Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, face masks might have been known first and foremost as beauty products in many parts of the world. Facial mask application and innovation went mainstream on the coattails of K-Pop as consumers sought to achieve the pure, supple complexion of Korean heartthrob music stars.
While the pandemic made face masks more synonymous with face coverings, it also furthered the facial mask trend in cosmetics. Stress, anxiety, and an emphasis on self-care are fueling the demand for new forms of facial care, including:
Food Inspired
From pudding, avocado and chocolate to jam, facial mask formulation opens up opportunities for sensory creativity in texture and application. As convenient wash-off and peel-off formats depart from traditional sheet masks, Sensient’s water thickener Covacryl® range helps brands mimic many different food textures. From long play time for honey like texture, rich effect for a creamy texture to stringy or quick break effect for an aloe vera like texture. Take a look at some food inspired masks our application scientists came up with!
Avocado Face Mask – SCT6326 SCF
Creamy Avocado! Sericite 0022 helps to achieve a softer, more creamy texture and a better application on the skin. As a technology product, Covalumine® range offer bright and natural shade, especially with AS surface treatment make the pigments easier to disperse in oil phase. Covacryl® MV60 gives a velvet touch.
Pudding Mask – SCT6327 SCF
The bouncing pudding yogurt texture, sometimes also called ringing texture, is obtained by combining Covacryl® MV60 to our formula. Covacryl® MV60 is a special polymer that provides silicone elastomer like effect with velvet touch in water based formulations. Skin feels fresh and non tacky after application.
Blueberry Jam Mask – SCT6328 SCF
Covacryl® SP forms high viscosity transparent aqueous gel and a conditioning texture when used at 0.3% in concentration. The blueberry jam color is matched with Unicert® dyes which are global compliant. Natpure® Xtra Eternity improves the moisture barrier function of skin, to help keep skin hydrated.
You’ve got chocolate on your face – SCT6329 SCF
Feed your face with cacao goodness! Easy to spread when applying and it’s so creamy you can’t help but want to eat it. Natpure® Xtra Eternity comes from cocoa, and with a high concentration of theobromine and caffeine, which could fight against skin aging. Covarine dispersion would obtain this chocolate shade. Sensibead® Si 175 to improve the spreadability and Hydrofacteur HC, which act as a natural substitute to NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factors).
Clay & Mud
Clay and mud formats continue to be popular amongst consumers, so how can we innovate to provide new experiences for them? By infusing popular ingredients such as charcoal, natural actives such as our Natpure® Xtra range and waterless formats.
Charcoal Clay Pack – SCT6317 SCW
Waterless formulas are on the rise as a response to water shortages, many brands are removing water from their formulas to be more environmentally conscious. Vegetable Charcoal P94 and Oxyde de Zinc Micropur can give purifying properties and Sensibead® SI175 is a porous silica powder which can absorb oil and sebum from skin.
Charcoal Mud Mask – SCT6312 SCW
This gentle purifying mask deeply detoxes while nourishing the skin, leaving it feeling comfortably clean, clear and hydrated. Formulated with Covarine Charcoal P-WN 9794, responsible for the deep shiny black appearance that makes this mask stand out, it deeply cleans the skin from impurities and pore-cloggers. Natpure® Xtra Vitality strengthens the skin barrier by increasing the skin resilience and cell cohesion while protecting the skin from external pollution.
Green Tea Mud Mask – SCT6331 SCF
This green tea mud mask deeply detoxes while nourishing the skin, leaving it feeling is smooth and soft. The earthy green shade is obtained with a combination of Unipure LC788 and Covarine Charcoal P-WN 9794. Natpure® Xtra Longevity stimulates skin’s defense against oxidative stress to maintain youthful-looking skin due to the presence of relatively high concentrations of active molecules such as caffeine, EGCG, catechins, and polyphenols strengthens the skin barrier by increasing the skin resilience and cell cohesion while protecting the skin from external pollution. Fucosorb WP provides an extra soothing effect.
Unique Textures with Natural Ingredients
The name of the game today is clean beauty, and that applies to facial masks as well. Not only is the facial mask market size growing; it is also moving toward natural ingredients.
How do you “beautify” a product that is sold through the eyes but experienced by touch? Color is every bit as important as texture, especially in playful formulations centering on foods or fragrances. For transparent formulas, we recommend our Natpure® Col natural dyes from vegetable sources. They come in an extensive range of water and oil soluble colors, with improved color stability when you add our Covabsorb® UV filter to a formula.
Whether for coloring, health benefits or both, plants provide powerful facial mask capabilities. Our Natpure® line focuses on plant extraction. Natpure® Xfine is a range of pure vegetable extracts with active and coloring power, including beetroot, sweet potato, radish, carrot, spirulina, and turmeric.
Similarly, but separately, Natpure® Xtra botanical actives are obtained from our solvent-free, water-based PhytoClean™ process for a pure, gentle, repeatable extraction of a targeted biomass through pressurized, temperature-controlled water. Natpure® Xtra is available in cocoa (Natpure® Xtra Eternity), rosemary (Natpure® Xtra Vitality), guayusa leaf (Natpure® Xtra Integrity), and green tea (Natpure® Xtra Longevity) extracts, all proven to be potent active ingredients. Cocoa strengthens natural defenses to fight against skin aging, while rosemary strengthens the skin barrier by increasing the building blocks that support skin resilience and cell cohesion. Guayusa supports skin barrier integrity with restoration of proteins essential for barrier reinforcement and anti-inflammation. Green tea supports skin barrier with restoration of proteins essential for hydration and UV protection.
Here are some formulations that focus on using our natural ingredients.
Mix it! Superfood Clay Mask – SCT6334 SCF
Like the Charcoal Clay Pack above, this is a waterless solid formulation. Amidon de Mais and Sensibead® SI175 are powders to help with oil absorption. Our Natpure® Xfine range contains natural extracts from superfood providing different color and care benefits.
Expresso Magic Natural Peeling Mask – SCT1536/4 SCF
Let’s try a hat trick with a cleansing mask. This yellow powder will turn into a green gel once you add some water to it, providing the user a fun masking experience. Covagel gives instant thickening properties. Oxide de Zinc Micropur purifies your skin, Unipure Yellow LC182 gives the yellow color to the powder. Natpure® Col Green LC717 gives the green color to mask after the incorporation of water.
Natural Oil-Gel Face Mask – SCT6254 SCW
This formulation provides a natural, gentle yet hydrating leave on mask experience. Natpure® Sol SL is a natural solubilizer used in this oil-gel mask. This formulation is enriched with oils and glycerin, in turn hydrating and renewing the skin. Natpure® Feel M Eco is a natural blend of esters providing excellent spreading during application. Natpure® Col Orange LC 214L is a natural oil soluble food dye from Annatto that provides the vivid color of this mask.
Sherbet Mask Scrub – SCT6335 SCF
This mask scrub formulation provides excellent exfoliation and conditioning for lip and face. Natpure® Sol SL is a COSMOS compliant emulsifier to help create high internal phase oil in polyol gel. The oil to gel transformation when in contact with is achieve with the help of Covagel, an instant thickener derived from potato starch. The product is colored naturally with Natpure® Xfine BC314.
Sensient specializes in natural ingredients for functional formulations and product innovation. Contact us to see our full facial mask portfolio.
