KBEAUTY | Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Masks #1 to #6 - The Breakdown #100DaysofSheetMasks

I like Laneige, but ever since the brand became MUCH more mainstream in North America I have been slower to jump on the bandwagon for new products. I'm weird like that where if something gets too popular, I get even more suspicious about why it's doing so well and usually end up trying it after the craze has mellowed or not at all. In the case of the Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Masks, I saw them on the Sephora website last year and though the packaging was enticing, I didn't look into them until this year when I started my hunt for "cool sheet masks" and rediscovered them! 

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Some PR samples featured

These sheet masks are highly elastic, non-slip and have diamond shaped "water pockets" woven into the mask sheet that release essence into the skin. It wasn't until I actually wore the mask did I realize how different it was from the traditional cotton sheet masks I have worn! The Water Pocket Sheet Masks (WPSM from now on!) come in six different "skin needs" and though I was sent four of the masks, the perfectionist in me wanted ALL of the numbers so that I could give all of you a more complete picture of what each mask was like for me.

The Skin Relief WPSM* contains cypress tree extract and is all about soothing the skin. Though there have been studies (Cheng et al, October 2017) that have shown antioxidant and delays in aging in C.elegans (I spent a whole year with this worm in the lab...) the fact that this featured ingredient is second to last in the list makes me believe it is doing not a whole lot for the skin.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Ingredients: Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water (cypress tree extract), Butylene Glycol

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

The essence for Skin Relief was really watery to the point where when I opened the packet, most of the essence was at the bottom and not much was left on the mask. I also wasn't expecting the essence to be so watery that when I attempted to pour some into my hand to transfer to the mask, it literally "fell out" like you would imagine water to do.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Mask Summary #1 Skin Relief:

Scent: Minimal to none
Duration: 20 minutes
Thickness: Thin
Mask Fit: A bit raised around the eyes, but not bad with no chin goatee.
Tackiness: None, but my skin actually felt like it had facial oil on it upon removal.
Hydration: Very good, but I feel like this was superficial.

Verdict: Oddly enough, because there is castor oil in the essence, the overall finish on my face felt like I had added facial oil to my skin even though the essence was SUPER watery and not like a typical essence "syrup". Diamond pocket technology aside, this is a mask I would use as a "bandaid" if your skin is uncomfortably dry and you just need the discomfort to stop. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot of substance going on here in terms of actives or good ingredients making their way into your skin.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

WPSM Clear C* contains two superberry extracts: acerola and acai which are rich in vitamin C hence the name of the mask! The claim is that skin will be nourished and shielded from free radicals with this boost of antioxidants. Again, like WPSM Skin Relief, these featured ingredients are lower on the ingredients list than the fragrance and high molecular size castor oil so I am quite doubtful of the antioxidant protection this mask will actually provide.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Ingredients: Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Malpighia Emarginata (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract (Acai), Propanediol, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Magnesium Silicate, Disodium EDTA, Glutathione

*Note that the ingredients list on the Sephora website is not complete and I have been manually adding in the ingredients shown on the packaging as this list did not even have the berry extracts listed!

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Mask Summary #2 Clear C:

Scent: Very light floral
Duration: 20 minutes
Thickness: Very thin
Mask Fit: Good around chin, a bit wonky around the eyes
Tackiness: Minimal at first and then dries down super smooth.
Hydration: Good, but superficial

Verdict: My second attempt using these masks was better as I moved the still very watery essence around the packet so that the mask came out soaked in more of it than with #1 Skin Relief. The essence was not quite as oily feeling as the first mask I tried, but still left my skin with a similar feeling of having a facial oil applied to it. Again, this is a "bandaid" mask and I would not look to it for actual vitamin C treatment as there are PLENTY of more potent products in both the Kbeauty and Western beauty worlds. Featured ingredients really should be in the top half of the ingredients list and once more they are not.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

WPSM Sparkling Water* is about hydration and using sparkling water to brighten and clarify the skin which is a trend I started seeing online last year aka the benefits of dunking your face into a bowl of sparkling water! While I haven't read any scientific proof that carbonated water does anything beneficial for the skin other than perhaps some minor exfoliation thanks to the lower pH of 3-4, this seems to be a bit of a trend that hey, if your skin feels and looks better afterwards, more power to ya!

