These Masks Will Make Your Dry, Dull Winter Skin Come Alive Again

The fun parts of winter — Turkey dinner! Champagne toasts! Gift giving! — are long gone. And now? We’re left with sobering resolutions, compromised bank accounts, and dry, flaky skin. But the good news is this: Reviving parched skin is nowhere near as difficult as rebuilding a bank account.

If your skin still feels tight and dry after feeding it a daily dose of moisturizer, then a hydrating mask may provide the added boost it needs. “Face masks [can be] the most concentrated, results-driven products,” says Julie Russak, MD, a New York-based dermatologist and professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital. “They add an extra dimension to your skin-care routine.”

Kelly Bickle, MD, a Beverly Hills and Orange, County, California-based dermatologist, also notes that face masks with built in-barriers (like the cellulose in sheet masks, solidified gel in modeling masks, and occlusives in overnight masks or gel or cream formulations) can help drive active ingredients into the skin. Whether with moisturizers, antioxidants, or other active ingredients, Dr. Bickle notes, “it’s about trying to get active ingredients into skin and trap them in."

Depending on your skin type, that may mean choosing an overnight mask made with intense hydrators and anti-aging ingredients (a solid choice for some with very dry skin); opting for a nourishing mask that also sweeps away dead skin cells so the ingredients in moisturizers and other skin-care products more easily absorb (something that may help ultimately boost hydration for some with dull skin); or going for a formula that taps hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5, which can, re-establish skin’s water balance, Dr. Russak notes.

Whether they help bring out efficacy in your moisturizer or just give your skin the boost of hydration it needs to stop flaking, the following masks act like a big drink of water for your complexion — no matter what your skin type.