💕😌 Skin & Body Care Masking Challenge 😌💖

[eshoe]

Welcome to the Skin & Body Care Masking Challenge! 

Feel free to join in whenever and wherever. Share your thoughts and observations on a mask you have tried, we need all the details, please! Most importantly - have fun!

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January	Fresh Starts - Time for a re-set, or morning masking? However you see it, this month is all about new beginnings.
February	Winter Love - Whether it's a mask you adore, or something extra-special to care for dry winter skin, this month is for some soothing TLC.
March	March Madness - Competition is in the air! Find a $ dupe of a $$$ mask that is share-worthy? Or find a dupe that works even better than the original? Details, please!
April	Spring Fling - Baskets and bouquets, showers of much-anticipated rain...this month's focus is herbal and floral sensory delights.
May	Dew Drops - May Day lore says to wash your face in the dew you collect in the morning of the first day of May for radiant skin. This month is for absorbing all of that good-for-you H2O.
June	Summer Sunshine - Ice cream, sunglasses, SPF, check! Once the sun is down (or before it's up), extra care is most necessary. How do you give your skin cooling repair?

Mask of the Week Misc. Info & Previous Year's Links:

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To Post:

Each week features a different theme, as well as a letter of the alphabet for coming up with new masking ideas. 

Please include the brand and name of the mask you are trying out, as well as a photo if possible. Any other details are greatly appreciated, including scent, fit, adherence, mask type (hydrating, brightening, exfoliating, detox, sleeping, etc.) as well as your overall experience.

Most importantly: Would you repurchase it? 

Second most important: Have fun and merry masking!

2023 Mask of the Week Challenge

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2022 Mask of the Week Challenge

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2021 Mask of the Week Challenge

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2020 Mask of the Week Challenge:

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/2020-Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge-PART-1/m-p/4995162/h...

2019 Mask of the Week Challenge:

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/2019-Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/m-p/4497678/highligh...

2018 Mask of the Week Challenge:

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/td-p/3615125   

Thank you @Aaliaa for starting this thread, and giving us a place to share our love for masks💗

[Shosh85]

@lmaster  Yeah, I do think it's a good mask for any time of the year! 👍

[eshoe]

@Shosh85 these type of masks are so cool to look at, but I know what you mean about the final consensus. I always wonder just how much hydration my skin is really getting, as the material doesn't seem like it would hold much. But they are fun, and bonus - two parts!

[Shosh85]

@eshoe  Yeah, foil masks are fun and pretty, but you're right, they generally don't have the greatest adherence. This one turned out pretty great though - just wasn't blown away by it 

[ShortErica]

@Shosh85 isn't there a Whole Foods mask with similar material? Glad to hear it was enjoyable though too bad it wasn't a standout.

[Shosh85]

@ShortErica  Yes there is! Those ones are the "Air Wrapping" masks. 😃 I'm not sure how many there are total, but the one I'm doing tomorrow will be my 3rd 😉

[ShortErica]

Nice @Shosh85!

[WinglessOne]

D’oh, I forgot to post this in the old mask thread... 

A = Abib, a brand whose masks have long intrigued me. In March, I finally ordered a few from YesStyle to try. That package shipped in April and finally arrived Friday. The tracking history of this package is impressively wacky: it traveled through Illinois (to Wisconsin and Missouri) twice. 😂😩 

Anyway, Friday night was my first use of the Abib Mild Acidic pH Sheet Mask - Heartleaf Fit. 

Thanks, YesStyle, for marring this packaging with your sticker.

Notes: 

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Claims: Adjusts pH of skin to its natural balance. Strengthens skin’s immunity. Soothes irritated skin. “Moisturize your skin with a 30ml bottle of ampoule.” 

Ingredients: Abib says houttuynia cordata makes up 89% of this serum, so it should be loaded with flavonoids. That alone would make this mask an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powerhouse—but wait, there’s also purslane, 5 cica components, green and chamomile teas, polygonum cuspidatum root (aka hu zhang or Japanese knotweed, known for its resveratrol content), licorice root, scutellaria baicalensis root (aka golden herb, a potent source of soothing flavones), and allantoin, plus it’s fragrance free. Good grief, if this mask can’t soothe my skin, nothing will! 

And hey, there’s hollyhock again 🙂 along with urea; these humectants might make up for the lack of hyaluronic acid on the list. Oh, and the rosemary extract won’t stop me from using this mask because it’s not rosemary oil, which would make my face throw a tantrum. (The oil contains more irritating fragrant components than the leaf extract.) 

