These Face Masks Work Wonders For Sensitive Skin

There’s nothing more annoying than coming home from Sephora with a full bag of products only to find out they irritate your skin.

Been there! Skincare becomes a whole thing when your skin is sensitive. But face masks come to the rescue! They hydrate, calm, and soothe the skin for immediate relief.

Sensitive skin is easily irritated. Extreme dryness and dehydration, sun exposure, and irritating skincare products can cause sensitivity. The result is usually redness, itchiness, and inflammation.

Plus, sensitive skin, combined with other issues like rosacea or acne, can make it harder for you to pick a face mask. No worries! Here’s your guide to choosing the best face mask for sensitive skin.

How To Choose Face Masks for Sensitive Skin

Look for soothing ingredients.

Look for calming ingredients in your face mask. Some of these ingredients are oatmeal, aloe, green tea, and cucumber. Face masks that reduce redness and inflammation are your go-to products. Because they are primarily for calming the skin and reducing sensitivity.

Choose based on your skin concerns.

When it comes to face masks, there is a sea of options to choose from. Firstly, there are different types of masks like gel masks, clay masks, and sheet masks. But more importantly, different face masks address different skin concerns like dryness, acne, and pores. So keep your major concern in mind when choosing one. A gentle hydrating mask suitable for sensitive skin may be good but it won’t do much for acne.

Avoid irritants.

Even if you have dry skin or oily skin, you should avoid common irritants in your face masks to avoid sensitivity. Some skin types are sensitive to fragrance while others are sensitive to alcohol. Either avoid them altogether or make sure the concentration is very very low.

Best Face Masks For Sensitive Skin

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask Extreme Detoxifying Hydrator

Pros
Leaves skin silky smooth
Instantly hydrating and soothing
Great for all skin types

Cons
Pricey

This gel mask brings you the soothing and refreshing benefits of cucumber. It gives instant relief to sensitive and irritated skin. The hydrating mask contains several soothing botanicals like aloe, chamomile, and allantoin. The cooling effect is like standing in front of the refrigerator. The lightweight gel formula is super replenishing for dehydrated skin. Plus, it has papaya enzymes to soften and smooth out the skin texture.

What It Has: Cucumber, allantoin, aloe, papaya
What It Does: Soothes, hydrates, softens
Size: 5 oz/150 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, alcohol-free

Caudalie Vinosource-Hydra Moisturizing Mask

Pros
Has a creamy base for better moisture
Rich in antioxidants
Can also be used overnight

Cons
Contains fragrance

Cream masks tend to be more hydrating and moisturizing for the skin. And this one is designed specifically for sensitive skin. The creamy face mask packs super botanicals like grape seed oil and Centella Asiatica. These extracts, especially the latter, have amazing anti-inflammatory benefits that help reduce redness on the skin. You can use it as a rinse-off mask or as a leave-on overnight mask to stabilize the skin, remove redness, and nourish the skin. Its moisturizing formula also packs squalane. The %98 natural face mask is especially helpful if you’re looking for a face mask for rosacea to relieve flare-ups caused by sun exposure and hot showers.

What It Has: Grape water, Centella Asiatica, squalane
What It Does: Boosts moisture, soothes irritation and redness
Size: 2.5 oz/75 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free

Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Minimizing Cleansing Clay Mask

Pros
Reduces oil without drying
Easy to remove
Great for combination, oily, acne-prone skin

Cons
Unpleasant scent

Even if you have sensitive skin, you can use a clay mask to target blackheads, congestion, acne, and pores. Clay absorbs excess oil, minimizes the appearance of pores, and reduces blemishes. This minimal and gentle clay mask is perfect for sensitive skin. It’s not overly drying so it won’t irritate during rinsing. It applies easily without needing much rubbing. The gentle clay mask also contains aloe to soothe. So if you have sensitive skin that’s prone to acne, this one will help you manage redness, excess shine, clogged pores, and blackheads without irritating skin.

