10 Face Mask Mistakes You Could Be Making

Using a face mask as part of your regular skin care routine could be beneficial to your skin—if you’re doing it right, that is. Face masks can help address specific skin care concerns (like dullness or oily skin)—plus, they can be a totally relaxing, spa-like experience. The thing is, there are a few common mistakes you might be making that could be interfering with getting the most out of your face mask. Here, learn everything from how often you should use a face mask, to when to use a face mask, to how to cleanse your face before putting on a face mask. Read on to find out all of the above, plus, a myriad of other face mask mistakes you should put a stop to ASAP in order to put together the best skin care regimen for your complexion.

FACE MASK MISTAKE #1: YOU DON’T TAKE YOUR SKIN TYPE OR CONCERNS INTO ACCOUNT

You choose your facial cleanser and moisturizer based on your individual skin type and concerns—and that’s how you should go about picking a face mask, too. For example, if you have dry skin, a hydrating mask could be a good option, while if you have oily skin, you might want to make a mattifying face mask your go-to. So, don’t pick a face mask just because it receives a rave review from your BFF—choose one that suits your skin type. Have your pick from the following five face mask options, each of which are formulated with three types of clay (kaolin, montmorillonite, and Moroccan lava).

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Face Mask: Over time, harsh environmental factors like pollution and debris can damage skin, leaving your complexion looking dull and tired. This face mask is infused with charcoal to help draw out the buildup of impurities, dirt, and pollution, reduce the look of dull skin, and even out skin tone. Skin will look brighter immediately.

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Mattify & Purify Face Mask: Day after day, impurities, dirt, makeup, and excess oils build up on the skin, leaving your complexion looking overly oil. This face mask is infused with eucalyptus leaf extract to help draw out the buildup of impurities, dirt, and oils and reduce the look of excess shine. Skin will look less shiny immediately.

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Exfoliate & Refining Face Mask: Day after day, dead skin cells can accumulate on the surface of your skin, leaving your complexion feeling rough. This face mask is enhanced with red algae extract to draw out the buildup of impurities, dirt, and oils, exfoliate dead skin cells, smooth the look of imperfections, and allow skin to breathe. Immediately after use, you’ll notice your skin texture appears refined. 

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Clear & Comfort Face Mask: Over time, harsh cleansing can be drying and sensitizing, leaving skin uncomfortable. As a result, skin needs cleansing that is effective yet gentle. This face mask is formulated with seaweed to help draw out the buildup of impurities, dirt, and oils, visibly reduce imperfections, clear the look of congested pores, and gently cleanse stressed areas. Skin will feel refreshed and comfortable immediately after use.

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Clarify & Smooth Face Mask: Daily wear and tear—makeup and improper care—can leave skin uneven with roughness and imperfections. Often times a facial cleanser isn’t enough to solve this problem. This face mask—which is formulated with yuzu lemon—helps to draw out the buildup of impurities, dirt, and pollution, shed rough, dead skin cells, clarify tone, and improve skin texture. Immediately after use, skin is left with a clean glow.

For each face mask, apply an even layer to clean, dry skin, leave it on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse off with water. For the Exfoliate & Refining and Clarify & Smooth face masks, be sure to remove with circular motions to exfoliate. Use 2-3 times a week for best results.

FACE MASK MISTAKE #2: YOU SKIP CLEANSING YOUR SKIN BEFORE USING ONE

In general, you’ll want to apply a face mask to clean, dry skin, so make sure to cleanse your skin first and pat dry. Otherwise you could be layering a face mask on top of all sorts of dirt and bacteria. Use a gentle, no-rinse cleansing option like micellar water to help remove dirt, oil, and traces of makeup. The L’Oréal Paris Micellar Water Complete Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin  purifies and mattifies, L’Oréal Paris Micellar Water Complete Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin hydrates and soothes, and L’Oréal Paris Micellar Water Complete Cleanser Waterproof – All Skin Types intensely purifies. Saturate a cotton pad with your micellar water of choice, then wipe the pad across your face. Ta-da, all clean!

