Wondering how to use a sheet mask the right way? Alexis followed the instructions on the back of the sheet mask pack and had some interesting results.
Have you ever looked at the back of some sheet mask packs and read the instructions? If so, you’ve probably seen that they often say to use them one to two times a week for best results.
When I read this, it definitely piqued my interest. I swear by sheet masks and I’m known for owning far too many at a time. But I’m always bouncing around from one brand to next so I’ve never consistently used one mask long enough to see if it shows the results it promises and actually works. And by works, I mean does it provide any long-term results beyond instant hydration?
This is why I decided to use the same brightening sheet mask from one brand, twice a week for a month. Here’s what it did to my skin:
How I conducted this experiment:
First, let me break down my routine so you can understand the factors behind this experiment. Since I was going to be testing the brightening ability of a sheet mask,., I cut out all brightening products, including my beloved COSRX Triple C Lightning Liquid. I wanted the sheet masks to be my main source of brightening power.
Beyond that, my routine consisted of using the Banila Co Clean It Zero Nourishing, Etude House SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser, Etude House SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner, Etude House SoonJung 10 Free Moist Emulsion, and finally, the My Skin Mentor Dr. G Brightening Up Sun Sunscreen.
As you can probably guess, I kept my routine super basic. This is because my skin started to freak out. Oh yeah, FYI, for most of this experiment, I was exploring South Korea and Japan and my skin wasn’t so happy about the intense weather changes.
The sheet mask I used was the Acwell Traditional Grain Syrup Mugwort Mask. I chose this mask because it had such amazing reviews about being able to brighten. Plus, I was pretty impressed by the ingredient. This jelly-type mask contains a blend of fermented grain syrup, mugwort, and niacinamide to nourish and effectively brighten the skin.
Niacinamide is the main source of brightening in this mask. It works to revitalize the skin by slowing down the transfer of melanin to your skin cells, therefore preventing hyperpigmentation. As with any brightening ingredient, it doesn’t work overnight. I didn’t expect immediate results after one use. But since I was using this sheet mask twice a week for a month (that’s 8 sheet masks in total), I expected to see some sort of brightening, even if it was an evening of my skin tone.
The results:
I somehow always have the worst before and afters, but as you can see there isn’t that much of a difference. I do have to preface that I didn’t really have acne scars to lighten, except for maybe one or two. My goal for my skin was to see an overall difference in the evening of my skin tone. Pictures don’t really pick up all the nuances of our skin (pesky congestion to lighter skin imperfections), but let’s be real: I don’t have as many skin issues to complain about since my skin is pretty clear. I do deal with a lot of redness, though, especially around my nose, on my chin, and on my forehead. I can see in the after picture that my skin looks less red and irritated. This gives it the appearance of looking more even.
Despite that, I can’t say it did much. But I don’t want to discredit the mask entirely because the hydration levels of my skin improved dramatically from using a sheet mask twice a week for a month. This became especially apparent during my travels. At one point my skin was feeling so dry from the hot, humid Korea weather that nothing felt like it was hydrating my skin. The masks were lifesavers at that point. So at the end of the day, there was definitely a difference, just not the one I was expecting.
Bottom Line
I had high hopes for this experiment but in the end, it fell a little short. While the masks didn’t provide the intense brightening that I wanted, they did reaffirm my love of sheet masks and why they’re so important to my routine. After all, they saved my dry-as-the-desert skin in Korea, and for that, I am forever thankful.
