Does Consistent Sheet Mask Use Equate To More Results?

Sheet masking can be a relaxing, de-stressing, and altogether wonderful treat. Brands tend to pack their sheet mask essence formulations with a high concentration of beneficial ingredients to boot...I’ve often seen them as a treat as well as a treatment!

Back in the summer of 2018, I had fallen madly in love with all things K-Beauty. I started with all of the classics, Tony Moly, Innisfree, Nature Republic, Missha, and Acwell. But one brand took me by surprise by taking a more simplistic and sensitive skin focused approach to one of their lines, and that was Etude House and their Soon Jung products.

We’re right in the thick of autumn and moving towards winter; the days are getting chillier, and you can practically smell the apple cider in the air. As we swap our short sleeves for knit sweaters and baseball caps for beanies, we need to adjust our skincare routines too! The colder weather and drier conditions of fall and winter are often harsh on our skin, so here are some tips and product recommendations for healthy skin this season.

Skincare can be an incredibly fulfilling interest, but can be incredibly costly as well. We’re dazzled by literal promises of beauty, with even marketing language of brands geared towards commodifying beauty. You can buy your beauty in bottles, jars, and tubs. And, of course, with a hefty price tag. It’s easy to get caught up in sparkly, whimsical descriptions and packaging, so much so that we’re willing to dish out an extra $170 for an ounce of face cream (we’re looking at you, La Mer!) because we believe the beautifying effects will justify the cost.

As I rapidly approach my mid-30s, I’ve noticed that my skin has started to change. My once acne-prone, oily as a cheap slice of pizza skin has transformed into “only break out during that time of the month” and “wow, you have dry patches now, cool”. I’d like to say the changes have been welcome, but after dealing with oily skin my whole life, I’ve sort of been floundering to figure out my newfound skin type.

A small disclaimer: We want to point out that it’s a common practice for the skincare industry to demonize or acne-shame in an attempt to create and feed into insecurities to better promote anti-acne products. We believe that all skin is perfect as long as you feel comfortable in it, and wish you all the best in your skincare journey. If your skincare journey involves reducing acne and acne scarring, please read on for more information!

The essence step in a skincare routine can sometimes be hard to pin down. Is it a watery fluid focused on brightening and hydration, or something with more weight that brings nourishment and soothing to dry skin? Luckily, more and more brands are coming out with a variety of products they deem as “essence”, meaning more options for more skin types.

It’s peak summer heat—sweat galore, skin greasy, pores clogged—the last thing you want is a heavy moisturizer that packs richness where your skin needs none. And yet, moisturizers are still an important part of your skincare routine and should not be skipped even in the summer. Moisturizers help protect your skin barrier, and hydrating moisturizers in particular will allow your skin to produce a normal amount of oil and sebum.

We don’t know who needs to hear this, but we can’t emphasize this enough: up to 90% of premature aging is caused by sun exposure. (Not to scare you, but even high exposure to blue light from electronic devices can cause premature aging too!) It’s common knowledge to always wear sunscreen before going out and reapply sun protection once every two hours for maximum effect! And yet, even after all the precautions we take before and during our day in the sun, we don’t talk nearly enough about what we should do to take care of our skin AFTER a long day of attempting to fight off UV rays.

With the heat of summer bearing down on us like never before (in so many places), it can really be hard to find a way to keep excess shine, oily-ness, and greasynes at bay. Here in Colorado, we have been lucky enough to avoid the worst of it until recently, when temps have popped up to the high 90s pretty quickly.

Vitamin C is one of those ingredients that I’ll always seek out to add into my skincare routine. It has an amazing plethora of benefits and can help your skin look really plump, dewy, and glowy—you know, the skin benefit trifecta.

If you’ve browsed enough skincare, you’ll definitely have seen the words “moisturizing” and “hydrating” used interchangeably. But are they really the same?