Choosing a mask There are so many good masks available today that their use has become the simplest of home treatments. The most difficult part of the whole exercise is finding the right mask to suit your skin type.

For oily or blemished skins thick pastes are best. These usually harden on application and need to be rinsed off with water afterwards. They have a clay or silica base which absorbs oil as it dries. Other common ingredients are astringents such as lemon or alcohol, to strip away even more sebum (skin oil), and a small amount of sulphur to soften the dead keratin layer of surface skin and help remove it. These are the strongest 'drawing' masks and should never be used on dry skin, as they can dry the skin out more. They should be smoothed on with your fingertips evenly and lightly, left to dry and harden, and then gently rinsed off with splashes of warm water. For very oily skin they may be used once a week, but in general twice a month is sufficient for most oily complexions. If applied too frequently they can have an adverse effect by stimulating oil glands to produce even more sebum.

Combination skins should be treated with a brush-on/peel-offmask. These are gel-like liquids applied with a brush or the fingertips, and they dry to a rubbery second skin which can be peeled off in one sheet. Great fun to use, the sticky resinous base is very good at lifting off dirt as it peels off. Sometimes they also include a mild astringent to remove oil, but not enough to irritate the dry areas of combination skins. They may be used once a week - especially on the oily centre panel - and less frequently on drier areas. In general, they can be applied all over the face every 10 days or so.

Normal skins are best treated with soft cream masks, which feel really luxurious to use. These harden slightly on application but do not dry completely, and they should be wiped off with tissue and then rinsed away. They contain silicas or waxy bases with fatty moisturizing ingredients, which clean without the drawing effect, lubricating the skin at the same time. They include ingredients such as vegetable oils, eggs, honey and wheat germ, and they can be used twice a week on very dry skin or once a week on normal skin, as they are both gentle and soothing.

Problem skins need medicated or grainy masks, but they shouldn't be applied over the entire face.

* Medicated masks contain an antibacterial substance to stop blemishes becoming infected. But unfortunately they can also wipe out the useful bacterial colonies that thrive on healthy skin, so they should only be applied to infected areas and in moderation. It is often more beneficial to stick with a thick paste mask for oily skin, especially if a medicated one causes any irritation.

* Grainy masks contain fine particles of plastic or resin. The mask is massaged gently on to the face in small circular movements and the friction from the hard grains rubs off dead surface skin. Grainy masks don't dry out and must be rinsed off afterwards. They are useful for removing any dry, scaly patches of skin, but shouldn't be used on oily areas as they stimulate sebum production. Because they are abrasive, they are often no good on dry skin. If your skin is sensitive, use only occasionally and in moderation.

Alternating your masks You may find that you need more than one kind of mask. If you have combination skin, you can apply a soft cream mask on dry areas and either a peel-off or a thick paste mask on the oily central panel. Dry skin can benefit from a mild peel-off mask once a month to remove dead surface skin. And oily skin can benefit from a monthly cream mask.

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