I’ll be honest with you. When I see the words “coconut” on a facial cosmetic, I tend to put that product right back on the shelf. For someone prone to acne and oily skin, the thought of smothering the thick white oil sends shudders down my spine. Don’t get me wrong; I love coconut oil for my body, hair and food. But when it comes to my face? No thanks.
So when Leaders Cosmetics USA treated me with their Recovery Gel Masks, I was a little hesitant at first. But my fear soon melted away. They actually are made from 100% fermented coconut juice sourced from Leaders’ farm in Vietnam. The resulting coconut gel material is packed with vitamins B and C and is supposed to be 10 times more hydrating than a cotton sheet mask. Each time I popped one of these babies on, the smooth gel material gave me a refreshing, cool-tingling sensation. Compared to other sheet masks that can be flimsy or unfold into an utter mess, these masks had the ideal sized cutouts and contorted seamlessly to my face. Rather than feel like I couldn’t move an inch or risk the entire sheet slipping off, I could talk, drink and take plenty of selfies in those 20 minutes of me-time.
The Recovery line has four varieties, each one with different key ingredients to power its formulation. The balancing mask has AC-Fensine to clear pores. The brightening mask uses Telangyn and Niacinamide to banish dull skin. The lifting mask relies on Mushroom Complex extracts and Active Lifting Serilesine to do its magic. And the hydrating masks packs peptides and amino acids to increase smoothness and hydration. As if that wasn’t enough, all of the masks combine witch hazel and different flower extracts to pamper your face.
I gave the lifting mask to my mom (she loved it) and tried the other three for myself. The balancing and brightening masks seemed the most closely aligned with my facial needs. After only one use, though, it’s difficult to say whether they delivered on their specific promise. I didn’t really notice that my pores were cleared or my skin brighter. Nonetheless, each mask drenched my skin with luxurious serums and left it feeling plumped and hydrated. And the masks never made me breakout—a major plus in my book. I only noticed some irritation when I left the brightening mask on for 30 minutes instead of 20 minutes. Yup, those instructions are there for a reason people!
The masks come at $7 a pop and can be purchased on their website or in stores like Ulta and Free People. For the quality design and ingredients, stocking up on your niche formulation and using them on a weekly basis could lead to incredible results. It’s never too early to start fending off that midterm slump.