Today, we feel pretty comfortable saying most of us are past rigid gender norms. As men have discovered the benefits of spending a little bit more time and energy on personal hygiene, they have also started to incorporate cosmetic face masks into their skincare routines.
Face masks can help with everything from acne, to skin moisturizing and simple relaxation. Though there’s now a plethora of cosmetic face masks for men, it can be a bit confusing to decide which specific kind of mask is right for your unique skin issues.
Some products aren’t the best quality and not all face masks should be applied on a daily basis. To make things easier, we went ahead and compiled a face mask guide for men and included some of the best face masks on the market to help get you started and decide what fits best in your skincare routine. Get ready to slice some spa cucumbers.
Exfoliating Masks For Men
Even if your skin isn’t super greasy, there’s nothing wrong with exfoliating every now and then to prevent acne and clogged pores. Charcoal masks are a very popular choice for this. As you go about your day, your skin comes to contact with tiny bits of dirt.
This can clog your pores and lead to breakouts. The main ingredient in these face masks—activated charcoal—attaches itself to this dirt and then subsequently cleanses your skin. There’s a wide range of charcoal products, which come both as sheet masks, as well as liquids and creams.
Tiege Hanley Detoxifying Charcoal Clay Mask for Men is charcoal Infused and can help rejuvenate and clarify your skin and reduces the appearance of pores with no harmful Ingredients.
Barber Pro’s Face Putty helps with detoxifying to target blackheads and acne, rebalances oily zones and clears impurities, exfoliates dead skin cells, and increases hydration. And it only takes 10 minutes per treatment. Bonus: It's free of mineral oils, lanolin, petroleum, and parabens
There are also plenty of charcoal-based masks in drug stores. For example, Biore and Yes are affordable and are considered to be some of the best face masks out there.
Men's Hydrating Masks
It’s no secret that guys frequently have dry skin. Especially if you’re living in a place that gets really cold in the winter and then really hot in the summer, your skin is susceptible to dryness. According to the Mayo Clinic, dry skin can cause irritation, cracking, itching, and tightness—things that nobody wants to deal with.
What’s a viable solution that doesn’t involve moisturizing multiple times a day? A hydrating face mask. Dr. JART + sells the Hydration Lover Rubber Mask, a sulfate-free product that can help prevent dryness, which makes it an excellent face mask for winter weather. The product comes with a “highly concentrated ampoule serum” and a mask comprised of algae and various ingredients that help moisturize the skin.
It’s recommended that you leave this mask on for 20 to 40 minutes. Another potential option is Avene’s Soothing Moisture Mask, which is another winter face mask specifically engineered to help prevent dry skin.
Anti-Aging Masks
Face it: You’re probably fearful of aging. Luckily, some face masks can help with anti-aging. For example, Altura’s Clay Mask claims to combat wrinkles and contains exfoliating qualities, amino acids and vitamins that rejuvenate your skin.
BRO MASK uses Hydrogel, it's a thick gel-like texture to deliver active ingredients deeper into skin for greater hydration/refreshment + higher efficacy & adhesion over paper masks with no Parabens, Sulfates, or Phthalates. Ingredients include collagen, Vitamin B3 Niacinamide serum & green tea, and it's sensitive skin friendly!
The Blu42 Men's Activated Charcoal Eye Patches uses plant-based hydrolyzed collagen, algae, bamboo charcoal, and hyaluronic acid, to rejuvenate one's eyes and combat signs of aging such as wrinkles, dark circles, and fine lines in just 10 minutes. They help prepare you for the day ahead with refreshed, youthful vigor.
The Arvesa Anti-Aging Collagen eye patches help with minimizing and softening the appearance of fine lines. The active 24k gold dark circles under eye treatment for women has the ability to expel harmful toxins and significantly hydrate your skin, reduce wrinkles, with added vitamin C, rose oil, and hyaluronic acid.
Though these masks can make your skin feel better, their anti-aging qualities aren’t necessarily guaranteed. Tretinoin is a Vitamin A derivative that has been scientifically proven to reduce wrinkling and treat skin yellowing.
Acne Treatment Masks for Men
The proper face mask can do wonders for your acne. Since acne can derive from your pores being clogged with dirt, face masks can help by detoxifying your skin.
However, some are specifically designed to help remove oil. Bulldog Skin Care has a face mask that’s specially made for oily skin and consists of natural ingredients like clays, juniper, and willow bark.
A more high-end option is Peter Thomas Roth's Therapeutic Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask, this mask contains 10% sulfur(Maximum over-the-counter level clears up and helps prevent acne blemishes and blackheads.), which acts as a drying agent and helps to clear up acne, as well as kaolin and bentonite clay to help absorb excess oil, and aloe vera to helps calm and hydrate skin's appearance.
New York Biology Dead Sea Mud Mask is one of the best sellers on Amazon with more than 46,000 reviews of 4.5 stars. It harnesses the genuine essence of dead sea mud, enriched with a unique blend of aloe vera, calendula oil, vitamin E, and jojoba oil. Designed to deeply cleanse, it extracts impurities, excess oil, and dead skin from the skin's layers. With continued use, blackheads and acne are diminished, revealing a luminous, natural glow.
Kings Care Mens Face Mask Skin Care Kit (6 Pack) includes 2 Turmeric Acne Treatment + Brightening Sheet Masks, 2 Aloe Vera Soothing + Hydrating Sheet Masks & 2 2% BHA Salicylic Acid + Pore Minimizer Sheet Masks. The Turmeric Mask helps combat, soothe, and repair acne-prone and dry skin.
RUGGED & DAPPER Detox Mineral Clay Facial Mask is a fragrance-free weekly invigorating detox treatment that draws out impurities that advance aging and cause breakouts for all skin types.
Pores are deeply cleansed to combat excess oil and toxins, tame oil production, and tighten pores to prevent future congestion with all-natural ingredients: Kaolin Clay, Aloe Vera, Spirulina, and Sea Kelp.
In a similar vein to using anti-aging face masks, you should supplement your regimen with scientifically verified methods of reducing acne. Ideally, a face mask will be part of a larger acne-prevention treatment.
Relax and Mask On
On top of all of the numerous benefits to your skin, applying a face mask is simply a great way to unwind and relax. Regardless of how you do it, setting some time for yourself can help reduce stress, fatigue and improve your blood flow. So once or twice a week, set some time to apply a cosmetic face mask and watch your favorite TV show. You definitely deserve it.
After all, skincare is not just a route to healthier skin for men, but also a therapeutic gateway to relaxation and self-care. Embracing a skincare regimen allows men to take a moment for themselves, melting away daily stresses while nurturing their complexion.