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Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Water, Butylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Allantoin, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Carbomer, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA 

Performance: Watery serum dripped from this fairly thin bamboo—err, ALBAM*—sheet. The sheet fit me very well: perfect length, all the holes aligned perfectly with my features, and most of my jaw was covered. No scissors necessary. The serum smelled almost like nothing… there was a very faint leafy earthy scent, and my nose really had to search for it. I applied the handful of serum left in the sleeve to my exposed jaw, neck, and chest. Took me 5 minutes to get used to the sheet feeling like it might slide off my face, thanks to the sheet’s softness and the serum’s runniness. But it also felt nicely cooling and stayed put the whole 30 minutes of wear, despite the occasional chin drips. 

After removal, the sheet still felt fully loaded with serum, so I tore it in half and wore it on my chest for another 10 minutes. I spent 3-4 of those minutes massaging and pressing residual serum into my face and neck. After removing the sheet halves from my chest, they were still soaked with serum, so I rubbed and patted them on my shoulders, arms, and thighs. This is a super juicy mask! I didn’t measure the leftover serum, but I think Abib makes good on their full bottle claim. 

Oh, and I got no pilling from this mask. My face (and neck, chest, arms, etc.) was just slightly tacky. 

*ALBAM = ALbumin + BAMboo. Abib says “special ALBAM sheet made of bamboo fabric and albumin (egg white). If you apply pack to skin, the sheet starts to tighten and improve elasticity of skin.” I didn’t feel the sheet tightening, but I did get a second skin fit from it. 

Results: Redness? Where? 😄 That stuff was completely gone. In its place was very happily hydrated skin, so plumped up I couldn’t see any fine lines on my forehead. My face also felt moisturized enough that I didn’t race to apply a cream moisturizer. And I had a nice glowy radiance everywhere I applied this mask’s serum. I topped it with a water mist and YTTP Superfood Moisturizer. The next morning, my face was soft and still moisturized, with just a little oil production from my nose (vs. the oil slick I often wake up to). 

I definitely need more of this mask in my life! This is the rare kind of mask that rates in the very high 90s on my wine tasting scale, probably a good 98. If the sheet was a bit wider at the jaw to cover my acne flare hotspots, this mask would be a 100 pointer. I only had one of these, so yesterday I ordered 2 boxes. This is now one of my “hoard ‘em” masks. 

[itsfi]

What beautiful packaging @WinglessOne. I think this may be the “flavor” that I don’t have; will have to check. I know I picked up the honey version (probably more than once) and the hyaluronic version in store. Beautiful list of ingredients; nice to hear it worked so well for your skin.

[lmaster]

@WinglessOne this sounds wonderful!! I love the packaging so much 😆 I know their sticker placements are Uber annoying 

[Shosh85]

@WinglessOne 

Dang. You sure know how to sell a mask! This one sounds wonderful! Not that I need any more masks, but I'll definitely have to place an order for these. 😃 So happy it turned out so great for you!

[emaisgr8]

Can't complain with a number 98 @WinglessOne . This sounds great!

[ShortErica]

That sounds amazing! I see there are 3 other kinds. Were you planning on trying them or sticking with this one since it was so wonderful @WinglessOne?

[WinglessOne]

@ShortErica  Funny you should ask: I used another one last night. 🙂 I bought one each of the Heartleaf, Honey, and Aqua Fit masks. There's a 4th one in this line, Yuja Fit; I didn't buy it because it's key ingredient is citrus oil. I did also buy one of Abib's Gummy Sheet Masks and will probably try that one this week, too. 

[ShortErica]

Oh, I look forward to hearing if any of them live up to this @WinglessOne 

[eshoe]

WOW this one sounds like a perfect mask match for you, @WinglessOne! The fabric must be incredibly unique. Thank goodness you finally received it after close to 2-3 months😳 I like the idea of pH masks. I’ve only tried one other, but it’s easily one of my favorites (the Heimish pH 5.5). I’m interested in trying this one, going to look around a bit and see what I can find, thank you for the review!

[haleyvvvv]

This mask sounds amazing, glad it worked so well, @WinglessOne!! 

[WinglessOne]

Thanks @eshoe  for the tag and the new thread! I might as well cross-post from the Sephora clean gratis thread. 🙂 

Last night I nervously used the Sephora Grapefruit Face Mask I received as gratis from Sephora. This new line of "clean" sheet masks launches early July, I believe. 

I wish my skin loved grapefruit as much as my nose does.

