Beauty Tips
Introduction on A.H.C’s Vital Medica line of Masks
Let’s talk about the masks from A.H.C’s Vital Medica line today. There are 3 types of masks: Hydra Soother Mask, Phyto Complex Mask, and Vital C Complex Mask. Each of the 3 masks has different focus:
- Hydra Soother Mask hydrates and repairs skin. – The mask contains 50% of hyaluronic acid for hydration. Genseng Root Extract, ginkgo biloba leaf extract, and collagen work to repair and nourish skin.
- Phyto Complex Mask lifts/shapes and nourishes skin. – This mask contains 50% of soluble collagen for lifting. In addition, soy collagen is extracted from soy beans through a fermentation process so it can be easily absorbed into skin to improve the elasticity of the skin. Adenosin and wheat amino acid are also used to strengthen and repair skin.
- Vital C Complex Mask brightens/whitens and protects skin. – The mask contains 50% of lemon extract to give a whiter/brighter complexion. The whitening ingredients (including also Niacinamide and other vitamin C derivatives) can also protect skin from harmful environmental factors.
The common features between the masks are:
- They all contain hyaluronic acid which is the best ingredient providing lasting hydration.
- They all contain ingredients (e.g. collagen) to repairs and revitalise skin.
- They all use a skin-friendly fiber sheet called Tencel. Tencel is natural fiber that’s made with wood pulps. It’s as soft as cotton but more flexible. Used as fiber sheet for masks, Tencel can easily adhere to skin, so it offers great comfort and allows the masks to deliver effective result.
How to tell if a mask is good?
Given its effectiveness, face masks have become a necessity in every girl's cosmetic pouch. There are so many face masks out there in the market (e.g. masks from different brands, masks that serve various purposes, etc.), and their prices vary greatly too. How can we tell if we are using good quality masks? The price of a mask suggests its value, but it surely shouldn't be the only criterion we consider when we compare between masks....
A few days ago, I got a question, "how long does the effect of your masks last?". "This is a hard question", I thought to myself. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it might not be a very legitimate question. Because unless it's a simple hydration mask which you can measure the hydration level of your skin after using the mask, most other types of masks also offer other benefits which can only be observed over a period of persistent use. My mom rarely eats meat. So, egg is the only source of protein in her diet. When I do my grocery shopping, I usually buy an extra dozen of organic eggs for her. I encourage her to eat only Grade A eggs. Would anyone ask me why? (I suppose no one buys organic eggs because those eggs make him stay full longer! 
) The answer is obvious. Our body needs good stuffs, and so does our skin!
So here, I've gather some small tips to help you decide if a face mask is of good quality:
- Fiber sheet - The quality of the fiber sheet a mask uses matters! It's better if it's made of natural materials, and it will feel soft and silky on your skin. Good quality fiber sheet should be flexible so it's easy for you to smooth it on your face, and yet it should also be thick/strong enough so the serum will stay in place when you use the mask. The quality of the fiber sheet is crucial in determining the effectiveness of its mask.
- Serum - The thickness of the serum in a mask tells us the percentage of the hyaluronic acid it contains. Hyaluronic acid is well known for its effectiveness on attracting and attaining hydration in the skin. However, it's a costly ingredient, so that explains why some lower priced masks feels watery/liquid.
- Other factors - The fragrance of a mask should be fresh and light if the ingredients are from natural plants. Stay away from the masks with strong or unreal scents. It's also generally recommended to use masks from reputable brand and companies.
Before using mask....
Before applying mask, make sure your skin is clean and moist. Moist skin will allow the serum and ingredients to be absorbed to a maximum level. So after cleaning your face, it's better that toner is applied before using mask. Also, don't forget to exfoliate your skin every week, this way your skin can absorb nutrients better and the mask will then work more effectively on your skin.
After taking off the mask, what then?
After taking off the mask, pat and massage your face. When you do this, the blood circulation of your face will be enhanced and it will helps the serum to be furthered absorbed. After massaging for about 15 mins, if there is still excessive serum, it means your skin has reached its saturation state and it simply cannot absorb further. So we can just gently wipe away the excessive serum.
Because serum is usually water based, it can be easily lost and evaporated. The serum from a mask will be "locked" into the skin if you apply face cream/lotion afterward (since face cream/lotion is usually oil based). Therefore, it's a recommended step after using mask.
Can we use mask every day?
Some masks such as the ones whose main feature is to improve skin's hydration level can be used frequently, but some other type of masks like peeling masks or deep cleansing masks shouldn't be used every day. However, it's not recommended that masks are used so often anyways. Mask is a skin care product that contain lots of serum of concentrated formula. If it's used every day and your skin can't absorb so much nutrition in such a short time period, it's a waste. But in the case when there will be an important occasion, say an important date in 1 week, or a wedding in 2 weeks, using masks in an intensive way before then will give your skin a pleasant boost!
Why is using masks effective?
The principle behind using mask is the same as a type of skin-care treatment called "Occlusive Dressing Treatment". It adopts the method that completely seals off the skin from the external environment....
- On the one hand, the surface temperature of the skin will rise, so the circulation and the absorption of the treated area will improve and speed up. This way, the skin pores will then open up and enable deep cleansing or more absorption of the nutritious ingredients.
- On the other hand, it will slow down water evaporation process from the skin, and therefore improve the water retention level in the outermost skin layer and quickly improve the condition of the skin.
As long as you choose a good quality face mask that suit your current skin needs, you can get the same result (or even better result) as if you’ve just got a facial treatment from your favorite spa! 
Excessive serum after using mask?
Most people don't like the sticky feeling the skin feels after using mask, so they rinse it off their faces afterward. However, unless the mask is the deep cleansing mask, most masks don't need to be rinsed off. The correct steps are:
- After removing the mask, gently pat and massage the serum into skin so the serum can be further absorbed.
- Wipe off the remaining serum from the skin using clean tissue paper if there is still excessive serum.
- Apply face cream and eye cream afterward.
Is it best to use mask while taking bath/shower?
No, the best timing to using mask is AFTER shower. Right after a hot shower, the steam during the shower has helped open skin pores, so the skin will be able to absorb more serum from the mask afterward.
When is the best time to use mask?
For most of us, nighttime is the most relaxing time in a day. Good mood will help our skin absorb more nutrition from the masks. The time slot from 12 am to 3 am is the best time during which our skin repairs itself, so using mask before bedtime will enhance the process and help send the ingredients of masks further into the skin.
However, masks can also serve as "emergency rescuer" for your skin. When the skin is in a desperate condition/need, e.g. after staying up all night, before going to a party, before an important meeting, or after going through some extreme weather condition such as windy weather, dry weather, or prolong sun exposure, masks can be used to relieve the symptoms anytime and help skin recover in a short time.