When it comes to at-home face masks, I believe the best formula is to spot-treat. For example, eye patches for under-eye puffiness and hydration, a clay mask on the T-zone, and a hydrating mask everywhere else. But that's the dream (well, the dream is to have a standing appointment at the Spa de La Mer in NYC...), and in reality, I'm lucky to have the time/discipline/patience to do a weekly mask at all. Enter: the sheet mask.
If you haven't already, you must try a sheet mask because it is an easy delivery system for potent, healing ingredients - Sephora has their own, reasonably-priced brand that is great for first-timers. You can find a sheet mask for any issue, and as a bonus, there's almost always enough left-over product in the mask's packaging that you can use it as a serum.
So recently, I tried the Farmacy Hydrating Coconut Gel sheet mask in the "soothing" variety, purchased here.
It's $24 for three masks, and there are several additional varieties including Oil-Control and Anti-Wrinkle.
The Better:
This really did soothe my itchy winter skin, so points for that. Also, there was an incredible amount of the serum left within the packet. I had enough to smooth not only on my face, but also on my entire body. After about 30 minutes, my skin was more plump and glowing without feeling slick, and I was pleasantly surprised that my skin was still hydrated the next morning.
The Worse:
While it was a lovely mask, and the ingredients are top-notch, I get better results from a slightly less-expensive mask (this one). Also, the packaging is confusing. The mask sits between a blue film and a paper-like sheet. The directions instruct me to remove the blue side, but not the other, so I left it on. When I posted the above photo on Instagram (@ElectraLane), Farmacy actually reached out to let me know I needed to remove the paper layer. Awkward.
The Verdict:
This is a great mask. If you're willing to spend $8/mask, go for it. I probably will not repurchase because I already have favorite premium-ingredient sheet masks (La Mer and SK-II), and as stated before, I get even better results from a cheaper version.