Korean Beauty : The Face Shop Real Nature Sheet Masks Review

Sheet masks are pretty fundamental in a Korean skincare routine and even non Korean brands have started making them now. The first brand I came across when I wanted to start stocking up on some masks was The Face Shop. Their packaging, descriptions and somewhat the ingredients looked a little similar to Innisfree which is the only brand I had tried before and trusted so I thought I’d give them a go. These masks come in 10 different “natural” ingredients and I picked up one of each. They’re pretty affordable at $2 per mask but this brand frequently has sales so you can pick them up in bundles which turn out to be much cheaper. You can also pick up the whole set for only $15 on amazon.

Ingredient List of the Aloe mask: Water/Eau, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, AlcoholDenat, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dimethicone, Phaseolus Radiatus Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Bark Extract, Rumex CrispusRoot Extract, Carbomer, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propyl Paraben, Parfum/Fragrance

Now I’ve only included the ingredient list of one type of mask but they’re almost identical to the other ones, just the main ingredient (that has been highlighted) changes depending on what kind of mask it is. What I like is that the main ingredient is the third ingredient, so pretty much in the start of the list which means it makes up a higher percentage of the total ingredients. Some debatable ingredients here are parabens, alcohol and fragrance. If you are allergic or react to any of these then I’d suggest not using it. I don’t mind fragrance and parabens as much as I mind alcohol because it irritates my skin. I try to steer clear of it in my daily skincare but since I will be using these only once or twice a week, I thought I’d try and see how it goes.

These sheet masks are basically cotton sheets in the shape of your face soaked in serums formulated with the ingredient that you’re trying to use for your skin concerns. You open a package, put the mask on for 10-15 mins and take it off before it dries(as the experts suggest) and then take the left over serum in the package which is usually A LOT to massage it into your face and neck. Do not rinse after this mask and move straight ahead to moisturizer once it’s all soaked in.

 Here’s a breakdown of what each type of mask is for:

1. Cucumber – Hydrating.
2.  Aloe - Hydrating
3.   Lemon – Brightening
4.   Rice - Brightening
5.   Blueberry – Firming
6.   Acai Berry – Firming
7.   Pomegranate – Firming
8.   Shea Butter – Nourishing.
9.   Avocado – Moisturizing
10.   Honey – Moisturizing

      The ones I don't own are - Green Tea, Ginseng, Olive, Mung Bean, Kelp

So as you can see, they’re divided into four main categories – Hydrating, Brightening, Firming and Moisturizing. You can pick and choose which ones your skin needs the most but I wanted to get them all to test them out anyway. I’ve tried out one mask per category so far and I have to say right off the bat that the Rice brightening one is my favourite followed by Shea Butter for moisturizing. These two worked wonderfully on the skin and actually gave me a nice glow in just 15 minutes. The Acai Berry firming mask was refreshing and the best smelling one I’ve tried so far out of the lot. It didn’t really show any visible improvements after use and I think it takes more than one mask to show results for the ‘firming’ variety. I did notice it reduced under eye puffiness and just made me look fresh overall the next morning.

The Aloe Hydrating mask was very soothing once I put it onto my skin but it was a little too sticky on my skin like it would not sink in after I had removed the mask. Although these masks can be used in the morning, evening and also under makeup, I don’t know if the Aloe one will be comfortable to be used under makeup. The other masks soak into the skin much better but take a long time – about 15/20 minutes. That’s why I only do these at night because I have combination skin but people with drier skin than mine may not have this issue.

The size and fit of these masks is a little too big for my face and I had to smooth out the extra bits below my chin and a little bit went over my hair. All these masks have distinctive fragrances in them which I don’t love or hate. I am not too bothered by it but it’s not pleasant like those herbal Korean skincare scents that I absolutely fall in love with in products. The masks didn’t bother my skin except the aloe. I noticed a red patch on my cheek after using it which was weird but it went away the next morning & I’m guessing it’s because of the alcohol. It’s funny that it didn’t happen with the others though. However, it also made my skin look really plump and glowy so I’m not sure what to make of it. I am so far in love with the brightening, moisturizing ones. I am not too keen on the hydrating and firming ones because I have other products that do the job for me without any redness but you can try them out and see if they suit you better because a lot of people swear by it.

Overall, these masks are great for the price and some of them do really show results instantly but it only lasts for a few days until you mask again. If you feel any burning or tingling sensation, don’t use these again. I know some people use it every single day so their skin will show results sooner and last longer than on people like me who only use it once or twice a week but it’s what I recommend because of the not-so-friendly ingredient list. If you’ve to pick out only one or two, I’d definitely recommend the Rice Brightening Mask and Shea Butter Nourishing Mask out of this lot. 

Places to find it : Style Korean, YesStyle, Amazon, RoseRoseShop.