Robb Recommends: The New Men’s Face Masks 3 Out of 4 Guys at Robb Report Really Like
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If you take a scroll through the trendier sections of Instagram, you might leave with the impression that every cool guy on the planet is constantly doing some kind of sheet mask. That, of course, couldn’t be further from the truth.
There’s no shortage of reasons for this, but the primary one is that even though more and more guys are waking up to the power of multi-step grooming routines, most sheet masks just aren’t optimized for their faces. The versions that aren’t made specifically for men often don’t fit right—and, as with your suits and shoes, a sheet mask is one area where fit really matters. Another factor: for a long time, there was only one on the market (Jaxon Lane’s Bro Mask) that accommodated facial hair.
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That changed in late January when a new brand called HeTime debuted its first products, two face masks it’s billing as “the first time machine for your face.” (Both hydrating masks are made from a cellulose material; one features an anti-aging serum and the other is soaked in a revitalizing serum.) They differ from other men’s sheet masks in that they only cover your forehead, nose and cheeks—a configuration that makes it especially useful for men with beards or stubble. They also promise immediate results, a claim we here at Robb Report thought was too strong not to test for ourselves.
We asked our staff writer Bryan Hood and our deputy editor Josh Condon to try the Revitalizing & Hydrating Mask, which features moringa, cedarwood and baobab extracts. The ingredients are supposed to work together to help your skin look, well, fresh.
“It was extremely easy to use and convenient, even if it was a little big for my face,” said Hood, who noted that the bottom of the mask hung over the top of his beard. “I was mainly glad that it necessitated none of the DIY cutting I normally have to resort to if I use a face mask.”
That shape, which Condon said had a “Magneto helmet effect,” is useful for multitasking. “I could drink a cup of tea and kind of go about doing other stuff because it wasn’t covering my entire face,” he added. Both testers mentioned that the serum absorbed into their skin pretty well, and had the intended revitalizing effect. “This one, in particular, would totally be the thing that you put on like 45 minutes before the plane lands,” Condon said. “Everything felt kind of nice and refreshed.”
The Anti-Aging & Hydrating Mask wasn’t as universally praised. Our digital director John Vorwald appreciated its smell and soothing qualities (it features green tea and coconut water to calm the skin), and mentioned that it would be the kind of thing “that would probably have a better impact with regular use.” Our editor in chief Paul Croughton had a different experience. “I can’t honestly say it did anything,” he said. “I did look in the mirror the next day and think I didn’t look too much like a train wreck. So that’s something, I suppose.”
Still, the masks are a definite improvement on (and valuable addition to) the small constellation of men’s face masks in the marketplace, and seem to work well for most guys who try them. (The company’s website boasts that 89 percent of guys who try the Anti-Aging mask say they look better the next day.) If they help guys take a little more time for self care, that’s a good thing.
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