Firming Masks

Youthful skin naturally glows, looks tight, elastic, and appears without visible pores. Majority of individuals address different skin conditions throughout their lifetime, but surprisingly, the least to none among them is to counter the loss of the skin’s elasticity or firmness, which results to sagging or flabby facial skin and a worn-out look. In fact, many people mistake the lack of the skin's resilience as wrinkled skin, although wrinkles are only one of the end results to it.

Firming Facial Masks help to stop such skin condition, especially when used starting at an early age, because their essences are specially-formulated with firming agents in concentration that can truly effect changes in the collagen-laden dermal layer of the skin,¹ where the loss of the skin’s elasticity starts.

As a specialized skin care product, Firming Masks intensively care for the skin by inducing the replenishment of substances in the skin cells that help to keep the skin tight, like Collagen, Hyaluronic acid, Coenzyme Q1, among many other benefits, to control the rapid loss of the skin’s elasticity and ultimately reduce the appearance of sagging skin and wrinkles.

TT Firm Skin Facial Mask - Super Flexibility as low as: $4.00 Missha Real Essential Collagen Sheet Facial Mask - Intensive Firming Care as low as: $3.00 Missha Pure Source Raspberry Sheet Facial Mask - Firming & Nourishing Price : $2.00

T.T. Firm Skin Facial Mask Super Flexibility. It contains Argireline^®, which releases tension in the facial muscles plus Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3 that additionally helps to smooth-out wrinkles and fine lines. This facial mask also helps to reduce dark spots, brighten the skin, and clear pores as it has also been infused with Tranexamic Acid, a de-pigmenting and whitening agent, and Salicylic Acid, which helps to break down blackheads, clear the pores, and prevent acne.

Missha Real Essential Collagen Sheet Facial Mask. An intensive firming facial mask, this product blends together the protein-rich silk amino acids and hyaluronic acid that help to strengthen the structure of the skin cells; Pottulaca oleracea plant Extract which helps to reduce muscle tension, and Argan Oil that helps to reduce wrinkles, increase the skin’s elasticity, and tightens the skin.

Missha Pure Source Raspberry Sheet Facial Mask. Raspberry can help tighten and firm the skin, relieve irritation, and is a strong antioxidant as it is a rich source of polypeptides that promote skin regeneration, the cancer-fighting and skin firming substance, called Ellagic acid, plus the strong antioxidants, Quercetin, Gallic Acid, and Vitamin C.^5,6

Facial masks that contain protein-rich substances, polypeptides, and antioxidants, like Vitamins A, C, and E, also help to firm and boost the vitality of the skin in both the epidermal and dermal layers.

The Skin’s Firmness or Elasticity: What does it refer to?

Simply stated, the skin's firmness or elasticity is the natural ability of the skin to spring back as when it is pinched. We can compare this characteristic of our skin to that of a medical glove. When new, these gloves feel tight but after several uses, this tightness slowly weakens, until the gloves become loose and wrinkled.

Several studies have been conducted that looked onto how, when, and why the skin loses its elasticity, and among the reasons found were:²

• The age-related loss of the skin’s elasticity precedes the formation of visible wrinkles by about 20 years;
• The loss of the skin’s elasticity is very rapid and starts very early in life, even at birth; and,
• While the loss of the skin’s elasticity appeared to be similar among men and women, it was found to be significantly faster on sun-exposed skin, indicating UV-induced skin damage, versus the non-sun-exposed skin sites.

Another study also found that, although the skin’s thickness varies with age and primarily governs the skin’s elasticity, the skin can maintain its thickness up to 70 years as opposed to its elasticity or recovery capacities, which decrease from an early age.¹

Why Does Our Skin Lose Its Elasticity?

The striking fact is that the loss of our skin's elasticity starts at a young age. This skin condition often leads to sagging skin and wrinkles and is a collective effect of: ²

One’s genetic makeup, because genes can influence every factor that contributes to one’s well-being, including skin aging.

The aging process, which cause the natural degradation of the collagen, hyaluronic acid, coenzyme Q10, and other substances in the skin cells that are responsible for giving the skin its elasticity. This results to the loss of volume in the skin so it hangs more loosely on the face.

Free radical damage, which is caused by the chain reaction of unpaired electrons, like oxygen molecule, in the skin cells and which is hastened by unprotected sun exposure, skin inflammations like acne, nutrition deficiency, among the others.

Gravity that acts on our skin and causes it to hang down; and

Aging facial bones. A new study led by Dr. Robert Shaw at the University of Rochester Medical Center suggested that wrinkles and sagging skin may be a result of aging facial bones – a condition which is encouraged by smoking, improper dental care, and genetics.³

Tips on How to Keep the Skin Firm.

Since some of the causes why our skin loses its firmness are beyond our control, like genetics and the natural process of aging, the best strategy is to focus on the things that we can control:⁴ eat sensibly, live a healthy lifestyle, and have a skin care regimen that addresses the various needs of our skin, including firming.

Incorporating firming facial masks into our regular skin care routine has always been a wise choice because these products are instrumental in flooding the skin with the specific nutrients that it needs to help boost the production of collagen, hyaluronic acid, or coenzyme Q10 that strengthen the skin cells, guard the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, and nourish it to keep it healthy.

Have you ever tried to ponder how your skin is going to be like 5, 10, to 20 years hence? Check out our selection of Firming Masks and act now while you can still keep your skin firm naturally, before you spend a moment in the future coveting about your younger days when your skin felt and looked so tight, young and perfect.

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References:
¹Christine A. Petti, MD – Long Beach Plastic Surgeon. Multimodality approach is best for skin tightening - Titan, skin resurfacing, fillers. http://preview.tinyurl.com/3vruzpc Accessed: April 12, 2011.
²Miranda A. Farage. The Textbook of Aging Skin. http://preview.tinyurl.com/3jkkm8m Accessed: April 12, 2011.
³Study Reveals Osteoporosis may Cause Wrinkles and Sagging Facial Skin. Updated: January 14, 2011. http://www.endocrineweb.com/news/osteoporosis/3840-study-reveals-osteoporosis-may-cause-wrinkles-sagging-facial-skin Accessed: April 13, 2011.
⁴Your Genes: Were you born to be fat? Glamour Magazine. May 1997. Page 253. ⁵Mouth Watering Raspberries. Today’s Women & Health.com http://www.todays-women-and-health.com/raspberries.html Accessed: April 13, 2011.
⁶Ruth Marshall. Uses for Raspberry Leaves in Cosmetics and Skin Care. Updated: August 23, 2010. ttp://preview.tinyurl.com/3hvotbv. Accessed: April 13, 2011.