What is Multi-Masking and How Do I Do It?

by Emily Linehan on May 12, 2020

If you are reading this, chances are you are pretty skin savvy and are probably already using a facial mask as a part of your skin care regimen. Being as different facial masks offer different benefits and results, it is sometimes hard to choose just one! The great news is that with multi-masking, you can have it all! Multi-Masking can be performed in various ways, in which I’ll detail below.

Emme’s Multi-Masking Method:

Almost all skin types can benefit from a deep pore cleanse. My #emmebabe preferred method of multi-mask starts with my Sulfur Refining Mask containing bentonite clay which is amazing at drawing out impurities from the skin, such as natural oils, sweat, makeup and environmental pollution. Like its namesake, the Sulfur Refining Mask also contains sulfur which acts as a keratinolytic causing a mild shedding of the top layers of skin to reveal fresh, healthy and bright skin. Everyone can benefit from starting with a deep pore cleansing mask!

After deep cleansing the skin, you now have a fresh canvas to work with! Depending on what the skin needs that day, you can target those concerns directly. For example, if your skin needs brightening or extra exfoliation, I suggest my Pumpkin Enzyme Mask which contains naturally occurring enzymes from pumpkin puree to gently exfoliate the skin. How do enzymes work, you might ask? I personally like to imagine them as little “Pac-Man” that chomp away at the top layer of dead skin cells. This gentle exfoliation, along with the brightening properties of the pumpkin puree, result in visibly brighter and more luminous, glowing skin. This mask is a definite MUST for date night!

If the skin is needing some TLC and hydration, the Cucumber Cooling Mask will instantly replenish the skin. Formulated with cucumber, aloe vera, and hyaluronic acid, this mask soothes the skin and restores water moisture resulting in supple, hydrated and calm skin.

Pro Tip: Store this mask in the refrigerator for an added cooling effect.

Now that you understand all the amazing benefits of multi-masking, I’ll lay out, in 4 easy steps, how to make this mask magic happen!

Step 1:

Cleanse the skin; be sure to perform a double cleanse if you are wearing makeup (use ice if I have recommended it for your skin).

Step 2:

Apply a large grape size amount of the Sulfur Refining Mask to the skin and let it sit for 3 minutes ONLY!

Step 3:

Rinse and follow with a large grape size amount (4 pumps) of either Pumpkin Enzyme Mask to brighten or Cucumber Cooling Mask to hydrate and let it sit on the skin for 15-20 minutes.

Step 4:

Rinse again and follow with your toner and the rest of your skin care regimen.

Now, if you want ALL the benefits I explained above, you could opt for using all 3 masks, in this order:

Sulfur Refining Mask to deep pore cleanse
Pumpkin Enzyme Mask to exfoliate and brighten
Cucumber Cooling Mask to re-hydrate and replenish

Are there alternative ways to multi-mask?

The most commonly known, traditional way to multi-mask is to apply various masks to different parts of the face at the same time. With this method, you are able to target different areas of the face based on the skin concern in that area. For example, if your t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) tend to be oilier but your cheeks are always dry and flaky, you could apply a clay-based mask to the t-zone and the Cucumber Cooling Mask to the cheeks…sounds genius, right?

NOT! Well it is, except for one key issue…how long each mask should be left on the skin can dramatically differ, and if not removed at the correct time, it can lead to skin problems you did not sign up for! Here’s why: a clay-based mask should not be left on the skin longer than about 3 minutes as you do not want it to dry and tighten on the skin. Once a clay-based mask dries, it begins to pull water moisture from the skin which causes dehydration! Aside from flakiness, this dehydration can lead to skin irritation and also indicates to the pores to produce more oil to compensate (which can lead to breakouts or excessively oily, unbalanced skin).

As you can see, all of this information makes my case as to why I prefer my preferred #emmebabe method of multi-masking!