Face Scrub vs. Peel Off Mask

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There’s nothing subtle about that oh-so-pesky acne on your face, but the vocabulary of skincare can feel overwhelmingly complicated. With shelf loads of different products claiming different benefits, it can be hard to determine what will work for you, what might not do a thing or even whether a certain combination of products might turn your face into an unfortunate science experiment. 

Navigating the pros and cons of different skincare approaches can absolutely overwhelm. It can leave you feeling no better off than where you started. Or the frustration could mount to such a degree that you come off feeling worse, waving that white flag when confronted with what feels like impossible to understand differences between skincare regimens. 

Well, it would be our pleasure to help you on your way. Here’s a breakdown of two of the most common remedies for breakouts: face scrubs and peel-off masks.

What’s the difference? Well, let’s have a look so you aren’t roiled with indecision and a grimy hand rubbing your oily chin the next time you’re trying to figure out what to do. 

Both are designed to help with exfoliation, the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of the epidermis where they clog pores and trap oils. But they take radically different approaches. Imagine a stack of dirty dishes in your sink (no judgment at all if there is in fact a mess of dishes waiting in there for a hero to come along). When you’re finally ready to tackle those dishes, you can go after them with fury, scrubbing them clean with a brush or a sponge, or you can go with a more gradual method, giving them a little film of dish soap and water so that the grime loosens and dissolves while they soak. 

It’s the difference between a mechanical approach or a more chemical reaction. 

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In a scrub like this bamboo facial exfoliant, friction from tiny particles of organic matter (walnut shells and bamboo stems) dislodges the gunk and grime caked onto your skin. For best results, wash your face before you apply the scrub. 

This peel-off face mask for blackheads gets spread across the skin, where it spends about 10 to 15 minutes gently dissolving unwanted debris that can then be lifted away with the gel. Again, you’ll want to wash your face before applying the mask. Dry your skin beforehand, too. 

The approach you take will probably be decided by your personal preference or skin sensitivity. Are you trying to quickly rid your face of the gunk that’s accumulated over the last couple of days, or are you setting aside a bit of time at the end of the week to dislodge some of the more stubborn residue? Are you prone to scrub a bit too vigorously, or are you bothered by the duration of the gel? 

You shouldn’t overdo either. After all, we’re talking about your face here, not a dinner plate. You only need the scrub two to three times a week and the peel just once a week. And make sure you keep that fresh face clean with daily washing and moisturizing. You can help protect it with this gel moisturizer for oily skin.

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Hopefully, this breakdown leaves you feeling more confident moving forward as you’re faced with decisions about how to best protect that moneymaker. The result will be clearer, healthier skin and a vast reduction in skincare science experiments.