The featured ingredient of carbonated water is in the lower half of the ingredients list, but because this not something that is meant to be absorbed into the skin, but merely a physical event, I am not quite as picky about where this ingredient is sitting. The rest of the ingredients look pretty much the same as the first two masks which are honestly not anything special.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Ingredients: Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance, Disodium Edta, Water (Carbonated Water), Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbon Dioxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Mask Summary #3 Sparkling Water:

Scent:  None
Duration: 20 minutes
Thickness: Thin
Mask Fit: Good around chin, very close around the eyes almost at eyelids and lifting around nose.
Tackiness: None, but my skin actually felt like it had facial oil on it upon removal.
Hydration: Good, but superficial like previous two masks.

Verdict: The essence itself was slightly bubbly which was fun and left a very glowy finish all over my skin upon removal. This is a mask I would use for a big event to get my skin prepped and primed. I would not use it at night as a treatment as I prefer more beneficial ingredients in my serum step.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

WPSM Hydro Ionized Mineral Water* uses Laneige's combination of six hydrating ionized minerals - zinc, potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and manganese to replenish and lock in moisture. The fact that they are ionized is supposed to make them stable in water and able to penetrate more deeply into the skin. I am not totally convinced of this technology and doing online research led to mixed results.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Ingredients: Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol,  PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Fragrance/Parfum, Xantham Gum, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium ChloridePhenoxyethanol, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Ascorbyl Glucoside    

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Mask Summary #4 Water Bank:

Scent: None
Duration: 20 minutes
Thickness: Thin
Mask Fit: Same as others with the nose and eyes being a bit raised.
Tackiness: Light
Hydration: Good!

Verdict: I honestly don't remember too much about this mask other than some bubbles in the essence and a lighter finish than WPSM #1 and #2. My skin did feel moisturized, but with that castor oil still being a presence, it's hard to say whether the moisture was more of a sealant or from "within".

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

The WPSM Water Sleeping Mask* is literally the sleeping version of #4, but with the addition of silicone and beta-glucan (gives your skin a rosy glow). If you enjoy the cult classic Laneige Water Sleeping Mask, this will be the sheet mask version as there is little to no tacky residue left on the skin, but the silicones will act to seal moisture in overnight so skin is plump in the morning.

Ingredients: Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polysorbate 20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol,  Carbomer, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xantham Gum, Dimethiconol, Fragrance/Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Magnesium SulfateCalcium ChloridePhenoxyethanol, Beat-Glucan, Manganese SulfateZinc Sulfate, Ascorbyl Glucoside    

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Mask Summary #5 Water Sleeping Mask:

Scent: Slight fragrance
Duration: 20 minutes
Thickness: Thin
Mask Fit: Good except for around the eyes
Tackiness: Facial oil feeling, but not tacky
Hydration: Good

Verdict: I forgot to take a mask selfie, but if you haven't guessed, all the masks look the same! This is the only mask without castor oil, which makes me happy. The silicones have their place and though I am not a fan of sleeping with this on my face, I wouldn't be opposed to using this mask during the day as the finish that was left on my skin was not tacky, but smooth and easy to work with.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

And finally, WPSM Time Freeze is, you guessed it, the anti-aging sheet mask! This mask focuses on firming and increasing elasticity using peptide water to boost skin's natural hyaluronic acid layer and is the only sheet mask of the six with a cream essence. The ingredients list is predominantly silicones nor can I find anything in the list that pertains to "peptide water" so how my natural levels of hyaluronic acid are going to rise I just don't know!

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Ingredients: Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Trehalose, Polysorbate 20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Carbomer, Panthenol, Tromethamine, Dimethiconol, Fragrance, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Tillandsia Usneoides Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua (Carob) Fruit Extract

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Mask Summary #6 Time Freeze:

Scent: Strong
Duration: 20 minutes
Thickness: Thin
Mask Fit: Good except for around the eyes
Tackiness: Light
Hydration: Good

Verdict: For some reason, the scent of this mask was so much stronger than the other five and I am not sure why as fragrance is roughly in the same spot on the ingredients list as the others. Most anti-aging, filling and plumping products on the market do contain silicones so this mask did plump and make my skin look visually hydrated even if it was artificial.

Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Mask Review

Final verdict: Generally, all of the WPSMs were super thin and looked like mesh from the diamond design. The masks did not stay moist as long as other sheet masks, so by the time 20 minutes rolled around, the mask peeled off almost like tissue. While all of the masks felt hydrating, it was very difficult to say whether these masks DID anything for my skin beneath the surface as for all intents and purposes, a sheet mask can be like these ones - a one night stand. They did the job at the superficial level which I understand is all some are looking for and I can respect that. Now that I have tried so many sheet masks, I know that good ingredients CAN be in the top half of the list so I would love to see some improvements in formulation because I really loved how thin the masks were!

You can find the Laneige Water Pocket Sheet Masks at sephora.com

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