Notes: 

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Claims: Purifies skin; perfects complexion, restores natural radiance. 95% of ingredients are from natural origin. “For even, more beautiful skin that glows.” 

Ingredients: I held off trying this mask because of its grapefruit extract and limonia acidissima extract. After a bit of research, I realized limonia acidissima is wood apple. I’m not sure which part of the wood apple tree is used in this mask, though: the fruit contains high-moisture pulp that’s full of flavonoids; the powdered bark is the main component of the yellow paste many women and girls in Myanmar wear on their faces as cosmetic sunscreen and skin conditioner. Both tree components contain astringent tannins that can make pores appear smaller—but tannins can also dry out skin with longterm use. Grapefruit is also astringent. Since my skin is mostly-dry combo, I was very nervous about this mask parching my dry zones. 

I felt better about a few other ingredients like moringa (a good vitamin C source, among other things), the anti-inflammation probiotic lactobacillus ferment, and my skin’s BFF, hyaluronic acid (in salt form here). 

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Aqua (Water), Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Lecithin, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Polyacrylate, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Sorbitan Caprylate, Limonia Acidissima Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactobacillus ferment, Citrus Paradise (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid 

Performance: Soft, thin, un-dyed eucalyptus fiber sheet, fully loaded with gel serum. Fit was decent: a bit too long at the chin; left some of my jaw exposed; slightly wide eyeholes I’d normally snip at the inner corners, but for a mere 5-minute session I didn’t bother. There was a half handful of serum left in the sleeve, but I didn’t use it. 

The serum smells delicious! I love the scent of grapefruit and it was very prominent throughout my session. Unfortunately, that usually means there’s too much grapefruit present for my skin (I wonder how many additional citrus perfuming agents were snuck into this mask as "fragrance")—but I kept the sheet on my face. It stayed put throughout the 5 minutes I wore it. 

After removal, it took me 4-5 minutes to massage and press residual serum into my face. I probably could’ve gone another 20 minutes with this sheet without serum drying out. My usual dry finger test revealed no pilling, and my skin had very slight tack. 

Results: Well hydrated and moderately moisturized skin with a slight glow. The grapefruit scent stuck to my face. Before I continued my skincare routine, I lightly rubbed my cheeks and they tingled unpleasantly in response. I doused my face with COSRX cica water toner and waited a few minutes for my skin to calm down before touching it again. Then I applied a thin layer of Flora & Bast CBD oil, followed by my Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion as additional soothing layers. This morning I neither saw nor felt any bad reaction signs, thank goodness. My skin was still moisturized, but that could’ve been mostly due to the CBD oil I used last night. 

I appreciate getting the chance to test this mask, but it’s not one I’ll buy in the future. But I'm curious about some of the other new Sephora sheet masks and will probably try a couple of them once they’ve launched. I like the idea of a 5-minute mask, particularly for travel purposes. 

[emaisgr8]

@WinglessOne  I always love your break down of the ingredients. 

[Shosh85]

@WinglessOne  Glad to hear this didn't cause any negative reactions! Sounds like the CBD oil is helpful - is the Flora & Bast a good brand? I've been wanting to get some, but there's just so many choices! 😬

[WinglessOne]

@Shosh85  Last year (I think?), when Sephora had a CBD oil promo, I took advantage twice. The first time I ordered a DS of LORD JONES - Royal Oil 1000mg Pure CBD Oil; the second time I got a DS of Flora + Bast Age Adapting CBD Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL. I'd already been using and loving HERBIVORE - Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil by then and was just curious about other brands' offerings. I'd never tried anything by Flora + Bast before. I liked that DS so much, I bought a full size bottle. It's all cannabis oil, not a blend of other oils like Lord Jones (cannabis + grape seed oil) or Herbivore CBD (cannabis, meadowfoam, sunflower, & MCT oils). The Flora + Bast oil is as good as the Herbivore CBD oil at calming my inflammation. But I get more antioxidants from the Herbivore oil because it's a blend of many ingredients. 

I can't speak for anything else Flora + Bast sells. 🙂 I just really like this particular product of theirs. Also, I feel obligated to mention: if marijuana is legal in your area, you can probably get a CBD oil from a dispensary that's more potent than anything Sephora sells. I'm just sayin'. (CBD is non-psychotropic; THC is the stuff that gets people high.) 

[Shosh85]

@WinglessOne  I think people do often get CBD, THC and hemp confused with each other. I just finished my FS bottle of the Herbivore Emerald Oil and I loved it, but like you, I want to explore other CBD options. The Flora & Bast sounds pretty great - I might just have to try that one next 😃