The Anti Bridezilla’s Easy DIY Ultra Hydration Mask/Sleep Pack
Skincare is something that I take very seriously as I am literally obsessed with the health of my skin. If you’ve spent a fair bit of time on The Anti Bridezilla, you know that moisturizers, serums and skin oils are some of my favorite products. And if you’ve been hanging around the last few months, you know I’ve had some struggles with my skin lately especially with dryness and discoloration and I wasn’t sure if it was due to the yoyo-ing weather or my pregnancy hormones. Anywho, this past week I got extremely fed up with the dry flaky winter skin and decided to go the extra mile with hydration.
Now, it’s no secret that I’m also a big fan of Asian skincare, particularly from Korea and Japan. So, I took a page from their book and decided to create a mask/sleep pack. If you’re not familiar a sleep pack is essentially an intensive mask that’s infused with ingredients to jump start whatever skincare problem you’re looking to correct. Although you can buy pre-made sleep packs or masks from your preferred skincare brand, you can also make these on your own. Bonus: it’s really easy to do and more than likely you won’t have to go running out to buy expensive ingredients to do so.
For the purpose of this DIY recipe, I decided to focus on hydration. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve been battling it out with my skin for the past few months. I originally seriously thought I was dealing with chloeasma (which is also known as pregnancy mask and refers to hyper-pigmentation caused from hormones). But it turns out I just had dry patches, which with my skin tone show up as dark uneven spots on my face until they’re exfoliated away. So, I’m working hard to exfoliate, but in the mean time I’m tired of flaky skin, especially around my mouth and in my T-zone. And even products like my CeraVe moisturizing cream weren’t cutting it in terms of keeping flakes from popping up especially overnight. So...I decided to make a hydrating mask/sleep pack.
You don’t need any fancy tools to make this and if it takes you more than 2 minutes to put this together - you’re doing it wrong! Below are the products I used to do this as well as the ratios I used. Of course, you can use any hydrating oils or creams as the additives but if you’re making masks to fight issues such as discoloration, exfoliation/etc, you might want to do your research before you start randomly mixing products as some ingredients can be contraindicated (negate or interact badly with each other). Also keep in mind, I have dry skin so if this particular ratio feels too heavy for you, play with it to make it work.
1. Start with a moisture base like Nature Republic’s Soothing & Moisture 92% Aloe Vera Gel
The goal of any moisture pack is to (gasp) infuse moisture into your skin. So your base that’s going to mix with your additives needs to have an ultra hydrating property. Aloe is amazing for its moisturizing properties and can be used all over the body. For best results, find an aloe gel that’s as pure as possible with little to no unnecessary additives (i.e. dyes, etc). I prefer Nature Republic’s because it’s clear and even after it dries to the touch, it doesn’t leave your skin feeling parched like a lot of drugstore aloe gel brands can do. I used about a quarter + a dime sized amount of aloe vera gel.
2. Add a hydrating topical oil like Pixi Beauty’s Rose Oil Blend
I’m partial to anything made with roses. But I also really love Pixi’s Rose Oil Blend because it’s hydrating and has staying power. It’s been in my arsenal since I started using it last year after Pixi Beauty began sending it to me (because yes, I’m a brand ambassador for them!). I added 3 drops of the Rose Blend Oil. Now if you have marginal dryness, you can probably just mix the oil and aloe and call it a day. But for intense hydration, continue...
3. Add a moisturizing cream like Pixi Beauty’s Rose Flash Balm
I love this Rose Flash Balm one because of the scent, but also because it’s a more substantial moisturizer versus a regular facial cream without feeling heavy. I added a pea sized amount of the balm and then mixed all three ingredients. If you use the ratio of aloe vera that I did, you’ll find you have enough product for your face, neck & chest. If you feel that’s unnecessary, adjust the amount of aloe.
What I Love:
This is so easy to make, you can mix and apply in under five minutes
Although it might seem like a lot of product, it doesn’t feel heavy nor do you have any residue left when it dries.
This mask emulsifies and applies clear
As a sleep pack, this recipe absorbs fairly quickly so you don’t have to worry about ruining your pillowcases.
In the AM, your skin feels dewy soft and the hydration lasts all day with no flakes.
I’ve been waking up flake free all this week. So, when paired with my exfoliating routine I’ve just started, my skin is going back to looking bright and plump again instead of dull and dry!
