When it comes to my evening skin routine, I usually stick to the basics: micellar water to remove makeup, a light, but yummy smelling, face wash to really get everything off and an ultra moisturizing night cream so I can wake up with skin as soft as a baby’s bottom. Nothing too crazy. So when I started seeing overnight facial sleep masks every time I walked through Target’s skincare aisle, I’ll admit that I became a little curious.
Yes, you are supposed to apply the mask all over your face and go to sleep without washing it off. To be honest, I don’t think I would ever slap some gooey, blue substance on my face and throw myself into bed if I could end up ruining my pillowcases and sheets. I totally see the point, though: some masks promise brighter skin or tighter pores in just 15-20 minutes but hardly ever deliver. It often takes much longer for a face mask to be fully absorbed to really benefit the skin. I figured I could always just wash my sheets if they got messed up, so I finally gave in and decided to risk my good bedding to try the mask out.
I used the Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Sleeping Mask since it contains salicylic acid to fight acne and I had just had a major flare up. Tearing open the package, I was actually pretty hopeful that this product might do something good since it would have the night to really absorb into my skin—if my tossing and turning didn’t rub it all off first, that is.
I used a super cheap foundation brush to evenly apply the mask to my face since the directions said to apply it all over. This mask isn’t as thick and creamy as every other regular face mask I’ve used. It’s probably so it could completely absorb into your skin quickly so you could actually sleep on it. The directions didn’t say how long it would take for the mask to completely be absorbed, so I just surfed the web while I waited. I could actually see the mask being absorbed and disappearing, so I took that as a good sign. I waited about 30 minutes since I layered it on thicker in some areas. Then I went to bed and kept my fingers crossed that I’d wake up to clean sheets and less-inflamed zits.
Fast forward to the next morning and surprise, surprise—there was not a trace of product on any of my pillowcases! As for the breakouts, the salicylic acid definitely minimized tinier zits and reduced the size of the larger one on my cheek. Added bonus: my skin felt softer and smoother. And, when I rinsed it all off, my face felt so much cleaner. Definitely not bad at all.
Give sleep masks a go if you really want to wake up feeling pampered. As for me, I’m really curious to try out some others to see what results I get!