Backstory: When it comes to Sephora, I am “Rouge” status. Sephora is where I get most of my beauty products, and therefore, receive free shipping and other benefits due to my… we’ll call it “extreme loyalty.” Shout out to my family for always hooking me up with gift cards for my birthday and other holidays– they are most definitely put to good use. 😉
When I saw that Sephora’s top-selling product was Drunk Elephant‘s new TLC Sukari Babyfacial mask, I wanted to see what it was all about. The reviews were outstanding, no matter where I looked. Every website displayed hundreds, even thousands, of reviews claiming it was a miracle skin mask. Whaat?! It was definitely a little pricier than your typical mask (such as GlamGlow), but from the reviews, appeared to be worth it in every way. Oh, and like Drunk Elephant’s other products, it was natural, safe, and clean– no synthetics.
My skin has never really had a nice even tone for as long as I can remember. Maybe when I was younger, it was smooth and even, but from sun exposure and using different cosmetic products, it hasn’t exactly been perfect. My pores were at their largest, my skin tone uneven, and expression lines were forming on my forehead. Certain products have made subtle improvements and I’m sure others have made it worse, but now, I was curious about what Babyfacial could do for my skin.
My First Reaction: So, I gave it a try. The product packaging was pretty and I was excited to open the box and put it to use. The mask itself is a creamy beige color and the smell is subtle and natural; I actually kind of like it. I applied a thin layer to my freshly washed clean skin and it’s creamy goodness begin to sink into my skin. I let it sit and began to re-watch an episode of Game of Thrones with my husband (because of course we need to get all the way back through the first 7 seasons, prior to the start of Season 8 this month). According to the directions, you’re supposed to leave the mask on for 20 minutes, but it seemed soft and nice so I left it on for the entire length of the episode (which if you watch GOT, you know this varies episode to episode, but they average a little over an hour). Oops.
I had no tingling or burning while the mask was on, but shortly after washing it off, my face began to burn. I also looked like I had some pretty severe sun burn. It felt just like sunburn too. What was going on?! Well, friends, what makes this mask so effective is the AHA(25%) and BHA(2%)– both exfoliating acids. It’s 27% acid– twenty-seven percent. That’s quite a bit when most products only have about 5-10% of these acids. This mask is comparable to a professional chemical peeling treatment you would get at a spa (without the peeling). There is a reason the directions say to leave it on for 20 minutes. You should follow that– even though I didn’t!
I did some more research on the mask and its ingredients that evening. My skin calmed down over the next hour and when I woke up the next morning, I was completely back to normal with skin that felt way softer and appeared smoother than usual. I would have to talk myself into doing it again. My skin is pretty sensitive to begin with and this was an intense mask.
Conclusion: This is a once-a-week kind of mask and I decided the following week to give it another try, but this time, for 15 minutes. I wasn’t ready to do the full 20 yet. I experienced minimal redness that faded away less than 30 minutes after washing the mask from my face. The next week I did 15 again. And this week, I did the full 20. The mask also comes with a bottle of Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil that they recommend applying to the skin after the mask is removed. It does help soothe the newly resurfaced skin.
Four weeks in, my skin has been “resurfaced.” It is brighter, smoother, tighter, and more nourished. The texture of my skin has been dramatically improved and the expression lines on my forehead are becoming less noticeable. The pores on my nose appear smaller and I definitely get less blackheads. My skin looks better with and without make-up. My foundation applies smoother and my skin look brighter, even at the end of the work day. I have to say, I am seriously impressed.
Though, my skin isn’t perfect, major improvements are happening literally right before my eyes and I couldn’t be happier about that! I look in the mirror each morning and think, “How is it possible that at age 29, my skin is getting better?!” Well, now every week, I’m getting rid of all of the dead cells that have been making my skin dull! I will continue to use this mask once per week and conjunction with my other nightly products, which I plan on writing another blog post on soon.
If you’ve been on the fence about a new face mask or getting a professional peeling treatment, give this one a try. I promise you won’t be disappointed. The bottle is a good size and I only use 1-2 pumps per use (per week), so it should last me a while too! I am officially declaring this product extremely effective and well worth the price. Take care of your skin and it will take care of you. 🙂
xo,
Ashley
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