by Mary Lou |
Last Updated: November 25, 2018 When you buy something using the links on our posts, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more.
Hello, everyone! I’ve just spent several days smothering myself with Mediheal Tea Tree facial masks. Here are my findings.
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For a bit of context, I’d spent all of October backpacking across Europe (although with a carry-on suitcase and not a literal backpack). It was as glorious as it was tiring, but it totally worth it.
Near our BnB in Vienna. You should go there. It’s gorgeous.
Going back home and crossing 7 time zones put me under some really bad jet lag though. After almost 6 days of migraine, I resurfaced looking practically like a cave person – bird’s nest hair and red, inflamed skin.
Fortunately, I had in hand quite a bit of a stash of Mediheal products. Apart from some pore and moisturizing packs, I had a total of three tea tree masks which I used in the space of 4 days.
About Mediheal’s Tea Tree Mask
Mediheal is a Korean brand, and when it comes to face masks and beauty products, Korea is leading the way.
Mediheal face masks come in different varieties, from pore minimizers to brightening to moisturizers. Since we want to address inflammation and acne, I chose the Tea Tree variant.
Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia plant. It is often used in anti-acne products because of its antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Another exciting ingredient on this particular variant is centella asiatica extract, or cica for short.. There’s a lot of interesting literature on the Internet about it but the gist is how cica is used for treating wounds, incisions, and burns. It helps produce collagen, and it also inhibits inflammation.
It’s supposed to be expensive so it’s a nice surprise to see it quite high in the ingredients list.
PROS
It’s very moisturizing
On the foreground is the folded mask sheet. It looks like a stranded jellyfish.
If there’s any one thing that you will notice immediately right after use, it’s that it will really give your skin a good soak. I got so dry in Europe’s cold October climate that wrinkles I didn’t know I had just jumped out of my face. My arid skin just drank in all this delicious (and cold) moisture until it felt plump and refreshed.
If you’re applying a face mask during winter, be sure to do it in a warm room. These face masks are very cool to the touch and you’ll be shivering in an unheated room.
For summer though, a nice trick is to put it in the refrigerator prior to use. It’s very cooling and all that gel-like moisture feels great.
It can reduce redness and calm down inflamed skin
But there’s a catch. In my case, one sitting didn’t do it. I had to use the product several times to get a really noticeable effect.
Prior to my test, I had one big red pimple on my chin and red patches on my face in the areas right beside my nose and the apple of my cheeks. On a good day when I’m not too inflamed, I can pass it off as having rosy cheeks, but not after my extended trip. It just looked like I rolled through a patch of grass and got allergies.
With the first mask, the redness on my skin significantly faded after I checked in after an hour. After the second mask, on the second day, there was visibly less redness and my skin was starting to look really good. I decided to take a break on the third day and after the fourth day, my skin was sans the red patches I had before.
It lessens itchiness
My skin, especially my acne, was pretty itchy at the time. After several uses, the itchiness started to get less until it went away altogether.
It smells neither bad nor strong
I detest tea tree products because they usually smell very medicinal and have a very bad effect on my acne.
I was a bit worried picking up this tea tree mask, but it turns out to be quite mild in a sense that there’s no strong smell and my skin didn’t break out either.
The mask fits very well
While I’ve seen one or two reviews saying the mask was too small for them, majority of bloggers say that the sheet mask fits so well it’s insane.
My face, in particular, must be the perfect size for it because it stuck on just right. Usually, there’d be some wrestling involved with some excess sheet parts hanging loosely to the sides. Mediheal’s masks are an amazing fit, in my opinion.
It’s less slimy than other face masks
The nutrient-rich product makes the sheet mask look and feel slimy. A lot of people hate the feel of it but hey, it comes with the territory.
The nice thing about Mediheal’s face masks is that it doesn’t feel disgusting on your skin. It feels light and not sticky at all while it’s on. With other masks, I am tempted to wash away the excess product after I’ve discarded the mask but with these, I just let the product dry off and there’s no greasy or sticky feel after at all.
CONS
Felt some very slight stinging
So the reason I skipped one day was because after every use, I felt some heat around my nose area and the more sensitive parts of my face. This could be because I went slightly beyond the prescribed time of 10-20 minutes. It’s either that or it’s the active ingredients reacting to my sensitive skin.
Just to clarify, it was very very mild and did not cause me any discomfort. I probably wouldn’t even have noticed if I weren’t paying close attention for this review.
Pricier than other brands
Compared to other face masks in my local beauty bar, Mediheal is one of the more expensive options. It’s a very well-known brand in Korea though and it’s a matter of “you get what you pay for”.
There are cheaper face masks like Face Shop but there are no dramatic effects either.
Will I use it again?
Yes, face masks are a part of my 10 step beauty regimen. As a standalone, they probably won’t have a significant effect, but as part of an overall routine, it works great. Not only are they a luxury for your skin, they’re also a fun way to give yourself some love.
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Author: Mary Lou
In the Before Times, Maru spent vacations traveling and making stops at showrooms to test the latest massage chair models. Nowadays, she’s hunkered down in her small sunlit home dotted with her ever-growing collection of fiddle fig trees, indoor plants, and Himalayan salt lamps. Find her at LinkedIn.