A:

Who doesn’t love a good face mask? As one of the oldest tricks in the skincare book, they provide a targeted effort to your most pressing skin concerns, whilst helping you take a short break to completely relax. Whether you’re on your own, or enjoying a DIY spa day with friends, choosing the right face mask for your specific needs is super important. That’s why our Activated Charcoal Face Mask and Vitamin A.C.E Warming Gel Mask are our challengers in this adventure to find the happy ending to your skincare story.

Chapter 1: Once upon a time...

Whilst peeking at the last page of a story to find out the ending is generally frowned upon, when it comes to face masks, we need to know what we’re getting into!

Cast your eyes upon the Activated Charcoal Face Mask, appropriately dubbed our ‘detox in a jar’. The luxurious steel-grey clay is something of a sidekick on your journey, drawing out toxins and excess oils, clearing the way to spotless skin, and fighting off blemishes and breakouts before they can rise to the surface. By your side from the first application, working through conflict as regularly as you desire (we recommend once to twice a week), this mask earns you five to ten minutes of pure bliss as it dries on your skin and nullifies your enemies’ powers. The perfect opportunity to put your feet up and read a few chapters of your favourite tale? You’ve earned it!

Or perhaps our Vitamin A.C.E. Warming Gel Mask is destined to be the apple of your eye. Much like a merchant or traveller you might find wandering the woods, this mask is full of surprises and more goodies than you can picture fitting into that little pink tube! Oils for brightness and hydration, plants for rewinding the effects of ageing, and fruits for skin protection are just the beginning… Don’t worry about getting chilly, Vitamin A.C.E warms your skin as you apply the honey-like mixture. No witchcraft, magic, or illusion, the Q+A chemists are just that clever! Left to work its wonders on your skin for ten minutes, this mask never loses its dewy stickiness, until you wash it away and it turns milky in your hands (still no magic!).

Chapter 2: In a land far far away...

We are not all destined to follow the same path, drawn in different directions by our hopes and woes, and so too with our masks!

If you’re concerned with oiliness and breakouts, then seek out Activated Charcoal. Although not only for oily and breakout-prone skin types, this mask benefits those with combination and normal skin which can still face the trials of blemishes, congestion and excess sebum production. For those of us who see hormonal changes regularly, or sporadically, your sidekick is there the second you find yourself in need, and happy to sit back on your bathroom shelf as your bright, clear skin thrives. Look to Activated Charcoal when you feel unbalanced, or weighed down, when stress has gotten the best of your complexion… all it takes is a little love and fairy dust (or fairy clay) to shed your worn-out, torn attire and transform into a ball-worthy Prince Charming or Cinderella.

But if you’re concerned with dryness, dullness, or the effect of ageing on your skin, come to Vitamin A.C.E.’s abode. Dry, stressed, mature, normal and combination skin all have a place here (and oily is more than welcome to pop their head in when dryness or dullness strike!). For those of us spending our evenings wishing upon a star (or 11:11 on your clocks) for a soft, glowing complexion, and the elasticity of your youth, this mask is offers it all on a golden platter. Vitamin A.C.E is anhydrous (meaning it’s water-free), making more room for amazing ingredients which create a gel-like barrier over your skin to keep all the hydration in, and skin irritants out. Where Activated Charcoal takes away, Vitamin A.C.E. gives (and gives, and gives, and gives).

Chapter 3: And it was all just a dream...

If you also dream about skincare ingredients… I’m glad to hear that it’s not just me! Not only is this line up impressive, but I expect the subject of your daydreaming until you have the perfect mask in hand.

We know that the Activated Charcoal Face Mask is a detoxifying champion, but how? To start with, the titular ingredient is Bamboo that has been specifically treated with heat to make it incredibly adsorbent, thanks to an abundance of micropores. Instead of absorbing the toxins, oils and other irritants like dirt, Activated Charcoal binds them to its own surface (the micropores create a larger surface area on each molecule in order to draw more to itself), and they become adsorbates. For a longer breakdown, you can check out our blog on the subject! This mask also contains Bentonite, which performs your regular absorption, helping in lifting up all the unwanted extras from your face. Not to forget Kaolin, the ingredient which gives us such a luxurious clay texture, detoxifying and working with Shea Butter to soften the surface of your skin. And we’re not leaving you with nothing, with Argan and Sweet Almond Oil to ensure you feel hydrated once the mask has been washed away.

Just like singing to the birds in the woods, the ingredients in Vitamin A.C.E. are in perfect tune with each other, and your skin. Representing the oils, we have Apricot, Avocado, Castor, Jojoba, Strawberry, Pomegranate, Blackcurrant, Acai, Sunflower and Olive (you know, just a few), all with their own amazing benefits. Acai, for example, contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, C and E to hydrate and restore your skin, and Blackcurrant provides gamma-linoleic acid which helps to restore damaged skin and signs of ageing. Avocado provides a super silky texture to the mask, intensely hydrating your skin thanks to a richness in Vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E and essential fatty acids. It’s perfect for when your natural skin barrier needs a little boost of strength and new, healthy skin cells! Ah, but that’s not all! Cranberry, Camu Camu, Acerola, Sea Buckthorn and Guarana Fruit Extracts are also part of this magical concoction, bringing even more vitamins and antioxidants. Cranberry provides Omegas 3, 6 and 9 for softer, smoother skin, alongside antioxidants and high levels of anthocyanins to protect your skin against environmental damage (whether that’s pollution or other irritants). Camu Camu brightens and evens skin tone with its impressive Vitamin C levels. Just in case I haven’t sold you already, it’s moisturising Glycerin that helps warm your skin, and a beta-carotene rich mirco-algae that helps turn back time on your skin by allowing your body (if it needs to) to convert it naturally to Vitamin A. And yes, this mask is 100% natural! A dream come true, perhaps?

...And they all lived happily ever after.

We know that one of these masks is your knight in shining armour, prince charming, or perfect princess… But it’s up to you to make the final choice! Or perhaps it was always fate?

Farewell for now,

Amy @ Team Q+A