- After years of acne, my skin is now breakout-free, but I still deal with the scarring, dull skin, and large pores.
- I've never been a huge fan of sheet masks because I find one-use products to be wasteful. So, I'll use them sparingly before an event or something for which I want my skin to look particularly good.
- I tried the Firming and Brightening Rubber Cryo Masks from Dr. Jart, and they completely transformed my skin immediately. I looked like I had foundation on, and plan on using one of them before any big event (or Facetime date) from now on.
- The naturally cooling "Cryo" benefits come from algae and clay, infused in the rubber mask itself.
After many years of hormonal acne, my skin has (mostly) recovered other than the occasional, inevitable breakout every now and then. Though breakouts aren't as common anymore, my skin still suffers the effects of the years of acne past, as is proof in my large pores, scarring, and sometimes dull skin that has slowly gotten better with time, as is usually the case in anyone's twenties.
I had seen the Dr. Jart rubber face masks all over Instagram for many years, but assuming they were just another gimmick, I didn't think they were worth trying till the "Cryo" cooling versions were sent to me in the mail one day. On a whim one day, I saw them in my drawer and thought it wouldn't hurt to give them a try.
The Brightening Vitamin C Mask
First, I tried the brightening one. The way it works is that there's a little sachet (or "ampoulle") about the size of a pinky finger filled with a cream product. I applied the full tube of product (there's a lot!) on to the face without massaging it in, because I wanted to wait till it really sunk in with the mask on. The mask then comes in two pieces for the top and bottom half of the face.
The mask kept slipping off my face a lot in the beginning, so I laid flat on my bed staring at my ceiling, listening to Netflix for about 35 minutes (no complaints). Almost immediately, the mask had a cooling effect on my skin. I'll occasionally put face masks in the fridge before putting them on my skin, because the cold has a tightening effect on my large pores, and this somehow felt the exact same way.
When I took the mask off, my skin looked like I had glowy foundation and highlighter on with an Instagram effect right at golden hour. I left all the product on my face and massaged the vitamin C and melanin-stimulating niacinamide product into my skin. I put nothing but a bit of eye cream on before sleeping with it on. Waking up, I looked in the mirror to find it was the closest my dull skin has ever gotten to looking like J-Lo's, so of course, I couldn't wait to try the plumping mask.
The Firming Collagen Mask
I thought my skin had reached its pique till I tried this firming mask, which, honestly, I liked even more. I have large pores, especially around my nose and cheekbones, and since that's something most dermatologists say can't really be fixed unless I want serious surgery, I'd pretty much given up on finding a long-term fix — till trying this.
After a mere thirty minutes of wearing this, and massaging the leftover product into my face, my pores had actually shrunk. I was honestly shocked and amazed by the carob fruit extract-infused product's ability to stimulate collagen growth so quickly. Like the true beauty junkie I am, my first thought was how much better makeup would go on to my face without it dipping deep into my large pores.
I tested it out, and my foundation looked better — in the mirror and in selfies — than usual. In just one use, this is a new go-to for my skincare regimen before big events. I'm already planning on wearing it before my sister's wedding, and that's nearly a year from now.
I'll be honest, I've never been a huge fan of sheet masks, as they can oftentimes be wasteful. To use something once only to throw it away right after seems unnecessary, which is why I prefer to use these sparingly. That said, the short-term effect these masks have on my skin is so incredible and immediate (not to mention, less expensive) that I prefer them over any in-spa or dermatologist facial I've ever gotten.
