Help you count down the pits you have stepped on in the face mask over the years

　　Spring is windy and the climate is dry, and the skin is prone to various minor conditions such as peeling, acne, and dry lines.

At this time, do you think of the mask that has been hoarding for a long time?

　　The effectiveness of the mask is obvious, and there are more and more little fairies applying masks.

Merchants spotted business opportunities and launched various kinds of masks, such as hydrating, whitening, anti-wrinkle, lifting... For a while, the status of masks in everyone's minds skyrocketed. It seems that there are no skin problems that can't be solved by masks.

But is the mask really as magical as the advertised?

　　In fact, many of the effects of facial masks are exaggerated. Today, experts have counted a few easy-to-enter "pits" for facial masks. I hope everyone can pay less IQ tax. I hope every little fairy can have soft and white skin. .

　　Skin becomes better after application

　　Did you absorb a lot of nutrients?

　　We all have this feeling. After applying the mask, the skin becomes radiant, white and supple. It seems that the nutrients in the mask have been absorbed by the skin. The effect of the mask is really good.

　　Why does applying a mask make the skin better?

We must first understand the structure of the skin.

The outermost layer of our skin is the stratum corneum. Under normal circumstances, the water content of the stratum corneum is about 20%. There is a sebum film on the outside of the stratum corneum, which can delay the evaporation of water.

However, when the stratum corneum loses water or the sebum decreases, the moisture will evaporate quickly, making the skin dry and peeling.

　　At this time, we apply a mask to force the stratum corneum to soak in a highly humid environment. The stratum corneum can quickly absorb water, and the water content can increase to about 80% in a short time, and the mask paper can isolate the skin from the air. It slows down the evaporation of water, and plays a good role in quickly replenishing water.

　　But have you noticed that after a day or even a few hours, the skin was ruthlessly beaten back to its original shape.

This is because the skin's softening is only the "temporary hydration" of the stratum corneum.

When the stratum corneum cells are full of water, its light transmittance will increase, and the skin will look translucent and shiny.

In addition, the arrangement of cells will become tighter, and the overall flatness of the skin will be improved. At this time, the refraction and reflection of light will be relatively concentrated, and the skin will look very shiny.

But the moisture does not really enter the deep layers of the skin, and the rate of loss of water in the stratum corneum is very fast, so just rely on a mask, and the skin condition will not be much different from before.

　　The moisturizing effect of the mask

　　Better than cream?

　　Many girls have a very moisturized skin after applying a facial mask, and they think that moisturizing is the kingly way of relying on a facial mask.

As everyone knows, the mask only provides temporary hydration to the stratum corneum of the skin, and does not have much water-locking and moisturizing effects.

　　The cream or lotion contains some encapsulating agents, such as petrolatum, lanolin, squalene, mineral oil and other ingredients, which can form a film on the skin surface to block the evaporation of water and have a good moisturizing effect.

So after applying the mask, you can use some moisturizing cream or lotion to better lock in the moisture added by the mask.

　　The more frequently you use the mask

　　Is it really better?

　　Some people may ask, since the moisturizing time of the facial mask is not long, I should be more diligent. Will I keep my skin moisturized by applying the mask several times a day?

This idea seems reasonable, but in fact it is very not recommended, because too much hydration will exceed the capacity of the stratum corneum, which will "over-hydrate" the stratum corneum, which will damage the stratum corneum, destroy the barrier function of the skin, and make the skin more Sensitive and easy to dry.

Therefore, the more masks, the better. It is recommended that you apply masks on normal skin one to three times a week.

　　Various nutrients of "functional" mask

　　Can the skin really absorb it?

　　There are many types of facial masks on the market now, such as whitening, anti-acne, and anti-wrinkle, as if all skin problems can be solved by finding corresponding facial masks.

　　However, the outermost stratum corneum of our skin is not vegetarian.

The original role of the stratum corneum evolved from the skin is to resist all kinds of toxic and harmful substances from the outside into the body through the skin, playing a good protective role.

Therefore, it can also block most of the active ingredients in the mask from entering the skin.

　　In other words, the stronger the protective effect of your stratum corneum, the less the ingredients in the mask will get in. This is "you cannot have both fish and bear's paws."

For example, the collagen added in many facial masks is blocked from the skin, and some small molecules of whitening ingredients (vitamin C, tranexamic acid, etc.) can be absorbed very little.

Some illegal businesses have added lead-mercury, fluorescent agents, glucocorticoids and other illegal ingredients in the mask, which seems to make the skin white and tender, but in fact it has caused great damage to the skin, and severely can cause chronic poisoning. And systemic damage to the whole body.

　　So when we apply the mask, don't have too much hope for the functional ingredients, just hydrate it honestly.

　　"Medical Beauty" Mask

　　Must be better than ordinary mask?

　　In recent years, "Medical Face Mask" and "Medical Beauty Mask" have gradually entered everyone's attention and become the favorite of more and more girls.

What is the difference between this type of mask and ordinary mask?

　　"Machine Face Mask" was originally designed for medical cosmetology surgery. It can quickly replenish water, cool down and relieve discomfort to the damaged skin after medical art. It has simple and safe ingredients and low bacterial content.

Therefore, it is also very friendly to sensitive skin and can avoid allergies, irritation and other adverse reactions caused by the complex ingredients added in the ordinary mask.

　　However, the National Medical Products Administration has issued a "Cosmetics Popularization: Beware of the Consumption Trap of Facial Masks", which clearly prohibits the concept of "Machine Brand Mask". The so-called "Machine Brand Mask" is essentially a medical dressing, which belongs to the category of medical devices. Medical dressings The main function is to absorb wound exudate, support organs, prevent adhesion, or provide a suitable environment for wound healing. It has no magical effect on the skin as it is advertised.

If you are not sensitive to the skin, the hydrating effect of the ordinary mask is completely sufficient, and there is no need to pursue the so-called "machine-size mask".

　　By Lin Xuefei

　　(Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University)