To Peel or Not to Peel?

I know we’ve all seen the videos floating around. You know, the ones where folks have applied a thick layer of some black goop to their face and are now bravely facing the camera for the removal process. Here’s just the most recent video making the rounds on Facebook, but if you search “peel off mask removal” on YouTube you’ll get thousands of hits.

And we’ve all watched a few of these videos. We watch their winces and screams, laugh at the situation they’ve put themselves in, and then secretly wonder if they’re just being a big baby and if maybe we should buy or make a mask too, just to try it. But should you really? Is it safe to peel these monstrosities off of your face? Let’s take a look at the science behind these masks and see if they’re worth the pain!

Quick Tips: Oil Control Routine

This is just a quick post to help out the gals with oily T-Zones out there! If you’re tired of waking up with super oily skin or you have an event where you’d like to be a little less oily for, check out this one small step to add to your skin care routine!

I talked about the Sephora Sleeping Mask in a recent haul post and said that I was generally enjoying it, but I needed more time to make a decision. Well, I’ve made a decision. I LOVE the Sephora Sleeping Masks. My favorite is still pearl, but I picked up rose and green tea just for kicks. I wasn’t expecting much out of them beyond being good moisturizers, but the green tea mask blew me away.

The green tea mask claims to be a mattifying and purifying mask. I’m not sure about purifying, but it sure does mattify like nobody’s business. The first time I used it, I slathered in all over my face and went to sleep. I woke up with super matte skin everywhere, which is a weird feeling for a generally oily human. It really really worked, and I wasn’t expecting it at all. While it sounds like a good thing, I’m not a huge fan of having matte-feeling skin all over my face. My T-Zone is always in need of oil control, but the rest of my face dries out super easily, so I try to keep it moisturized and don’t overuse mattifying products on it.

So, here’s my routine for days when I want to keep my oiliness in control and make my makeup last a little longer!

The night before I do a little multi-masking. If you’ve never heard of multi-masking, don’t worry. Up until a year ago neither had I. Then Sephora sent me an email and my immediate thought was, “This is bullshit. You’re just trying to make me buy more masks.” And while I think I was right about trying to sell me stuff, multi-masking is not as much bullshit as I previously thought. I like to put the green tea sleeping mask just on my nose, between my brows, and chin; just the areas where I get super oily. On the rest of my face I’ll put something super moisturizing, either just my regular moisturizer or another hydrating sleeping mask (I like the pearl and rose Sephora ones and I’ve also been experimenting with Peter Thomas Roth cucumber and rose masks). Then I’ll wait for the masks to set a little before I go to bed.

In the morning I start by wiping off the excess mask using some micellar water on a cotton pad. Then I’ll go in with primers. Yes, plural. Just like multi-masking, I’m now into multi-priming. I’ll use Nivea Men’s Sensitive Post Shave Balm all over my face to plump up my skin and make my foundation stick a little better. Then I’ll go in with Monistat Anti-Chaffing gel just on the same areas where I put the green tea mask the night before. Then I’ll put on my favorite long-wearing foundation, usually the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer, but recently I’ve been experimenting with the Revlon Colorstay (more to come on this after I’ve tested it out some more). Once I’ve done all my base makeup, I set my T-Zone with Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder.

I find that this routine give me the absolute best wear time on my base makeup and keeps me looking less oily and feeling better all day long.

What are your favorite oil-control products? Let me know in the comments below!

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