Masks explained
What peel-off masks can and can't do, what all the different names mean, and how they compare with clay and overnight masks.
- Are peel-off masks bad for your skin?It depends on the type. Sticky film masks and soft jelly masks behave very differently. What's known, what isn't, and who should skip them.
- Do peel-off masks remove blackheads?Not in any lasting way. Why pulling doesn't clear a blackhead, what those specks on a peeled mask really tell you, and what to try instead.
- Do peel-off masks remove facial hair?No, a peel-off mask isn't hair removal. What happens with peach fuzz and stubble, how to mask around a beard, and how to get jelly out of your brows.
- Modelling mask, rubber mask, hydro jelly: what's the difference?Modelling, rubber, alginate, jelly and hydro jelly masks are mostly the same thing. Hydrogel masks aren't. How to tell what you're actually buying.
- Do face masks actually work?For short-term softness and hydration, yes. For lasting change, mostly no. What a mask can do in 20 minutes, and what takes months of daily habits.
- How long should you leave a face mask on?Most face masks stay on for 10 to 20 minutes. Times for sheet, clay, peel-off and overnight masks, why longer isn't better, and if you fall asleep in one.
- Types of face masks, and what each one is forSheet, clay, cream, gel, peel-off film, jelly and overnight masks compared: how each feels, how it comes off, what it's good for and what to watch for.
- Clay mask vs peel-off jelly maskClay takes up surface oil and rinses off. A jelly mask stays soft and cool and peels away. How they compare on feel, skin type, effort and evidence.
- Sleeping mask vs peel-off maskA sleeping mask works like a rich moisturiser overnight. A peel-off jelly mask is a 20-minute ritual. How they differ, and when each makes sense.
- Can you reuse a jelly mask, or save the leftovers?No to both. Why a mixed jelly mask can't be kept, why the used mask goes in the bin and not down the drain, and how to store powder so it keeps.
New to jelly masks? Start with what a jelly mask is, how to use one and how it compares with a sheet mask.