As promised, I am sharing more on my new skincare routine. Besides using apple cider vinegar regularly, I have taken to using a sheet mask before bed almost daily for a month. About once or twice a week, I would use Clinique’s Acne Solutions Oil Control Cleansing Mask which is a clay mask to rid my skin of clogged pores, but on other days, I will put on a brightening or hydrating sheet mask.
I have heard so much about Japanese women using sheet masks as a part of their daily skincare routine that I decided I had to try it. The second reason was that although I have an oily T-zone, I was also battling dry flaky skin on the rest of my face. Unfortunately, a rich moisturizer would make me too oily especially in the daytime so I tried layering different serums and light lotions but I think this caused my skin to freak out.
Here are the sheet masks I have been trying…
Kracie Moisturizing Facial Mask Extra Rich
25 ml of essence per sheet; no fragrance or colouring
I LOVE THIS! Seriously, it is so moisturizing but completely oil-free due to the hyaluronic acid. It’s perfect for my “parched” oily skin (oily skin tends to overproduce oil because it’s actually dry) and my skin doesn’t feel that oily in the morning.
Mandom Barrier Repair Facial Mask HA
22ml of essence per sheet; no fragrance, colouring, and mineral oil
I love this as well but this has slightly less essence. I like it so much that I will sell it on my store soon. It still does an excellent job and the results are the same to me and the plus point is that this product has no parabens.
Kose Clearturn Hyaluronic Acid Mask
22ml of essence per sheet; no fragrance, colouring, alcohol and mineral oil
I’ve never actually tried this product even though I sell it in my store (I tried the coenzyme Q10 and collagen) and I’m glad to confirm it works well on my sensitive skin. Seriously, anything with hyaluronic acid in a sheet mask will do wonders to pallid, sallow skin. I can actually tell a difference right after I use it and the morning after. Ditto with the Kracie and Mandom Barrier Repair masks.
Raffine Perfect One Deep Treatment Mask
25ml of essence per sheet; contains collagen, hyaluronic acid, baker’s yeast, pomegranate & chamomile; slight fragrance
I also sell this in my store and this is indeed a luxurious deep treatment mask. Even after wearing it for 40 minutes, this still had essence on the mask. It is generously infused with essence that will brighten your complexion immediately. My skin feels softer the morning after but since this is pricier than drug store brands, I will use this once a week or once a fortnight.
Aqualabel Reset Whitening Mask
18ml of essence per sheet; slight fragrance
Of all the masks I tried, I really didn’t like this one. My face felt tight after using it so I didn’t even want to try it again. Enough said.
Bihada Ichizoku Whitening Mask
27ml of essence per sheet; slight fragrance
I didn’t find this “transforming” at all and it left my skin slightly tight after I took it off. I did more research on this and the brand is based on a TV anime series on Tokyo TV which frankly doesn’t give me much confidence in this brand. The reason why I tried it because it is in all the drug stores and ranked quite well on Cosme.
SKII Facial Treatment Mask
I used to slather the Facial Treatment Essence on my face when I was working at a women’s magazine yonks ago — on hindsight it was a waste because I was in my mid-twenties and young skin just defies anything from aging to pollution to fried food. My skin looked brighter after using it but it wasn’t enough to justify an on-going crack addiction to SKII. But recently, I’ve been desperate (and I have two weddings this year) and turning 33 soon, so I thought I should treat myself to the grand dame of all sheet masks and this is by far the best of all I have tried. The mask is full of essence (strangely I couldn’t find an amount stated on the packaging) and the mask itself is very sturdy and thick compared to all the above brands. My skin feels moisturized and looks clearer and brighter after wards — it’s the best but you gotta pay top dollar for it. Definitely a once a week or once a fortnight habit.
I hope you enjoyed my sheet mask marathon experience/review. I am a convert now because my skin has improved visibly — I will definitely put on a mask daily or every other day to maintain my skin. Perhaps my complexion is a little schizophrenic — oily but dry, acne-prone and sensitive — and therefore needs more love and care so I would seriously recommend a sheet mask treatment as often as humanly possible if you have the same issues as me.
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