Etude House Collagen Moistful Essential Massage

One of the many skincare products I purchased from my latest trip to Hong Kong was this big jar of mask.  I call it big, because at 200ml and only a small amount is required for each use, it will probably last me a few months.

I was a bit hesitant at first in regards to how to use this product.  There seems to be some confusion because of the packaging.  In the website where I usually get my skincare products, it is known as Etude House Moistful Massage Mask.  The overall packaging is also different: the color is a few shades lighter, there is hangul on the packaging, and even the shape of the tub is slightly different.

Not wanting to misuse this product, but at the same time dying to try it out, I spent some time before my bedtime to research on-line and finally found my answer.  Like the product on the Momomango website, this tub that I have on hand can also be used in 3 ways:

1. Massage: Apply the gel to cleansed skin. Massage for 2-3 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.
2. Pack: Apply ample layer to cleansed skin. Leave on for 10-15 minutes. Tissue off and then wash face thoroughly with cleansing milk.
3. Overnight pack: Apply ample layer to cleansed skin. Leave on overnight. Rinse off thoroughly in the morning.

I am not very good with massaging my own face (although I try to imitate what the facial lady does to me on my daughter), so #1 is not really my thing.  As for treating it as a wash off mask (#2), I am not doing that as well because I just had my mask sheet for the evening.  In fact, for the month of February, I will be using one type of mask sheet all because of a special packaging that restricted me from using others.  (*I will write about it at the end of this article so that I don't confuse readers.)

So that leaves option #3 for me ~ to treat it as an overnight / sleeping mask.  I love overnight masks!  Somehow I think that is the best way to get all the goodness to absorb into the skin.  I've tried the Skinfood Fermented Pomegranate Whitening Sleeping Mask, and I use it in place of night creams (I always have the impression that night creams are too rich for me).  I also have a tube of Missha's Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Sleeping Mask waiting for me to try next.  (Okay, back to Etude House...)

As a sleeping mask, this mask is really on the sticky side.  You do need to be prepared that some of it may get onto the pillow during the night when you toss and turn.  But other than that, I can't find much fault with it, as the scent is quite lovely as well.  (Even my 3 yr old said, "Oh, it smells so good!", and kids are always the most honest judges.)  You may find it a bit tricky to deal with the jelly like mask, but it's all in good fun.  Remember, only a small amount is needed, just enough to cover your face with a thick layer of the product (of course, I avoided the eyes area just to be safe, as the eye lids are the most delicate part on the face).

I slept with this product for most of the night (went to bed before midnight with this sleeping mask, and was woken up by my 3 yr old around 5am).  It was still sticky after 5 hours, so I decided to wash it off and apply some The FACEShop Arsainte Eco-Therapy Extreme Moisture Daily Moisturizer and go back to sleep.  When I finally wake up for good at 7am, I found my face to be really elastic (probably all thanks to the collagen in the Moistful mask), hydrated (it's "moistful", after all), and very smooth.  I was running around the house poking my cheeks (cause they just feel so supple to the touch) and asking my husband to feel my cheeks.  Even as I type now, which is 11 hours after I woke up this morning, my cheeks are still very smooth and well hydrated.  I love this product and will use it again tonight even though I may dirty my pillow with this sticky jelly.  In fact, I will try to persuade my 7 yr old daughter to let me use this product on her as a massaging gel during the daily facial routine I give her before her bedtime.  Yes, this is how much I like this mask!

* I promised to write about the mask sheets that I will be using for the entire month of February.  It is Skinfood's Sea Blackhorn Berry Oil Daily Mask Sheet.  It comes in a pack of 20 masks in the form similar to that of disposable wipes.  The first sheet of the pack, as expected, was sort of dry as it was sitting so close to the opening (even though it was sealed closed with a sticker like you will see in baby wipes).  The second sheet was better, but my concern is that if I don't use them quick enough, they will just dry up and all go to waste.  So, for the month of February (most of it anyway, for there are only 20 sheets), I have dedicated myself to use only this disposable mask sheet until they are all used up.