SKINCARE | Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Super Hydrating Mask #31DaysofSheetMasks

I don't quite remember when Garnier released their SkinActive Moisture Bomb Sheet Masks, but I remember wondering, as always, how a North American brand would hold up against the Korean giants of sheet masks. Granted, if you look at where most sheet masks for these brands are made, they are always in Asia. I am assuming it has something to do with ease of manufacturing or just plain politics, but I have found that there are still varying levels of quality (now that I have subjected my face to over 100 hundred sheet masks this year!) I have all six SkinActive masks, but after much deliberation on how to review them, I felt that one by one was best and at the end we could do a little summary. First up is the original Super Hydrating Mask*!

PR sample

This is primarily a hydration-based sheet mask which according to the description features hyaluronic acid and pomegranate extract (punica granatum fruit extract) for a "soothing burst of hydration and a fresher, softer, more radiant look". This mask is free of mineral oil and petrolatum, but not of parabens and is the ONLY sheet mask out of the SkinActive series to contain them. Whenever I see featured ingredients, I go right to the ingredients list to see where they are and the two featured ingredients are close to the end of the list. There are actually higher concentrations of parabens in this essence than the two featured ingredients soooo food for thought. 

The fit of the mask was actually quite nice with slits around the eyes and lower part of the face for a better fit. I was also able to stretch the cotton to hit the edges of my face so that every bit of skin was covered. The mask is covered with a blue film which is peeled off making it very clear which side should go on your skin though I don't really think it matters. Having that plastic peel-off barrier does make it easier to unfold the mask which I appreciate.

The essence was watery and had a fairly strong floral fragrance which I was not a huge fan of as it lingered while I had the mask on.

Mask Summary:

Scent: A bit strong
Thickness: Average thinness and stretchy
Mask Fit: Decent with no chin goatee and slits around eyes and cheek for better fit
Tackiness: Slightly tacky which did not go away even hours after essence had been massaged in
Hydration: Good

Final verdict: Though the moisture levels were decent, I was not a fan of the tackiness, the scent, the parabens and the position of the key ingredients. I think if you are going to feature something, have them be in concentrations higher than the preservatives! I may not be a cosmetic chemist, but there are many other brands out there that are able to formulate without parabens and with higher concentrations of GOOD STUFF so I am hoping the other five SkinActive masks are better.

You can find the Garnier SkinActive Sheet Masks at drugstores across Canada.