Over the last year, masking has taken on an entirely new importance. It is not only a time to tend to our skin and make sure it’s both looking and feeling good, but it also gives us a moment to check in with ourselves and commit to our self-care routines. Though life hasn’t necessarily gotten less busy as we do everything from our homes, more time indoors has at least given us a chance to do more skincare masking—and more purposeful, results-oriented masking. Enter: the Superclay Purify + Clear Power Mask, a pro-grade product with real results.
Infused with 2% niacinamide, three kinds of clay (including super active French green clay, white kaolin clay, and bentonite (volcanic) clay), exfoliating salicylic acid, and balancing kombucha, this pro-grade treatment helps to absorb excess oil, clear and purify your skin, and deep clean your pores. Over time, you’ll see that your skin is clearer, your skin tone is more even, your pores are less visible, and your skin barrier is stronger. All it needs is ten minutes on already cleansed skin to work its magic.
To get the maximum benefit from the product, here’s how you can incorporate the mask into every routine, no matter your skin type, plus a cheat sheet on other Youth To The People products for powerful results.
OILY SKIN
“Oilier skin types are going to be really familiar with a clay mask of some sort,” says Youth To The People’s Senior Manager of Field Sales + Education, Jacob Tomás del Rosario. “What's unique in this formula that’s beneficial to oily skin is the blend of the beta hydroxy acids and the kombucha. The BHAs are more oil soluble, so those help to reach deeper in the pores, help to unclog the pores, and help to keep them clear, as oilier skin types tend to be more concerned with visible pore size. Then, kombucha’s friendly prebiotics help to support and balance the skin's natural microbiome, and the overall health and function of your skin.”
One thing you won’t feel with the Power Mask is the ultra-drying effect that comes as a result of using many other clay masks. People with oily skin assume that dry feeling means the product has done its job, but it can actually be a sign of the skin being depleted.
“Anything that's stripping or dehydrating can lead to the skin then over-producing oil as a result,” del Rosario says. “That just exacerbates that cyclical pattern.”
For oily skin, del Rosario suggests pairing the mask with the alternate product in the kombucha family, the Kombucha + 11% AHA Exfoliation Power Toner.
“It’s an alpha hydroxy acid formula with glycolic and lactic acid,” del Rosario says. “AHAs are water-soluble and they're more refining to the surface, so using that on alternating days will work well.”
COMBINATION + DRY SKIN
“Combination skin can be tricky,” del Rosario says. “The different environments that you're exposing your skin to can create combination skin, like wearing masks for instance. Typically with combination skin, there’s oiliness in the T-zone, though you're balanced or dry elsewhere.” This is where one of the alternative uses of the mask comes in: as a targeted spot treatment.
The niacinamide in the mask is well known for helping to strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier, which is essential for anyone who has compromised skin in just a few areas. That along with French green clay, white clay, and volcanic clay help to improve your skin’s clarity overall.
ACNE-PRONE, BLEMISHES + MASKNE
“During those times when you’re experiencing breakouts, especially with maskne, you can use the mask more regularly on those targeted areas,” del Rosario advises. But he doesn’t recommend using this like a spot treatment which you apply and then fall asleep with it on. “I would suggest keeping it on for 10 minutes and then rinsing it off as recommended.”
Del Rosario specifically offers up the Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream as a companion product for those suffering from maskne right now.
“Keep your skincare day routine lighter than you typically would, specifically in the area where the mask is covering your face. And make sure you're using SPF in the daytime. That’s key, especially with the BHAs in the mask formula.”
Incorporating a lightweight serum during the day is also important for blemish sufferers, as well as keeping your skin even more clean more often than you normally would.
“You don't want to create an environment where you're putting a mask on over any existing bacteria that could have built up overnight,” del Rosario says. “When you’re wearing a mask, it's creating this occlusive environment where humidity and heat are forming a barrier and trapping everything in underneath. The Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream is great to combat that because there’s a really lightweight oil in there—sunflower oil. Other key ingredients include green tea, spinach, and aloe that are really feeding the skin what it needs in one fell swoop.” It’s packed with so many nourishing ingredients that by using it, you're not creating this excessive amount of product on the skin which can cause build-up. And as soon as you get home, when you remove your mask, make sure to cleanse your skin. Our pick: Superfood Cleanser!
Written by Faith Cummings for Youth To The People
