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The Best Face Masks for Every Skin Type

Rehab skin instantly with face masks that deliver plumper, softer and clearer complexions in 15 minutes or less
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Face Masks for Sensitive Skin
Skin Concern: Sensitive skin is prone to breakouts, rashes and irritation due to a plethora of triggers, from stress and hormones to dirt, pollution, weather and skin-care ingredients. Even a blustery day can cause sensitive skin to flake or get welts. Dakar recommends treating reactive skin with the simplest formulas possible. Less is more for sensitive skin, which can react to avoid highly concentrated ingredients and mineral oils.

Mask Formula: Sensitive skin needs calming and detoxing ingredients to bring it back to its perked-up state. Dakar recommends green tea, which is high in antioxidants and calms redness. Villafranco suggests soothing lavender to refresh stressed skin, as well as avoiding harsh chemicals and alcohol, which could cause irritation.

How to Apply: Spot-treat any redness and congested skin with a soothing mask. Be sure not too leave it on your skin too long, as sensitive skin can be reactive to a mask drying for more than a few minutes.

Try: Erborian Perfect Morning BB Mask, $35, which is packed with Matcha green tea for a soothing, morning-skin refresh.

Fresh Rose Face Mask, $62, contains skin-soothing cucumber and aloe vera, plus rose petals for gentle toning.

Images courtesy of: Daily Perricone and Nuts.com

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Face Masks for Acne-Prone Skin
Skin Concern: Acne-prone skin is sensitive in its own way, because it overreacts to an unbalanced moisture level. To keep sore, reactive skin clear and calm, avoid oil-stripping ingredients as well as pore-clogging balms, says Dakar. Acne-prone skin needs calming ingredients like rose that are effective for all skin types, including mature skin.

Mask Formula: "My favorite type of mask for acne-prone skin is a gentle, clay-based one, because they are wonderful at absorbing excess oil and refining the skin," says Dakar.

How to Apply: Apply mask to the t-zone: forehead, nose and jawline -- or wherever you get breakouts.

Try: Fig + Yarrow Clay Mask in Rose, $18, which gently lifts out impurities from your pores. Rose clay is less harsh than black volcanic clay masks, and offers moisture in addition to suctioning out your clog-prone pores.

Murad Clarifying Mask, $37, helps fight blemishes with sulfur, while zinc oxide and licorice root soothe irritated skin. Use this mask for 10 minutes once a week to tone down your breakouts.

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Face Masks for Combination Skin
Skin Concern: Combination skin can be challenging because you're facing multiple skin problems at once. Most people with this skin type have an oily T-zone and dry cheeks. The easiest solution is to double-up on your masks.

Mask Formula: If you have combination skin, think of your face-mask regimen in steps and layers, advises Dakar. Combining masks creates a customized, targeted approach to your oily and dry patches respectively. Her recommendation: Use a clay mask and a soft hydrating one.

How to Apply: Apply a thin layer of the hydrating mask all over your face and neck, and then, over it, apply a clay mask to any breakout-prone areas such as the T-zone (or simply spot treat if you only have a couple of pesky breakouts). "Always remember to apply the hydrating one first, because a soft mask will not be able to penetrate through a clay or mud one," explains Dakar.

Try: A combination of moisturizing Sonya Dakar NutraSphere Nano Mask, $85, and refreshing Ren Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask, $34 will have your skin feeling balanced and fresh.

Photo courtesy of: Polyvore

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Face Masks for Oily Skin
Skin Concern: According to Villafranco, oily skin can sometimes be a symptom of not moisturizing the skin enough. "To me, shunning oil is parallel to the fat-free dietary craze, which we have now realized is an absurd way to eat." Just as your body needs good fat, your skin needs good oil. Stripping oil from the skin makes it create more sebum, which will leave you oilier, she explains. Likewise, applying the right oil to the skin can leave skin balanced and beautiful.

Mask Formula: A mask rich in replenishing, lightweight oils like jojoba and tea tree will help balance out oily skin. Steer clear of pore-clogging ingredients like beeswax, which Dakar says will only make oily skin worse.

How to Apply: After cleansing the skin, while your skin is still warm, apply the mask to the entire face and neck, avoiding the eyes. "Leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes, and spritz the face occasionally with mineral water or a gentle toner," says Villafranco. Remove the mask with a warm rinse or cloth, and then splash cool water on the skin. While the skin is still damp, follow with your moisturizer or serum.

Try: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Face Mask, $16.50 -- this clay-based mask clarifies skin and heads off pimples with the help of antibacterial and antimicrobial tea tree oil.

Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask, $70, has citric acid to help mildly exfoliate clogged pores.

BY KELLY SEARLE | AUG 10, 2016 | SHARES
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