I took the last few days off as I had a bout of food poisoning that started early Wednesday morning last week followed by Inventory at work on Thursday/Friday and then ended with me having to come home from work early on Friday as the bathroom and I were just becoming too close of friends...I magically became better on Saturday morning as if nothing had happened so I think I just needed a bit of rest as classically food poisoning is 24 hours (two other people who were with me also got sick, but recovered much faster). Pre-pandemic Jayne would have continued to push to get blog posts and Instagram content out, but now I am much more okay with just coming and going in this space, though I still like to have at least 10 blog posts just for my own personal goal.
Over the years, I have gotten more questions from people who are just starting their sheet mask journey, but find navigating the Kbeauty arena a bit too daunting so it's nice that there are now options available at more accessible stores like Sephora and London Drugs. I think it's also nice to see North American brands adding some Asian skincare to their lines as it is evident that sheet masking is something that has results while also making skincare a bit more fun. I have said in the past that when it comes to the absolute best and high tech in sheet masks, biocellulose is the way to go! Invented in Taiwan for burn victims and derived from fermentation of coconut water, this material is like a second skin and is classically the most nourishing, the best fitting and leaves the nicest finish to the skin!
Neostrata has some incredible products with their chemical peels really being one of my favourites and their specialty. They are definitely one of the more "derm" brands at the drugstore and use a number of cutting edge technologies and ingredients to achieve science-backed results. I remember sitting in a talk of theirs at the London Drugs event and their approach to skincare was impressive. they are more than happy to chat about their clinical trials, their double blind studies and their patented innovations. This brand can be a bit overwhelming, but you know a great place to start? A sheet mask!
The Neostrata Pure Hyaluronic Acid Biocellulose Mask, like all other biocellulose masks, is for all skin types and especially sensitive skin. With an essence containing 0.15% hyaluronic acid (top half of the ingredients list), this mask serves to deeply hydrate, soothe and cool and of course fits perfectly on the face. Although, for my face shape, this mask wasn't the best for me as I had quite a bit of excess material and bunching at the chin.
Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caffeine, Allantoin, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum (Fragrance)
Mask Summary:
Price: $10 CDN
Skin concerns: Dryness
Scent: Powdery floral. I usually never smell any fragrance with biocellulose masks so this was the first time I was able to smell anything.
Essence Type: Clear, viscous, but not much in the packet. I would almost consider it dry by Korean mask standards. Not sure if this was the mask I had or not...
Duration: 15 minutes
Thickness: Medium for biocellulose. I didn't feel like I would tear it, but this was not as thick as my favourite My Beloved One biocellulose masks.
Mask Fit: Could have been better around the chin. It almost felt big and gaping and while it did still fold down on my chin, there was a lot of extra "fabric".
Tackiness: None
Hydration: Good!
Other notes: The mask also had a bit of a waffle pattern on it which I have never seen before in a biocellulose sheet mask.
Final verdict: In the world of biocellulose masks, this one from skincare bigwigs like Neostrata fell short for me. While the reviews for this mask were stellar, For Beloved One, Leaders in Solution's Coconut Bio Masks and Mediheal are still better in terms of fit, thickness and scent. This technology has been around in the sheet mask world for at least 5 years now, so I feel like if a big skincare brand wants to add biocellulose to their line up, there are more than enough, specifically Asian, brands out there to try and compare to. Almost every Western biocellulose mask I have tried still falls short of the Asian brands (even though they are all made in Korea/Taiwan) so I'm not sure what's going on there, but that's just my observation. Don't feel like I am dumping on Neostrata when I say this as this rant really applies to ALL the Western brands who have branched out into biocellulose. While, yes this mask was perfectly good and easily accessible for those who are a bit hesitant to try their hand in the Asian beauty world, there is still room for improvement for this particular mask.
You can find the Neostrata Pure Hyaluronic Acid Biocellulose Mask at Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs.
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