This Hydrogel Sheet Mask Suctions to Your Face to Draw Out the Gunk
Hi, my name is Elizabeth and I've been a passionate member of Team Face Masks for quite a few years now. If it bubbles? I'll try it. Peels off? I want it. Made of clay? I need it. Heck, I'll even slather on Nickelodeon-esque slime if they say it'll deliver blemish-free, brightened skin. But a sheet mask? Thank you, next.
Sure, I've given a few a-go but I have never (yes, never) looked in the mirror afterward and thought, "ah, yes, lying on my back like a log and staring at the blank ceiling for nearly 30 minutes just so the mask stays put was truly time well spent." Not only are they seemingly ineffective but sheet masks are also wasteful. And all that slipping and sliding on my face makes what's supposed to be a few moments of self-care into a cranky, bothersome experience.
But then my world was rocked harder than the Hanson Brothers singing "MMMBop" out of my childhood walkman when I tried ZitSticka's Press Refresh (Buy It, $36 for five, ulta.com).
Now, I know what you're thinking: why would you try a sheet mask if you're so unenthused by them in the first place? Because I strongly believe ZitSticka's products are made of magic (see: my love letter to the brand's Killa Kit) — and, after trying their "breakout-proof" mask, I'm more hooked than ever.
Each Press Refresh sheet mask is made of jelly-like hydrogel that, while slippery in your hands, suctions right onto your face. Meaning, there's no need to stop everything you're doing for a good 20 minutes and lie down to ensure the product stays put. And from the moment it adheres to your skin, it starts delivering a cooling sensation that's surprisingly calming. Meanwhile, a cocktail of powerhouse ingredients gets to work transforming your skin into a clear, dewy reality that you thought was only possible in your dreams.
To my dermatologist's disappointment, I can be a bit of a skin picker. And as any pimple popping enthusiast knows, just a few minutes up close and personal with the mirror can leave you with red marks that last for days, at least. So, after doing some picking damage one night, I decided to put Press Refresh to the test. Sure, the product left me floored on a good skin day. But, I wasn't expecting its magic to be strong enough to undo my handy work on a bad skin day. (After all, I'd just taken a comedone extractor to the face and tried to squeeze what I quickly learned was a burgeoning chin cyst in a moment of weakness.)
Fast forward 20 minutes, and I was yelling for my boyfriend to come into the bathroom. Why? Because he had to see my face. Any post-picking red, swollen spots were gone and the pesky pimples I was trying to get rid of were smaller. Yes, the cyst was still there (ugh, hormonal acne), but it was far less angry and achy. Some might say it was a miracle, but I know it was all because of ZitSticka's roster of superstar ingredients, including breakout-busting salicylic, glycolic, and lactic acids, ultra-hydrating hyaluronic acid, and skin-soothing niacinamide.
- 36 Available at Ulta
To be fair, one Press Refresh kit, which includes five single-use face masks, will set you back more than $30. But the breakout-reducing effects of just one short session last for days. So, as long as my acne-prone skin is behaving, I try to stick to only using a mask once every 1 -2 weeks to make my supply last. (Related: Clinical Skin Care Is Merging with Clean Beauty to Create Products That Actually Work)
Still, the uncanny ability to hydrate acne-prone skin while clearing breakouts and keeping them at bay is definitely a reason to buy a box (or, TBH, five) to at least have in your repertoire. And hopefully, the mask's magic will somehow help me stop picking entirely (hey a girl can dream). But until then, I'll continue to appreciate its wizardry for healing my bad habit when I come to my senses and step away from the mirror.
