This Hydrating Face Mask Calms My Skin in Just 10 Minutes

It's come to my attention that retinol and spring allergies aren't the best combo for my skin. While I love the results that retinol brings to my complexion, it can further exacerbate my irritation from allergies. The constant friction from rubbing my nose and overall itchiness and irritation weren't doing my skin any favors. I had inflamed, sensitive skin with dry, flaky patches on my cheeks. It needed a hydrating, healing pick-me-up — which is why I decided to try out Farmacy's Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask ($60).

Farmacy's Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask

From

$60

$60 at QVC

Farmacy's new Honey Potion Hydration Mask is loaded with skin barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, and vitamin B5, as well as soothing ingredients like Centella Asiatica extract, allantoin, and honey extract. It also contains apple extract, which the brand claims helps with hydration. Plus, it has niacinamide, vitamin E, propolis extract, and ginger root extract, which help with evening out the skin and brightening it up. What most intrigued me is that this mask has a warming sensation as a part of the treatment; normally, a cooling agent is used to calm and soothe irritation and inflammation. I was pretty curious to see how warmth would affect my flaky and inflamed skin, and I'm happy to report that it felt soothing and comforting — like having a tension-relieving heating pad on my face. In fact, I fell asleep with it on for half an hour. The warming sensation was that relaxing, and it lasted for the entire treatment.

Once I washed off the treatment (the mask was easy to rinse off and melted away with water), my skin felt softer and smoother. The mask even made my skin appear a little bit brighter. My complexion wasn't as dull, and my irritation and redness had lessened. Overall, my skin felt more moisturized. I followed the treatment with the rest of my skin-care routine, and my skin didn't feel as sensitized as before. The brand says that the warming sensation helps the ingredients penetrate deeper into the skin, and while I'm not sure if it actually did that, the whole thing felt like a calming spa experience.

As a plus, the mask comes in smart and functional packaging, with a metal spatula you can use to scoop up the product for a hassle-free and sanitary application. The wooden lid of the container has a built-in magnet, providing a secure home for the metal spatula when it's not in use. No more random spatulas lost in your cabinets or falling on the floor!

I used about two small dollops (as pictured) of the product to apply a generous, even layer over my entire face. The Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask looked like solid raw honey and had the same thick, viscous texture; surprisingly, it wasn't sticky. The rich mask glided easily onto my skin for smooth application, and as I massaged it in, the mask went from a translucent honey-like yellow to an opaque, white, creamy texture. The warming sensation started simultaneously, too. You're supposed to keep the mask on for about 10 to 15 minutes and then wash it off. I use the hydrating treatment whenever my skin needs a pick-me-up — which, at present, is around twice a week.

Although this is suitable for all skin types, especially those that lean more sensitive, if you are worried about how the warming sensation will affect your skin, I recommend doing a patch test first.

In short, I truly enjoyed Farmacy's Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask: it revitalized my skin and strengthened its moisture barrier while providing a relaxing, calming experience. The mask is great for calming and hydrating my skin when it's feeling stripped and overworked. Using Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask is like hitting the reset button on my skin — it gives my skin the moisture and replenishment it needs, especially after I use retinol and other active ingredients. I highly recommend incorporating it into your routine — especially if you apply a good amount of actives. The mask has done wonders in getting my skin back into a balanced, healthy state.

The Farmacy Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask is available on the brand's site, Sephora, Amazon, and QVC.

Rating:
★★★★★