SHEET MASK | Burt's Bees Hydrating Sheet Mask #EarthMonth

The next Earth-friendly product I have is one that I was unexpectedly disappointed with so it's possible I might get a bit ranty with improvements. Burt's Bees - we know and love this brand for skincare, makeup and being one of the earliest brands to have "natural" and affordable products right at the drugstore. I keep feeling like I want to apologize for what I am about to say about the Hydrating Sheet Mask*, but I just don't get how this mask can be given a passable rating and it seems I'm not the only one from reviews I have seen on Influenster and the Burt's Bees website!

PR sample

Burt's Bees introduced sheet masks to their product lineup last year and rightly so as sheet masks are continuing to take over the world! The Hydrating Sheet Mask claims to moisturize, balance skin's pH and improve overall skin texture. Ingredients looked good and though I think a sheet mask should be left on for longer than 5 minutes, I also understand that anything that has salicylic acid (in this case it comes from willowbark extract) can be irritating for certain skin types so this timing makes sense.

When I saw the mask was made in the USA and not Korea, my "mask antennae" perked up because we know that only the best sheet masks are made in Korea, BUT it's possible that Burt's Bees was not able to find a facility that aligned with their clean beauty standards.  

Ingredients: aqua, glycerin, actinidia chinensis fruit water, propanediol, salix nigra bark extract (willowbark extract), salvia sclarea extract (clary sage extract), caesalpinia spinosa gum, polyglyceryl-4 caprate, sodium PCA, parfum, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol

At first, I thought the mask I got was a total dud, but after seeing countless photos of others wearing this mask (including my Masking Buddy Chantal) with little essence, I knew there was something inherently wrong with the product. There wasn't enough essence to fully soak the mask sheet so adherence was a big issue, but the actual size of the sheet itself was so big that I had quite a bit of excess material around the sides and had to fold chunks of mask underneath which was uncomfortable. Extra material CAN be remedied with MORE ESSENCE! Having even just a basic amount would have made the mask fit better.

Mask Summary:

Scent: Strongly floral (did not like)
Duration: 5 minutes
Thickness: Medium
Mask Fit: Poor
Tackiness: Medium
Hydration: Good

The quilted texture of the mask could have been good as it is a texture that I have not seen before in a sheet mask, but unfortunately it came off as thick and unwielding when it came to having it sit smoothly on my face.

Final verdict: The easiest fix right now is please add more essence to this mask! That's practically 80% of my issue and seems to be the case with others who have complained about this. The other issue I have seen is that this mask seems to have burned or irritated people's skin, but this was not the case with me and though I felt a cooling sensation, I did not experience any redness.

Anyone who rated this mask as "good" has not tried enough sheet masks to make a sound judgment call as even just trying ONE $2 sheet mask from The Face Shop would have changed your mind. When it comes to a sheet mask, the entire thing should be friggin' drenched in essence and the fit should not be this poor! There should not be a single dry spot and even though my skin felt hydrated afterwards, it was not worth it for the price or the experience. There are other companies out there who have been able to do a better job creating a natural cotton sheet mask (Rael, Orgaid, Andalou) so I hope Burt's Bees decides to revamp and do better. I would be more than happy to be a consultant and volunteer my face for free if it means a better sheet mask experience FOR ALL!

You can find Burt's Bees Sheet Masks in mass drugstores across North America.