Today, beauty salons offer their clients a huge variety of procedures to rejuvenate the skin of the face and body. Some of them have a positive effect, others are not as effective as customer reviews indicate. Alginate face masks belong to the first group, as they allow you to achieve a stunning effect in just a few sessions.
What are alginates?
This is a special extract from sea brown algae. The most commonly used laminaria. Alginates are an acid that is found in algae in the form of insoluble and soluble s alts (sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium). The ability of alginates to create sufficiently viscous aqueous solutions, and sometimes even pastes or gels, has made them an excellent cosmetic product. An interesting fact is that alginates are not found in land plants. As a rule, manufacturers create cosmetic face masks onbased on alginate acid, which is in the form of a gel or dry powder.
History of the alginate mask
Alginates as a cosmetic product were recently discovered. Chemist Stanford tried to isolate iodine from brown algae in 1981. During his research, alginates became the so-called "side effect" of the experiment. A few years later, another scientist, Krefting, worked on the study of alginate acid, who also, independently of Stanford, found alginates in algae and described their features. Today this product is produced in several countries of the world, in particular, in Norway, the USA, Great Britain, France, Japan, India and China. On the territory of Russia, this production is also established, but to a much lesser extent. Alginates are extracted on the territory of the Arkhangelsk region at a plant that processes algae from the Barents and White Seas. In addition to cosmetology, alginate acid is also effectively used in the food industry and pharmacology, as indicated by numerous reviews. Alginate face masks have become a very popular procedure in beauty salons today.
How does the alginate mask act on the skin of the face?
If we talk about the beneficial properties of alginates, then it is necessary to highlight the following:
- Facial rejuvenation treatments with alginate mask can cool and refresh the skin.
- Thanks to this acid, the face becomes fresh,its color is greatly improved.
- Thanks to its anti-inflammatory action, it helps to heal small cracks and wounds faster, and also promotes rapid regeneration of skin cells.
- Alginate mask is used, as a rule, by women who want to look younger than their years, as it helps to achieve an excellent lifting effect.
- Thanks to alginates, skin elasticity increases. They also effectively fight the first signs of aging.
- Blood circulation in the skin cells improves, allowing for more oxygen.
- Alginate-based facial rejuvenation treatments allow you to turn on the natural protective function of the skin.
- Due to their special properties, even chronic pimples, blemishes and blackheads begin to dissolve.
- If you use alginate masks together with other serums and products, then the effectiveness of the latter will increase several times.
- The fact that alginates instantly penetrate into the deep layers of the epidermis makes these masks very effective.
- Alginate acid helps shrink pores.
Types of alginate face masks
- Basic face and body masks made from alginate acid. They do not add any additional substances, as they are used to fight skin inflammation. They are usually used before the main product is applied (to improve its effectiveness).
- Masks based on alginates and collagen. Thanks towith it, the body begins to produce natural collagen on its own, which allows you to rejuvenate the skin, tighten it and make it more elastic.
- Masks with alginate acid and chitosan. They help moisturize the skin, tighten it, allow you to enhance cell regeneration, saturate them with oxygen. Based on customer reviews, chitosan alginate face masks are great for dry skin.
- Alginate mask with vitamins E and C. Its main purpose is to nourish the skin and make it smoother. A mask with vitamin E and alginate allows you to get rid of age spots, acne and age imperfections.
- Masks with alginate acid and herbal decoctions. Thanks to herbal ingredients, this remedy helps to nourish, moisturize the skin and fight various rashes. It deeply cleanses the face and removes toxins.
How is the alginate mask applied?
Before applying this mask on the face, it is necessary to carefully prepare it for the procedure. Remove make-up and cleanse your skin. To prevent the mask from affecting the area around the eyebrows, apply any oily cream on them. To enhance the effect, some girls put some additional funds under the mask (serum, a mixture of essential oils, emulsion). Here you need to pay attention to what problem you are going to deal with. Wait for the product to be absorbed into the skin of the face, and only then apply the mask directly. Before this, dilute the powder with water in a ratio of one to one. Sometimesthe powder is diluted in special solvents. Then the ratio should be three to one. The mask should be pasty. Apply it on your face with a spatula. Hardening takes about 5-7 minutes, and it is plasticized for another 10-15 minutes. It decreases in volume, slightly tightening the skin, but without discomfort, as the reviews indicate. Alginate face masks are removed after half an hour in one motion from the bottom up.
How does the procedure end?
For the procedure to be effective, after removing the mask, wipe your face with a tonic that suits your skin type. Then an additional cream, gel or serum is applied. This is done in order to protect the skin, especially during the cold season. After such a procedure, the skin is soft and smooth, but once is not enough to get the maximum effect. It is necessary to carry out a course of 5-10 procedures.
Homemade alginate mask (reviews and creation)
Usually an alginate mask at home is quite simple to create, as it is sold in powder form and all you need to do is dilute it with water or a special solution, following the instructions. Solvents are more effective and are sold together with alginic acid. The fact is that they contain sea s alt and oligoelements that help enhance the effect of the mask. Oligoelements are also present in the human body, but in very small quantities. It is their deficiency that often leads to skin inflammation and other diseases. Of all oligoelements 15are vital to humans. These are iodine, zinc, iron, chromium and others. Remember that the mask-film with alginates is applied in a thick enough layer so that it can be easily removed later. Reviews about such a tool can be found on various thematic resources, and all of them are positive. They indicate that an alginate mask at home helps to cope even with very severe skin problems, such as rosacea. If you want to get the maximum effect from alginate acid, then you need to use it together with blue clay (Cambrian). Reviews of such a tool prove that it helps to deeply nourish, cleanse and protect the skin of the face from inflammation, enhance the effect of regeneration, disinfect and whiten, and also protect against wrinkles and age-related changes.
Rules for using a mask at home
The alginate mask, the recipe of which was described above, is a professional tool, but it can also be used at home if you know all the rules exactly and follow them adamantly. Apply it as indicated in the instructions, it is advisable not to apply it yourself, as it is quite difficult. It is best to put not a towel under your head, but a film. To prevent hair from getting a negative impact, it is better to put it under a shower cap. It is better to apply the mask immediately after dilution, as it will dry very quickly.
How much is the procedure for applying an alginate mask insalon?
If you do not know how to properly apply an alginal mask at home, but want to feel its result for yourself, you can turn to professionals for help. But be prepared for the fact that this procedure is not cheap. A face mask made of alginic acids costs about 1,000 rubles, and for a body - 1,500 rubles.
