NSC Face Mask with Asian Centella: A Refreshing Twist for My Skin
Hello everyone and thanks for checking out my review!
If you browse through all my reviews, you'll notice I've done a ton of them on cotton masks. But even in those few reviews I have, I'm not exactly a huge fan of cotton masks. I don't buy them in bulk and only use them occasionally – maybe once a month, maybe once every six months.
But things changed recently when I got a face massager... Using cotton masks has taken on a whole new level of interest. I'm not sure how long this will last, but for now, I'm enjoying using masks with a massager, and that's what I'm here to talk about. Today, I'm reviewing a cotton mask from NSC with centella.
Packaging and appearance
The packaging is pretty minimalist – I like it. The biggest letters on the packaging are the name of the main active ingredient. The color of the rectangle is different for each mask, but this one with centella has a rich green rectangle.
The back of the packaging has all the necessary information, including the ingredients and usage instructions – all in Russian. It's not just a sticker, it's right on the packaging. You can find the full ingredient list, how to use it, and all that jazz.
The top of the packaging has little notches to make it easy to open.
Weight, ingredients, shelf life, and deodorant
The weight listed on the packaging is 22 grams.
Ingredients:
WaterGlycerinButylene GlycolPropylene GlycolTrehaloseCentella Asiatica ExtractAloe Barbadensis Leaf ExtractPhenoxyethanolButyrospermum Parkii (Shea) ButterBetaineCarbomerPortulaca Oleracea ExtractSimmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed OilGlyceryl StearateHamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf WaterCaprylic/Capric TriglycerideAllantoinTriethanolaminePolysorbate 60Disodium EDTATocopheryl Acetate1,2-HexanediolXanthan GumFragranceSodium HyaluronateLimoneneThe shelf life is listed on the bottom of the packaging in the format 'year-month-day'. After opening, of course, the mask doesn't stay in the packaging.
There's a deodorant – it's pretty strong when you first open the packaging, but it fades quickly. It smells sweet and fresh at the same time – I kinda like it.
My skin type
I have normal skin, leaning towards oily rather than dry. My skin is problem-prone, with a tendency to break out and get acne. I also have wrinkles on my forehead and enlarged pores on my cheeks by my nose. My skin's not super sensitive, but I do get negative reactions to skincare products occasionally.
My experience with this mask
I'll start with the fit. It's pretty dense and thick, so it's not one of those flimsy masks that's as thin as tissue paper. There are some issues with the fit, but I've always got those. In this case, the bottom part of the mask is really wide, and with the dense, thick fabric, it's hard to figure out where to put all the excess.
It ends up with a lot of wrinkles, and when you take the mask off, there are skin strips left behind. One thing that did impress me is that the mask fit my forehead all the way up, which is rare. Plus, it covers the underside of my chin by about 1.5-2 inches, so all the angles are covered.
The amount of serum is moderate. It's just enough for the 15-20 minutes the mask is on your face. And the best part is that the serum doesn't pour out as soon as you take the mask off. I hate it when that happens, and you end up with a hand full of serum. The essence has a light beige color, it's semi-transparent, pretty light in texture, and pleasant.
I wore the mask for 20 minutes, and I even managed to give myself a mini-massage. There were no unpleasant sensations like tingling, pinching, or redness during that time. After 20 minutes, I took the mask off and gave myself another mini-massage with the remaining essence. Now, I'll tell you about the effect of using this mask, but first, a few words about my situation.
To be honest, my skin is usually in great shape, and I'm always happy with how it looks. But not too long ago, I got COVID. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but I've noticed that I always break out when I get COVID. It's pretty bad and painful. Maybe it was made worse by the fact that for the first few days, I was too sick to even wash my face, let alone do any other skincare. And to make matters worse, the mask I was using wasn't doing me any favors. I have two small acne spots on my forehead, and the area where the mask was is a total disaster.
Now that I'm actively working on solving the problem, I've been doing some research and found that centella is actually really good for healing wounds and inflammation. So, when I went to the store, I was on a mission to buy a centella mask. I'm already familiar with this ingredient, and it works well on me, so I had high expectations. Let's see what this mask has in store for me.
First off, the nourishment and hydration are top-notch. After using the mask, I can really feel the difference. To my surprise, my forehead wrinkles have become less pronounced. It's not going to erase all fine lines, but the 'nourishment and hydration + massage' combo can work wonders. The massage relaxes the muscles, and hydration is always a good thing for the skin.
Secondly, my skin tone has become more even, with a healthy-looking glow. The important thing is that it's not a greasy shine, but a natural-looking radiance that seems to come from within.
I didn't notice any dramatic changes to my pores. They're still the same - neither better nor worse. In other words, I'm still the same me.
The marks from breakouts have lightened up a bit, but not as much as I'd have liked. Maybe more frequent use would yield better results, but you can see the effect from a single application in these pics:
As for stickiness, I'd say it's there, but it's barely noticeable. I already had some stickiness from my morning serum before using the mask. Afterward, things weren't worse - just a bit more noticeable when I touched my face. But it's not like I felt the need to rush off to the bathroom to wash my face.
Overall, the results from using this mask look like this:
The Verdict
I'd say this is a pretty decent mask. The main thing I look for in sheet masks is hydration, and this one delivers. Plus, it's managed to smooth out some of my forehead wrinkles, which is a nice bonus.
One thing that didn't quite hit the mark for me was the lightening of post-breakout marks. I've got other products in my arsenal that do a much better job of that. And the excess fabric at the bottom of the mask is a bit of a letdown - it's just too much to deal with.
I've got to say, I still really liked the mask even if it didn't blow me away. I did see some results, and I'm totally open to buying it again in the future. Plus, I'm now curious to try out other masks from the same series. If you've tried any other masks from the series, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great day!
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