What It Has: Clay, aloe, allantoin
What It Does: Balances oil, helps clear up pores, minimizes acne
Size: 4.2 oz/125 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, alcohol-free

Skinfix Redness Recovery+ Antioxidant Tetrapeptide Soothing Treatment

Pros
Mess-free
Non-irritating
Contains several anti-inflammatories

Cons
Pricey

This is an amazing face mask that will hydrate, nourish, and restore sensitive skin. It’s full of skin-soothers that are great for reducing redness on sensitive skin. Green tea, aloe, oatmeal, and cucumber soothe the skin all thanks to their anti-inflammatory benefits. Additionally, the mask hydrates and boosts moisture with ceramides, honey, and hyaluronic acid. Its lightweight creamy gel formula wraps the skin and works overnight to help you wake up to calm, hydrated, and plump skin.

What It Has: Green tea, oatmeal, ceramides, aloe
What It Does: Reduces redness, moisturizes, calms irritation
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, alcohol-free, cruelty-free, non-comedogenic

Youth To The People Yerba Mate Resurfacing + Exfoliating Energy Facial

Pros
Rich in antioxidants
Multi-tasking exfoliator
Offers both chemical and physical exfoliation

Cons
May not be suitable for very sensitive skin
Pricey

Exfoliation doesn’t have to be irritating for sensitive skin. You can consider chemical exfoliants like glycolic or lactic acid, which tend to be gentler on the skin as long as they are low concentration. And for physical exfoliation, the key is to look for very gentle formulations without scratchy and gritty particles. This exfoliating mask offers both chemical and physical exfoliation in its gentlest form. It has a paste-like texture and does not contain big, gritty granules. And for chemical exfoliation, it has lactic acid and papaya enzymes to superficially remove dead skin. The beautifully-scented mask is perfect for plumping up the skin, refining the look of pores and lines, and increasing radiance. It can repair dull and tired skin to help you achieve a healthy glow. To avoid irritation, avoid rubbing the mask into the skin.

What It Has: Papaya extract, lactic acid, niacinamide, aloe
What It Does: Gently exfoliates, refines texture
Size: 2 oz/59 ml
Good To Know: Vegan, cruelty-free, alcohol-free

Laneige Hypoallergenic Cica Sleeping Mask

Pros
Contains Centella Asiatica
Extremely hydrating
Emollient base plumps skin

Cons
Contains essential oils

Whatever your skin type is, this one is here to help your skin get rid of sensitivity caused by anything from dryness to breakouts. It’s formulated with several compounds derived from Centella Asiatica – aka Cica. Also, yeast extract in the formula provides instant calmness and cools your skin off while vitamin B5 hydrates. The overnight mask also contains restorative shea butter and squalane to help the skin retain moisture and stay supple. It’s perfect for dry winter weather as well as dehydrating summer weather. Apply before bed to calm and repair sensitive skin overnight.

What It Has: Madecassic acid, forest yeast extract, squalane, vitamin B5
What It Does: Calms, reduces redness, moisturizes
Size: 2 oz/60 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, alcohol-free, non-comedogenic

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask

Pros
Visibly illuminates skin
Creamy base hydrates and plumps
Skin feels noticeably softer

Cons
Smells funny
Expensive

And speaking of a 10-minute facial, I swear by this glow-boosting face mask for sensitive skin. This is a splurge for sure. But it’s incredibly revitalizing and illuminating for the skin. It packs red algae, and lotus seeds all formulated into a very rich, creamy base. The mask contains kombu seaweed particles. These are not to physically exfoliate so don’t go rubbing them into your skin. Just apply it the way you’d apply a cream mask. After rinsing, you’ll see that your skin looks glowy and radiant. So if you have sensitive skin but are also dealing with tired-looking skin, dullness, or even signs of aging, this one is simply amazing.

What It Has: Kombu seaweed, red algae, lotus seed, vitamin E, fig extract
What It Does: Increases radiance, moisturizes, plumps fine lines
Size: 3.3 oz/100 ml
Good To Know: Alcohol-free

This concludes our round-up of the best face masks for sensitive skin. Remember that sensitivity can be a sign of a damaged skin barrier. Don’t take the skin barrier lightly, learn how to repair the skin barrier function.

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