By Meirav Devash, Allure
I've always loved the idea of at-home face masks, which seem like a leisurely and vaguely glamorous way to spend time. When I buy them, I imagine myself sipping champagne while reclining in bed and chatting on a Crosley Princess rotary phone. I should clarify that I never actually do face masks, just like I'd never really chat on the phone with a friend. (Text me or lose my number.) Masks just languish in my bathroom because the process takes forever and I feel like they're asphyxiating my skin. Don't get me started on the indignity of combing bits of goo out of your hair even though you remembered to use a headband.
Then I heard about Splash Masks, a new skin-care category from Korea. "They're a game changer," says Sarah Lee of the beauty-import site Glow Recipe, who admits that the multistep Korean skin-care rigmarole can be a little much, even for a cosmetics junkie. Inspired by old-timey rice-water masks of the past, they've got a potent twist. In just 15 seconds, Patting Splash Masks by Blithe give skin the same fresh glow as a 20-minute mask ritual with barely any effort.
Here's how: Though they're thin and watery like essences or toners, they contain a concentrate of potent antioxidant botanicals, exfoliating lactic acid, and moisturizing glycerin. They're available in three targeted formulas--Rejuvenating Purple Berry (fruity smelling), Energizing Citrus & Honey (zesty), and Soothing & Healing Green Tea (herby and slightly medicinal). To be honest, calling them "masks" might be wishful thinking, like when people call Montreal bagels "bagels" as though they have anything in common with the New York City version. "With a high level of exfoliating lactic acid, it seems to me more like an AHA cleanser that you rinse away in 30 seconds," says dermatologist Heidi Waldorf.
The recommended application calls for a capful of the fluid diluted in a clean bowl of water (approximately 24 ounces). Stir, then gently pat the mixture onto the skin.
Since there's no way I'm doing extra dishes, I also got Glow Recipe founders Sarah Lee and Christine Chang to share their time-saving in-shower hack. Bring the bottle with you and pour half a capful of fluid into your palms. Take 15 to 30 seconds to splash, and keep patting it into the skin, then follow with clean shower water. That's it!
So whether I've technically just done a mask or not, I immediately get to go on with my life with plumper, fresher, more glow-y skin--and no annoying residue to scrub out of my roots.
Photos: Delphine Achard/W; Courtesy of Blithe
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