One of my favorite things to do when I have a little extra ‘me time’ is to pamper my skin with a hydrating facial mask. They’re an easy and relaxing way to quench my skin and give it that extra boost. While most masks have a singular objective, like providing intense hydration, brightening or calming effects, one brand stands out for addressing our different ‘skin-uations’ – let’s take a look!
About When Sheet Masks
As the facial mask trend expands throughout the world, When is setting themselves apart by creating a unique set of masks designed to fit the active women’s lifestyle. Their current product lineup includes 5 masks that are formulated to achieve different results for different occasions – from tired skin, to pre-makeup prep. Each mask comes individually packaged, which keeps them fresh and makes them great for travel. They include:
- 10PM – When your skin feels tired and worn
- Glamour Base -When you want to prep for perfect makeup
- Travelmate – When you are on the road
- Snow Magic – When you want clear and brighter looking skin
- The Last Choice – When your skin needs that extra glass of water
Each When mask is made from fermented coconut juice (a.k.a. bacterial cellulose) which boasts ‘high purity, strength, moldability, adhesion and increased water holding ability’. Their all-natural bio-cellulose sheets can hold essence 100x its weight – that’s 10x more than fabric or paper mask sheet! Due to their close contact with the skin, they effectively deliver nutrients by first trapping the formula, and then forcing it to absorb and seal in moisture.
“We aim to provide our customers with simple, hassle-free yet fun experience in skin care for the special ‘me-moments’.” – When
Ingredients
When’s sheet masks are vegan and gluten-free. They’re also formulated without parabens, sulfates, and triclosan. One thing to note is that they do contain Parfum, Limonene, and Linalool (all of which are fragrance ingredients, i.e. known irritants and toxins), though fortunately there is a relatively small amount in the actual masks. Here are the full ingredient lists for the 10:00pm and Snow Magic masks (the two I’ll be testing out below):
10:00 PM
Aqua (Water), Butylene glycol, Glycerin, Polyacrylate 13, Citrus grandis seed extract, Bambusa textilis stem extract, Pinus palustris leaf extract, Caprylyl glycol, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, 1,2 Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium hyaluronate, Citrullus lanatus fruit extract, Hydrolyzed collagen, Disodium EDTA, Colloidal platinum, Panax ginseng extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Limonene, Linalool, Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate
Snow Magic
Aqua (Water), Butylene glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Chamomilla recutita flower water, Polyacrylate 13, Aloe barbadensis leaf extract, Citrus grandis seed extract, Bambusa textilis stem extract, Pinus palustris leaf extract, Caprylyl glycol, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, 1,2 Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium hyaluronate, Arnica montana flower extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, Achillea millefolium extract, Gentiana lutea root extract, Disodium EDTA, Colloidal platinum, Panax ginseng extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Limonene, Linalool
How to Use When Sheet Masks
When recommends using their masks a couple of times a week (2-3), or everyday if you’d like, without fear of irritation. They work like most other facial masks in that you apply them to a clean face, and wait 30 minutes for the essence to absorb, then massage the remaining product into face and neck. Here’s the step-by-step from When’s website:
Here are a few extra tips from When’s website that I thought were worth noting:
- Use the extra serum all over your body. The pool of serum left in the pouch should be used to give your neck, hands, arms, legs, feet and what-not a taste of love as well.
- Use a face oil afterwards. Applying a drop or two of your favorite face oil after using When masks will enhance the effect of the treatment.
- Watch the clock. Leaving on the mask for longer than the recommended time may increase the temperature of the skin and can lead to a rise in bacteria count on the skin, causing acne and other malicious problems. And please DON’T FALL ASLEEP wearing When masks.
When Sheet Mask Review
Each When sheet mask comes thoroughly soaked in serum – or should I say drenched. They didn’t skimp out on product with these, so there’s plenty extra to apply over your neck and décolleté. The mask material is pretty unique in itself – it’s thick with a slightly ‘gummy’ feel to it which, when applied, gently molds and adheres to the face with precision.
Once on, this mask sticks so well that you can walk around the house and multitask without having to worry about it falling off. It also has the faintest scent, which to me smells a lot like gummy bears – pleasant, but I could do without it (personally, I’d love if they made a fragrance-free version).
The size of the masks is slightly smaller than other ones I’ve tried – the eye holes are a bit narrow and the fabric gaped a bit at the sides of my nose. But other than that, they fit perfectly – covering all the right areas.
Out of the 5 masks that come in When’s ‘Special Package’, I decided to try out the ‘Snow Magic’ first, which is their brightening mask, followed by 10:00pm, a restorative, hydrating mask.
When Snow Magic Mask Review
After applying the ‘Snow Magic’ mask for the recommended 30 minutes, I was disappointed to find that my skin still felt tight. Even though this is a brightening mask, it still should have hydrated my skin enough to take the place of a moisturizer. When it came to the mask’s brightening effects, I didn’t notice any significant difference afterwards – at least nothing like I’ve seen from my all-time favorite brightening mask – the SK-II Facial Mask.
Overall, for my first go, I wasn’t too impressed with my results. I decided to try out When’s ultra-hydrating and restorative mask next – the 10:00pm mask – thinking that it might just be a better ‘match’ for my current ‘skin-uation’.
When 10:00pm Mask Review
When it came to the 10:00pm mask, I ended up leaving it on for a good 45 minutes. Between the super hydrating effects of the mask and that extra 15 minutes, I noticed a dramatic difference in my skin. My skin felt incredibly moisturized, plump, and refreshed. I didn’t feel the need to apply extra product either. There was a slight sticky feeling to the skin afterwards, however, that dissipated once the rest of the serum absorbed (about 15-20 minutes later).
Overall, I have to say the 10:00pm mask absolutely satisfied my skin’s thirst for deep hydration after, quite literally, a long day. It may have taken a full hour for this treatment, but if you have the time to spare in the evening, it is well worth it!
Final Thoughts
While the When sheet masks offer solutions for different skin situations, it really all comes down to hydration (that should be the number one benefit of any sheet mask), and sadly, that’s where a few fell short for me. The 10:00pm mask was the one exception – it delivered. It is by far my favorite sheet mask for intense hydration. However, when it comes to more advanced benefits like visible brightening of the skin, I’d recommend going with a brand that specializes in that particular type of formulation, like SK-II’s treatment mask for example, or Farmacy’s brightening sheet mask (for a more budget-friendly option!).
Available on Amazon
Are facial masks a part of your regular skincare routine?
If so, what are some of your favorites?
