SKINCARE | Boo Bamboo Brightening Charcoal Sheet Mask #31DaysofSheetMasks

My first fully charcoal sheet mask! Everyone else looks so cool with these black masks on, but I held off for a long time because I was scared that the detoxifying aspect of these masks would be too drying for my skin. After so many hot and sticky evenings this past week, I felt like my skin needed a major cleanse! While 98% of my sheet masks are hydrating, brightening or anti-aging (the Asian skincare trifecta) I had on hand two charcoal sheet masks. Both will be reviewed this month starting with the Boo Bamboo Brightening Charcoal Sheet Mask!

This is a 100% bamboo fiber charcoal mask with an essence containing seaberry and grapefruit extracts as well as niacinamide to brighten and perk up dull skin while evening out skin tone and texture. I really didn't know what to think of this mask as I had heard good things about Boo Bamboo (vegan and cruelty-free!), but hadn't tried much more than possibly a shampoo in the past. Sheet masks are a hard thing to get right if you are not a Korean brand, but while these masks are designed in Canada, they are still made in Korea.

Firstly, the mask was soaking in essence and felt super plump as I was pulling it out of the package. The mask itself was super soft which surprised me as I was thinking it would be stiffer seeing as how it was a charcoal mask? Putting the mask on my skin felt so nice! Even nicer than some of the Korean branded masks I have used! It felt soft and gentle like cloth as opposed to a "paper" mask which can sometimes feel a bit stiff.

I feel like it was a combination of the fiber mask and the essence that made this mask stick onto my face and STAY there for the full 20 minutes. Even my slight chin goatee needed no readjustment so adherence factor was given a big thumbs up! The fit was also good with the mask being neither too big nor too small for my face and the scent was slightly citrusey, but not overwhelming.

Neither cat was amused or approved of my mask. I was hoping Hemingway would see my black face and think it was a reflection of his inner soul, but no. He just wanted to leave.

Final verdict: I am a bit torn because while I loved the experience of this mask, it was the essence residue I found quite tacky. Even after applying moisturizer on top, I found my skin sticking to my pillow throughout the night as I slept. The mask quality itself was a lot better than I thought it would be and was better than many of the masks I have tried in terms of adherence, fiber quality, and fit. My skin moisture percentage increased by 11% (according to my skin analyzer) and when it came to a change in visual appearance, my cheeks looked brighter, but the dark shadows around my eyes remained. There are other charcoal sheet masks in the Boo Bamboo line that may have a less tacky essence so I will head on over to Well.ca to pick up a few more and see what happens!

You can find Boo Bamboo and Rexall (where I picked up this mask) and Well.ca