Product Review: When™ 10PM Sheet Mask

In case you haven't noticed, I've been on a sheet mask bender lately. I really like them for a quick dose of hydration! I recently picked up one from Sephora from a Korean brand called When™. This is what the Sephora website had to say about the brand:

"When is for when your skin needs that extra care. When mask uses bio-cellulose sheet, a soft, gentle material made from coconuts that is highly effective in delivering nutrients to skin. When contains ingredients that are natural and soothing, so that even the most sensitive skin can enjoy a relaxing 30-minute at-home spa moment."


They offer five different masks, but I only purchased the 10:00 PM one, which is also referred to as "Restore". It contains hyaluronic acid and ginseng extracts for skin health, and watermelon extract and collagen for skin elasticity. It is vegan and gluten-free, and is formulated without parabens, sulfates, or phthalates.

This mask comes packaged in a sealed pouch, much like all of the other sheet masks I've tried. There are directions printed on the back...


and it also lists the ingredients (which are not the same as the ingredients listed on Sephora, just so you know):
(Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polyacrylate-13, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Bambusa Textilis Stem Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Soluble Collagen, Hydolyzed Collagen, Disodium EDTA, Colloidal Platinum, Panax Ginseng Extract, Fragrance, Limonene, Linalool, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate.) 


When you open the package, the mask is folded into fourths, and has three layers - a protective film, the mask, and a paper backing.



Once you remove the protective film and the paper backing, the mask itself is very thin and gel-like. It seems like it would be very fragile, but I didn't have any issues with it tearing. It does, however, tend to fold back upon itself easily - and once it does this, it's a little tricky to pull it apart. As I mentioned, I never tore the mask, so apparently it's pretty sturdy, but it's just something to note.


Another thing I noticed is that the openings for the eyes and mouth seemed to be just a little smaller than most of the other masks I've tried, which I appreciated. However, they were still much too large to be of any benefit directly under my eyes or around my mouth.


So I did my usual "cut and paste", and cut excess material off other parts of the mask and used it under my eyes and around my mouth.

NOTE TO MASK MANUFACTURERS: Please start including small half-moon cut-outs that we can place under our eyes and around our mouths to treat those areas, too! Or maybe make the sides of the mask perforated so that we can tear/cut them easily to use those parts under the eyes and around the mouth!

I left the mask on for about 45 minutes (it says 30, but I like to leave mine on a little longer), and when I removed it, most of the serum had already been absorbed. My skin felt plump and hydrated, and just a little tacky to the touch. There was a good bit of serum left in the pouch, so I poured it into a couple of clean rollerball bottle applicators to use for hydration later. Why waste all of that good stuff?

I was initially concerned that this mask had alcohol listed as an ingredient, and it didn't specify what type of alcohol. It's not listed as an ingredient on the Sephora website, but it's on the package. I didn't have any issues with irritation at all. I actually liked the way my skin felt after using the mask. The gel-like consistency of the mask, the thinness, and the way it adhered to my skin is probably my favorite type of mask. I feel like these types of mask "push" the serums deeper into the skin - more so than the typical "paper" masks.

The cost of this mask was $7, which, if you want to use it three times per week, can get a bit pricey. Apparently, you can also purchase them in packs of 4, but not from Sephora. According to the When™ website, the masks are sold at Anthropologie, Beautychoice, Birchbox, Kitson, Rickys NYC, and Sephora. Of course, I've also seen them on Amazon and eBay.


The other four masks by this manufacturer are:

• The Last Choice (Hydrate) - hyaluronic acid, saccharide isomerate, ginseng
• Snow Magic (Brighten & Hydrate) - aloe, arbutin, hyaluronic acid, ginseng
• Makeup Base (Prep) - hyaluronic acid, ginseng, adenosine, collagen, peptides
• Travelmate (Refresh) - Swiss Alpine herbs, hyaluronic acid, saccharide isomerate, ginseng, chamomile

I definitely plan to repurchase this mask, and will probably try some of the others in this line.

Have you tried any of the When sheet masks?
If so, what did you think? If not, do you plan to try them?
Do you like sheet masks?