Brian Jeffrey
Sheet masks have been buzzing in the beauty world since at least 2016, and the novelty still hasn’t worn off. There’s something about finishing your day with a cool sheet mask that feels incredibly relaxing. Now, there’s a new sheet mask on the market that instantly dissolves into your face. Artis launched Phantom Silks Skincare Primer with Hyaluronic Acid ($15), a two-piece nanofiber face mask that prepares your face to be deeply moisturized.
Dermatologists and skin-care fanatics alike adore hyaluronic acid because it’s super hydrating. Hyaluronic acid acts like a vacuum, pulling moisture into your skin, so it’s a great step to precede the rest of your skin-care routine; applying hyaluronic acid onto moistened skin allows the rest of your routine to penetrate better. The hyaluronic acid delivered this way doesn’t oxidize, like it can in serum format. This mask uses the same nanofiber technology that Artis uses in its Phantom Cleansing Silks ($10).
The application process for this dissolving sheet mask is a bit extra. First, remove the mask from the sachet and wet your face. You can use water, or your favorite face mist. I opted for my forever go-to Mario Badescu Facial Spray ($12). For the next step, you’ll want to make sure your hands are dry, or you risk the mask just dissolving into your fingertips. Remove paper liner from the mask, and with mesh liner facing outwards, pick up the mask by the tabs and apply it to your face. Generously mist your face again to deliver the mask into the skin, and then remove the mesh overlay. That’s it—you basically have a moisturizing serum on your skin ready to go. Massage the mask into your skin with your fingers or a face roller, follow up with any serums you normally use, and apply moisturizer.
Now, if that sounds like a lot of steps to apply what’s essentially a serum—it is. While I was applying the mask, though it was a cool process, it kind of felt like a waste of time. But the “extra” part of this routine it worth it and makes up for itself further into your routine. As soon as I removed the mesh overlay and felt my skin, it made sense. What I felt on my face was much thicker than what I typically get with a hyaluronic acid serum. And when I followed up with my usual vitamin C serum and SPF moisturizer, my face felt plumper and dewier.
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Shirley Chi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in California, says this is likely because the nanofiber mask allows you to apply more product to your skin and in a more even layer then when you’re using a traditional serum. Another benefit of delivering the product in a single-use mask, is that it doesn’t need preservatives.
“Anytime you can avoid preservatives that a benefit because some people are sensitive to preservatives,” says Dr. Chi. “Sometimes preservatives do interact with our skin in ways that you know we don’t even maybe aren’t even aware of until much later testing will show that wasn’t good for us.”
Artis recommends using this mask twice a week, which for $15 a mask ($38 for 3, $80 for 8) definitely makes this a high-end treatment. During a time when your next in-person facial seems like it 10,432,345 days into the future, this is a great product to get that feeling at home. And the technology makes it pretty cool to play with.
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Written by: WellGood
