Found: The 5 Skin-Care Masks You Should Have in Your Rotation This Fall

As a self-proclaimed skin-care minimalist, I’ve never fully tapped into the potential of skin-care masks. Yes, I’d slap one on for special self-care Sundays, but I never thought about tailoring them to my specific skin needs.

But as we head into fall, I began to realize that my usual bare-bones skin-care routine was going to need to call in some backup if I wanted to avoid the dryness and flakiness that usually hits my complexion once the weather changes. Plus, I’ve been looking for ingredients that’ll help keep any summer sun damage from setting in permanently (read: turning into fine lines and wrinkles).

The last time I was in the market for a glow-up, I turned to Chantecaille’s Purifying and Exfoliating Phytoactive Solution, and my skin has been thanking me ever since. This time, chatting with Marta Cammarano, PhD, vice president of research and product development at Chantecaille, totally convinced me of the merits of becoming a face mask devotee.

“Masks generally act faster than regular moisturizers and allow ingredients to penetrate better.”

“Masks generally act faster than regular moisturizers and allow ingredients to penetrate better,” Dr. Cammarano says. “Because when you apply a thick layer of mask to your skin for an extended period of time (15 to 30 minutes), [it] allows the ingredients to be in contact with skin for longer and to be absorbed faster.”

Clearly masks are a more streamlined way to tap into some serious glow-boosting benefits, so I took five different Chantecaille masks for a spin to address a few of my skin-care concerns going into fall. From soothing masks that contain a range of refreshing botanical ingredients to a 24-karat-gold-infused mask (yes, really) that makes my skin feel like a million bucks, my fall skin-care face mask lineup is totally set.

Keep scrolling for the 5 skin-care face masks I added to my fall routine, and why you should, too.

Hello, Hydration: Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask

For someone with sensitive skin like me, an all-over soothing hydrator is exactly what my post-summer skin needs heading into fall.  And from the moment I applied the Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask to my skin, I felt all the moisturizing powers of jasmine, lily bulb, evening primrose, macadamia oil, and more hydrating botanicals. I even forgot to take it off one night before bed, and woke up feeling so soft. Beyond making my skin feel more supple and smooth (my ultimate goals, always), my complexion looked so naturally dewy that I skipped makeup that morning because I didn’t want to cover up my all-me glow.

“This mask soothes redness, sunburns, breakouts, and dehydration,” says Olivia Chantecaille, co-founder and creative director at Chantecaille. “I can even wear it while I sleep as a rich cream and for a deep healing treatment.” (Forgetting to take it off was totally on purpose, okay?)

Alex Chantecaille, vice president of sales and promotions at Chantecaille, agrees, calling it her first-aid in a jar. I think I finally found the solution to all my cool-weather windburn problems.

Repair + Recover: Gold Recovery Mask

Made with 24 karat gold, the Gold Recovery Mask not only makes me feel like the coolest person on Earth, but it leaves my skin feeling ultra refreshed after leaving it on for only 20 minutes. “The 24k gold in this mask is a time-tested mega healer, especially for post-summer damage, transforming skin’s dullness into a radiant glow,” Olivia says. “I always use the Gold Recovery Mask, especially in the summer, because I unapologetically love the sun, but I have sun damage—and this is the only thing that repairs my skin overnight,” Sylvie adds.

While I didn’t bask in the sun as much as I would’ve liked this summer, I still had a few sunburns (and the damage to boot). Since I’ve started using this gold-filled wonder, I’ve noticed my face looks brighter, firmer, and less dull, considering it smoothes the appearance of both horizontal and vertical wrinkles. Oh, and the feeling of my skin after rinsing off this golden goodness? I don’t think my complexion has felt more rejuvenated from a single face mask before—and I’m nearly back to my peak-summer dew stage.

No-Irritation Exfoliation: Hibiscus Smoothing Mask

Exfoliating is one of those skin-care steps I’ve always shied away from, but since adding in this refreshing Hibiscus Smoothing Mask—with glycolic acid to effectively exfoliate, grapefruit extract for antioxidants, and papaya extracts for soothing—I’ve been reminded what a seriously essential step it is, since it sloughs off dead skin cells to help achieve a clear, glowing complexion.

“This mask is the most effective botanical skin smoother with no harsh scrubbing,” Olivia says. “The plants do the work to erase dead skin, makeup, or sunscreen build-up for fresher, younger skin that can more readily drink up serums.” It’s like having a blank slate to layer on more glow-boosting ingredients—and my complexion loves it.

Youth-Boosting + Smoothing: Bio Lifting Mask

For both immediate and long term youth-boosting benefits, Dr. Cammarano recommends the Bio Lifting Mask. Even though I still feel like a child in adult clothes, I’m 26, so I’ve been on the hunt for products that’ll decrease fine lines and wrinkles for me down the line. Made with Hexapeptide, this mask virtually irons out the look of lines and wrinkles, and also softens the appearance of expression lines.

“Whether you’re worried about redness, fine lines, volume, or dry skin, this is a simple and effective beauty solution,” says Sylvie Chantecaille, Chantecaille co-founder, CEO, and president. Plus, with its moisturizing properties, you don’t have to worry about any harshness. “I sleep in this mask several nights a week for a deep lift and smoothing effect,” Olivia says. “The potent plant stem cells and peptides give me visible results the following morning.”

Bye-Bye, Breakouts: Detox Clay Mask

As Alex Chantecaille’s go-to spot treatment (and now mine), the Detox Clay Mask—which works to purify and balance out your skin—has been essential for deep cleaning breakout areas on my face without drying it out or making it feel inflamed. If you’ve ever tried a clay mask with even semi-sensitive skin, you know how big of a deal this is.

With pure honey to nourish and rosemary as a natural purifying agent, the kaolin clay in this mask helps absorb all the excess oil on my skin, without the harshness. Plus, my skin tends to act up when the weather changes, so now I don’t have to stress about getting rid of any blemishes—I’ve already got a face-masking game-plan.

So, no matter what fall decides to throw at my complexion this year—from dryness and dullness to breakouts or even fine lines—I have five high-quality skin-care face masks in my arsenal to target each one of my issues. And not only do they get their specific job done, but they also give me the overall effortless glow I’ve always been after. (Okay, who’s ready to do another face mask?)