FACE MASK MISTAKE #3: YOU APPLY WITH DIRTY HANDS

It’s important that your face is clean before applying a face mask, but it’s also a must to have clean hands. You don’t want to transfer oils or bacteria from your hands to your face! So, don’t smooth a face mask on with your fingers unless you’ve given your hands an extra thorough cleansing first. Or for a hygienic and mess-free way to apply a face mask, try using a flat foundation brush. Then, there’s no need to get your hands dirty.

FACE MASK MISTAKE #4: YOU USE WAY TOO MUCH

As with many other skin care products, when it comes to face masks, less is often more. A super-thick layer won’t result in a more effective masking session. Typically, you should only need to apply one even layer to your clean, dry skin.

FACE MASK MISTAKE #5: YOU DON’T CUSTOMIZE SHEET MASKS

Have you ever used a sheet mask that didn’t quite fit your face? Instead of sucking it up and using the face mask as is, you can make it a better fit. Grab a pair of scissors and snip off any excess, then pop it on as per usual. That way, your sheet mask is likely to slip and slide around your face.

FACE MASK MISTAKE #6: YOU ONLY MASK DURING THE DAY

It’s easy to assume that you have to be awake to use a face mask, but that isn’t quite the case. It’s indeed true that you shouldn’t snooze while wearing a clay mask, there are other masks that are meant to be worn overnight. If you want to work on your complexion while you’re catching some shuteye, try using the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Triple Power™ Intensive Overnight Face Mask. Formulated with centella asiatica, this face mask helps to improve skin’s firmness and elasticity with continued use over time. Immediately, skin feels hydrated and supple, which is sure to make for a more pleasant wakeup call.  

FACE MASK MISTAKE #7: YOU LEAVE IT ON FOR TOO LONG

We get it: When you put a face mask on, it can be easy to let your thoughts drift—and before you know it, quite a bit of time has passed. Unfortunately, leaving a mask on for an extra-long time won’t ensure it works better. When it comes to how long to leave a face mask on, always follow the directions on the packaging—and if you think you might forget, set a timer.

FACE MASK MISTAKE #8: YOU FORGET TO MOISTURIZE AFTER

After masking, you aren’t finished with your skin care routine. You need to follow-up with moisturizer, otherwise masking might result in dry skin. And who wants that? Once you’ve rinsed off your face mask, apply a lightweight moisturizer, like the L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care – Normal/Oily Skin, L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care – Normal/Dry Skin, or L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care – Extra Dry Skin. Each of these three moisturizers is formulated with hyaluronic acid and aloe vera water.

FACE MASK MISTAKE #9: YOU FORGET TO USE THEM CONSISTENTLY

Good news: You don’t have to reserve face masks for special occasions! Oftentimes, you may think of a face mask as a treat—and treats aren’t exactly something that are meant to be enjoyed every day. That being said, depending on the face mask you decide on, your complexion might benefit from using it more than just every so often. In fact, you may even want to consider using one up to three times a week. To answer the question of how often should you use a face mask, check out the directions on the packaging of the face mask of your choosing—it can vary from face mask to face mask—to receive the best results.

FACE MASK MISTAKE #10: YOU HAVEN’T TRIED MULTI-MASKING

Who says you have to limit yourself to using just one mask? Go ahead and try multi-masking—i.e., applying different face masks to different areas of your face at the same time— with our Pure-Clay face mask line. Consider what skin concerns you have, then pick your face masks accordingly.

Think you may be guilty of making skin care mistakes in other areas of your routine? In that case, we have you covered. Here are 6 Common Face-Washing Mistakes You Could Be Making, 7 Moisturizer Mistakes You Could Be Making, and 8 Self-Tanner Mistakes You Could Be Making.