Nothing like a Sunday night in front of the TV…painting my toenails (MAC Illegal Purple) and my fingernails (OPI You Don’t Know Jacques) and pampering my face with a mask.
While I often resort to my old standby mask—Queen Helene Mint Julep—last time I was in the drugstore, I spied a new display with sheet masks from a Korean company called The Face Shop. They were 2 for $5, so I talked myself into a few.
I wish all of the masks shown on their Web site were available locally, but I have a feeling some of the more esoteric ones (Imperial Herbs, Cereal Black Rice) may be Asia-only (if any of you have seen the whole selection of masks near you, let me know!). My drugstore had most of the Vitamin masks, the Fruit masks and the Essential masks. So I selected the Vitamin B mask, the Essential Pearl mask, the Pomegranate mask (I’m a fool for anything pomegranate) and the Aloe mask.
PRODUCT: The Face Shop’s Vita B mask sheet
CLAIMS: Formulated with extracts of cucumber and broccoli. The packaging asserts that the mask “moisturizes, brightens and helps fight acne” (I have an ongoing struggle with moderate adult acne). It also says “Patented Phytolex Nanoliposome effectively delivers beneficial ingredients deep into the skin and helps protect tired, rough skin from environmental damage.”
INGREDIENTS: Water, glycerin, SD alcohol 40, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, polyglutamic acid, PEG/PPG-17/6 copolymer, phaseolus radiatus extract, betula platyphylla japonica bark extract, rumex crispus root extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, brassica oleracea italica (broccoli) extract, niacinamide, lecithin, ceramide 3, caprylic/capric tryglyceride, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), sodium carbomer, fragrance, methylparaben, blue 1, disodium EDTA
PRICE: $2.99 (or 2/$5) at Walgreen’s drugstore
Odd that they tout the broccoli and cucumber extracts, when there are higher concentrations of mung bean, white birch, and curly dock extracts (though apparently these three extracts form the “Phytolex Nanolipsome” described on the package). Other ingredients that may help skin (most are emollients or help skin retain moisture) are hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate), niacinamide, shea butter and ceramide 3. An ingredient that might be of concern is SD alcohol 40 (which can be drying and irritating).
The mask is packaged in a foil pouch and is a thin fabric infused with lotion. It’s recommended to leave the mask on for 15-20 minutes and then remove the mask and gently pat the residue into skin.
On my face, the mask felt cold and refreshing and a little bit tingly across my cheeks. The floral fragrance is strong and lingers after the mask is removed. The mask was more “creamy” than some sheet masks I’ve used.
The residue left behind by the mask was very moisturizing, but felt a little sticky to the touch. I haven’t noticed any immediate benefit other than moisturizing.
PROS
- Inexpensive
- Several recognized beneficial ingredients
- Moisturizing
CONS
- High alcohol conten
- Strong fragrance
- Sticky residue
VERDICT: While the mask felt refreshing, it wasn’t anything extraordinary. And the third ingredient, alcohol, may be drying, essentially working against some of the other moisturizing ingredients. But for the low price, it’s a nice pampering treatment. And I look forward to trying some of the other masks, which have alcohol placed much lower on the ingredient list, where it should be less irritating.
Beauty Crucible 