Gold, Show off? or useful?
Yup, you read that right. Gold in your face mask. As difficult as that fact might be to digest, gold is also used in DIY masks now although this is a practice that’s only recently begun picking up speed. People supposedly believe that gold possesses anti-aging and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Gold’s used as a medicine in some cultures due to its supposed benefits which include helping with arthritis, asthma, and diabetes.
What gold is usually used with
While the usefulness of gold on your skin is still up for debate, gold face masks are usually mixed with other ingredients to provide benefits to your skin.
Some ingredients that we might see frequently to make the facemask effective include:
- Peptides
These amino acids help build the type of proteins that are present in your skin. In addition, research has shown that these amino acids might help our skin fix any damage, irregularities, or help its barrier function.
- Antioxidants
Antioxidants help your skin look young and have anti-inflammatory properties.
- AHA (Alpha-hydroxy acid) and Glycerin
AHAs help you grow fresh skin cells and act as a barrier to your skin. They also help reduce any dark spots, irregularities, and acne. Some AHAs commonly used are lactic and glycolic acid. Glycerin also assists with your skin acting as a barrier.
- Hyaluronic acid
Your body naturally makes hyaluronic acid, which has been shown to help hydrate your skin and reduce wrinkles. Along with the ingredients mentioned above, hyaluronic acid also helps your skin with its barrier function.
The “glow” factor that gives gold its shine may also help in giving your skin an immediate shine and help it look brighter and healthier, but of course, this is only an immediate effect, not a long-term one.
Drawbacks
Surveys and research show that around 10% of people in North America are allergic to gold. It is crucial to check if you are allergic to gold or not before making use of a gold facemask. Your skin might start to itch, swell, or show redness if you are allergic to gold.
You can test yourself or with the help of a dermatologist if you are allergic to gold. At home, you can apply a product to your skin and leave it on for a bit to see how it reacts. On the other hand, you can see a professional who will apply a small patch on your skin with a little gold to your skin and tell you to leave it on for some time to see how it reacts. Any sort of unease or inflammation might be a result of you being allergic to gold.
Where can I buy a gold facemask?
You may think it might be virtually impossible to get your hands on one of these masks because their prices might be beyond your reach and only the rich can be able to afford these. You’ll be wrong to assume this because even though they might not be available in every department store, they are relatively affordable. You can check out one over here!
References
Shop Online. ProNu Skincare Official Site. (n.d.). https://pronuskincare.com/24-karat-gold-facial-mask-benefits/.
de Bellefonds, C. (2020, September 23). Do Gold Facials Really Work? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/gold-facial
Net-A-Porter. (2021, June 13). Are gold face masks worth the hype? PORTER. https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-us/porter/article-573ff85b9aa804b6/beauty/skin/gold-face-masks.
