Masks are fun and a booster for your skincare. There’s the crumbly mud kind, the fizzy foamy kind, the drippy sheet kind, the moisturizer kind, and the peel off kind. Personally I like the peel off kind, because I already have 1232 steps in my skincare and peeling it off is much simpler and less messy than rinse it off at a sink. For today, we will be playing with Boscia peel off masks: blue for hydration, white for anti-aging/whitening, green for oil-control and black for detox.
I originally got into peel off masks when I discovered Sekkisei Kose, and that stuff is strong I tell ya. It’s great when your skin is sturdy and feels flaky and greasy. It feels like you are peeling the top layer off, but it will make you cry if you use it after showering when your skin is softer. That set me on a quest to find a peel off mask that is fun and don’t make me cry, which led me to Boscia. Now then, which kind is right for you? let’s find out.
Luminizing Black Mask
The first peel off mask Boscia came out with. It’s suppose to be detox, brightening and purifying. While it’s not as intense as my Sekkise Kose, it will pull off some peach fuzz and may hurt for raw/sensitive/irritated/hairy skin. I don’t notice much brightening, altho I suppose since it does pull everything out, it does hae a purifying/detox effect. It also have a herbal scent and definitely makes my eyes sting/nose water all 3 times I tried it and no matter what amount I use. If the scent does not irritate you and you don’t mind it having more pulling power than scotch tape, it would be good for unclog pores and purifying due to the clay, vitamin C and the pulling power.
Bright White Mask
The second peel off mask Boscia come out with. It have a mild clinical scent and is a hydrating, brightening and anti-aging mask. I can’t speak to the anti-aging part and the brightening isn’t noticeable, but it is indeed hydrating and smoothing. My combo skin gets a little oily in the summer and when I tried it, it was SO STUFFY! But later when I tried it again in the winter when my skin is dry and sensitive, it definitely hydrates and smoothes. It does not have any cooling or tingling feeling going on, so it won’t irritate sensitive/chapped skin, and while you won’t get that moist feeling when you take it off, your face will feel more hydrated/smooth. It is very soft tho and impossible to peel off in one piece. I have used up a tube of this and no matter how thick I lather it on, I just CANNOT get the edges off so I usually rub it off with a toner soaked cotton pad.
Cool Blue Calming Mask
It have a fresh/clean scent and felt cool and tingly when applied. It’s sheerer than the other 3 masks as you can probably see in the picture above. It peels off in one piece pretty easily but don’t tug on the skin like the black mask. Skin feel hydrated afterward but without the slightly rubbery feel of the white mask. Second ingredient is Polyvinyl Alcohol, but it’s not actually drying/harsh alcohol, it’s used in eye drops so it’s the moisturizing kind. The third ingredient is witch hazel water, which is great for oily skin but not as much for dry skin. Basically it’s great for dehydrated skin, even if you are usually on the oily side, but probably not enough hydration for super dry skin. I might repurchase it, since it’s less messy/fussy than other rinse off hydration masks and feel just as good. It have the same top 3 ingredients as the black mask, so it hydrates without making skin oily but is much gentler.
Green Tea Oil-control mask
It is suppose to keep skin smooth, clear and free of shine. It smells vaguely fruity and feels cooling/tingly going on. It does peel off in one piece, unlike the white, but does not hurt at all, unlike the black. Skin feels clean and matte afterward, and I would recommend this more than the black one if you are looking for something purifying for oily/combo skin.
Overall
My personal favorite is the blue mask. It hydrates without making my combination skin feel oily or stuffy and peels off easily. It does have a cooling/tingly effect when applied. If you need more hydration or have sensitive skin, then the white mask might be a better choice. If you have problem lifting off the little pieces for white, I use a scotch tape over it to help lift it off. You can rinse your face afterward to get rid of the edges, or if you peeled enough off you can just wipe it off with toner on one side of the pad, then use the other side to tone.
The black is very strong so it’s good for nose area if you find pore strips to be too intense. If you don’t like the strong peach-fuzz pulling power and/or the scent irritates your eyes like me, then the green one is a better choice. I used to use peel off masks to get rid of those flaky skin and clogged pores that scrubs can’t get rid off, but since I’ve been exfoliating more regularly and keep it hydrated, that’s no longer a problem. Personally I prefer a clay mask for detox/purify/oil-control, but if that’s too messy for you then the green mask is a good choice.
In short, peel off masks can be fun and not scary, and not all of them tugs/feel damaging to the skin. If you want to try all 4 of them, Sephora currently have a set that would be fun to play around with. Enjoy!
http://www.sephora.com/the-art-of-multi-masking-kit-P385211?skuId=1584937
Chic Dabbling 
I love this post but don’t think that peel off face masks are for me because they are pretty much giant pore strips for face and I have to *force* myself to use at least one pore strip every month ( I always have tears streaming down my face when I pull it off). And no I don’t leave it on for more than 10 minutes and I very slowly peel it off from both sides. >_< Plus my skin's sensitive so I'd rather not put it through that torture lol.
Aw, you don’t have to fear it. The black one is a bit stronger than firmly smoothing a good scotch tape onto skin. If you peel it off then smooth it on again 2 or 3 more times, that’s what the green and blue mask feels like. But if you don’t like peel off, there are plenty of good masks. =)