Are Masks Worth the Mess?

by Phillip Picardi

So the thing about masks is that they're a bit of an ordeal, as anyone who's tried them knows. There's the super-tight ponytail to get every last strand of hair out of your face, there's the pre-cleansing, there's the goopy application, and thennnn...the waiting. Which inevitably rules out FaceTime, delivery pizza, and any sort of face-to-face interaction for anywhere between 10 minutes to a whole hour. But is going the extra skincare mile worth the undeniable mess?

Basically: Yes! On top of feeling luxurious, fancy, relaxing, rejuvenating, etc., masks are also really, really good for your skin. "Incorporating masks into a skin care regimen can help you reach goals by treating specific concerns," says Annet King, the director of global education at Dermalogica and serious skincare pro. "You should do a mask two to three times a week for twenty minutes each," she advises. "If you do it while watching TV or scanning Facebook, it'll become a routine."

And it's really that easy, fanfare aside. Just slap a treatment on, and in the time it takes to stream a few Girls episodes, you'll have a totally refreshed complexion.

Click through for the five essential types of masks you need to try-mess and all.

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