happens is that my eyes swell. Someone gave me these Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Masks on a shoot. They just make me feel better for some reason. I always do them on tour or if I’m playing a show or if I go to an event.”
The Moisturizing Mask Made For Traveling - Cremorlab Herb Tea Blemish Minus Calming Mask
Airplanes will destroy your skin. Beyond dehydration, the pressure change and stress of traveling can leave you red and puffy. You'll need something that address all those concerns and more. Michelle Phan knows what's up: "[R]ight now my skin is really flakey—I flew 13 times in one month—all international flights—so I’m using Cremorlab Herb Tea Blemish Minus Calming Mask. It’s the chicest mask I’ve ever used, and it’s really good for stressed skin.”
The Moisturizing Mask That's Also Anti-Aging - Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask
Plump, plump, plump it up. (Sorry.) But really, a hydrated face is a youthful face. Sisley knows that, as does stylist Natalie Joos: "Before I go out [I use] this Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask for Instant Youth. Who doesn’t want that—instant youth?! Thank you, yes, that’s what I want.”
Photo via Vita Sidorkina's (The Society) Instagram.
More mask recs, this time from ITG's editors: peep our favorite sheet masks over here.
