These Exfoliating Masks are Like 10-Minute Facials

Best Exfoliating Masks

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Exfoliation helps with anything from congestion, and blackheads to dullness and fine lines. But it’s easy to over-exfoliate and irritate the skin if you’re using peels or serums. That’s where exfoliating face masks come in. They offer a beginner-friendly way to get started. Keep reading for everything you need to know about exfoliating masks and the best ones to try.

What Is an Exfoliating Mask?

An exfoliating face mask aims to clear the skin, draw out skin impurities, and unclog pores. Exfoliating face masks can contain physical exfoliants like clay or chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid. Depending on what type of exfoliation they offer, exfoliation masks can help you address several skin issues.

Benefits of Exfoliating Masks

Anti-Aging

Masks that contain chemical exfoliants are incredibly anti-aging. It’s because glycolic, lactic, and other hydroxy acids stimulate skin turnover, resulting in smoother, more youthful skin.

Smooth Skin

The best thing about exfoliating masks is that they instantly make your skin softer and smoother. They help remove dry, flaky patches from the skin.

Gentle Exfoliation

Compared to exfoliating your skin with treatment products like serums, exfoliating masks offer a gentler approach. They’re usually made with low-concentration active ingredients.

Instant Results

Masks are all about instant results. That’s why exfoliating masks leave your skin visibly smoother, brighter, and plumper.

How To Choose an Exfoliating Mask

Exfoliating face masks come in different forms and textures. For best results, you need to choose your mask depending on your skin type.

For example, if you have oily skin and are prone to acne, go for exfoliating masks in clay form. And look for chemical exfoliants like salicylic acid. Clay will balance excess oil and mattify your complexion while the acids exfoliate.

If you have dry skin, an exfoliating mask made with clay can cause dryness. In that case, look for something creamy, which will eliminate dryness.

If you have sensitive skin, you can try exfoliating masks either made with enzymes or chemical exfoliants but in lower concentrations.

Best Exfoliating Masks

1. SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Masque

SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Masque - Best Exfoliating Face Mask

This one is an amazing exfoliating mask for oily and acne-prone skin. The mask contains both clay and chemical exfoliants to renew oily skin. While clay absorbs excess oil and mattifies the complexion, 2% fruit acids, rich in glycolic and lactic acids, exfoliate.

The mask detoxifies the skin and resurfaces a healthier and clearer layer. Additional soothing botanicals provide anti-inflammatory benefits to calm acne-prone skin.

Base: Clay
Ingredients: Fruit-derived exfoliants
Key Benefits: Balances oil production, mattifies
Skin Type: Oily, acne-prone
Size: 2.4 oz/60 ml

2. Herbivore Prism 20% AHA + 5% BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial

Herbivore Prism 20% AHA + 5% BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial - Best Exfoliating Face Mask

This one packs a blend of alpha-hydroxy acids. Glycolic, lactic, and tartaric acids are all naturally derived to smooth the skin texture and exfoliate surface dead cells. 5% salicylic acid derived from willow bark helps with clogged and enlarged pores and gets rid of blackheads.

The mask has a gel base that goes on and off easily and doesn’t leave the skin tight or dry afterward. It’s a fantastic exfoliating face mask to increase radiance and get a more even-toned complexion.

Base: Gel
Ingredients: Fruit-derived hydroxy acids
Key Benefits: Gently exfoliates without drying
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

3. Tata Harper Resurfacing BHA Glow Mask

Tata Harper Resurfacing BHA Glow Mask

The super-light exfoliating mask contains naturally derived salicylic acid to clear up congested skin. The mask is also formulated with clay, which is already a winner for oily/combination skin to balance the complexion.

While pink clay draws out impurities from the skin, natural salicylic acid unclogs pores and reduces inflammation to prevent future blemishes. The natural exfoliating mask has a light base and leaves the skin looking smoother, brighter, and clearer.

Base: Gel
Ingredients: Willow bark extract, enzymes, clay
Key Benefits: Unclogs pores, clears up skin
Skin Type: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

4. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment- Best Exfoliating Face Masks

This overnight mask is perfect if you prefer an exfoliating mask that doubles as a leave-on treatment too. The nourishing jelly mask is made with a combination of alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic and lactic acids.

Besides, it has nourishing watermelon extract as well as hydrating hyaluronic acid. The overnight exfoliating mask is super gentle on the skin and can even be your new anti-aging night cream. It reveals your smoothest and brightest skin overnight.

Base: Gel
Ingredients: Glycolic acid, lactic acid, niacinamide
Key Benefits: Works overnight to resurface skin
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Size: 2.2 oz/60 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

5. REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask - Best Exfoliating Face Masks

Combining chemical exfoliants with enzymes, the mask smooths the look of textured skin and polishes the complexion. Glycolic acid and lactic acids remove the dead skin cells to revive lackluster skin.

They help with scarring, hyperpigmentation, and flaky skin as well. Papaya enzymes polish the complexion and eliminate congestion. The mask leaves the skin renewed, refreshed, and more radiant than ever.

Base: Gel
Ingredients: Lactic acid, enzymes
Key Benefits: Lightly exfoliates to brighten dull skin
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free

6. Youth To The People Yerba Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial

Youth To The People Yerba Mate Resurfacing Exfoliating Energy Facial

And speaking of enzymes, this one gives you the benefit of physical exfoliation minus the scratchy granules that can irritate your skin. The exfoliating mask contains papaya enzymes as well as lactic acid to lift off dead skin cells and revitalize the skin.

For gentle physical exfoliation, it packs bamboo extract to smooth out the skin texture without irritating it. Plus, it’s brimming with energizing caffeine and brightening niacinamide to leave your skin glowy.

Base: Cream
Ingredients: Enzymes, lactic acid, niacinamide, caffeine
Key Benefits: Provides chemical, and physical exfoliation
Skin Type: All skin types
Size: 2 oz/59 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

7. Pixi GLOW Glycolic Boost

Pixi GLOW Glycolic Boost- Best Drugstore Exfoliating Face Mask

Combining the comforting feeling of a sheet mask with the glow-boosting effects of glycolic acid, this one is pretty unique. The sheet mask infuses the skin with exfoliants as well as botanicals to bring back your glow. Energizing ginseng, anti-inflammatory witch hazel, soothing aloe, and hydrating cucumber leave the skin nourished, brighter, and healthier.

You get to peel off dead skin cells and increase skin turnover without irritating or drying your skin out. The mask is pretty affordable and each pack contains 3 exfoliating sheet masks.

Base: Sheet
Ingredients: Glycolic acid, ginseng extract, aloe, green tea
Key Benefits: Brightens
Skin Type: All skin types
Size: 3 sheets
Good To Know: Cruelty-free

8. Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Glycolic Peel Mask

Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Glycolic Peel Mask - Best Exfoliating Face Mask

This is a glycolic acid mask enriched with papaya enzymes. Combining that with a skin-hugging, creamy base, the mask minimizes irritation and dryness, making it the best exfoliating face mask for dry skin.

So it doesn’t dry down hard or turn into a cement-like texture on the skin. The brightening mask is excellent for reducing hyperpigmentation, fading scarring, and softening the look of wrinkles without damaging your skin.

Base: Cream
Ingredients: Glycolic acid, lactic acid, enzymes
Key Benefits: Exfoliates without irritation, brightens
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Size: 2.5 oz/75 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

So these are the best exfoliating masks you can use to smooth out the skin texture and brighten your skin. If you’re new to exfoliating and not sure how to incorporate it into your routine, masks are a great way to start even if you have sensitive skin.

FAQs

Read Next: Best Face Masks for Sensitive Skin

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