Sheet masking can be a relaxing, de-stressing, and altogether wonderful treat. Brands tend to pack their sheet mask essence formulations with a high concentration of beneficial ingredients to boot, I’ve often seen them as a treat as well as a treatment!
But, what if sheet masks are used on a consistent basis? What if you use the exact same sheet mask day after day? I’ve wondered if working the same sheet mask into my daily routine for an extended period of time would bring additional benefits to my skin. Well, I decided to give it a go after spotting the Rohto Melano CC Intensive Brightening Sheet Masks on the Glowie Co. site.
Melano CC Intensive Brightening Sheet Mask
This pack of 20 sheet masks is pretty much perfect for this kind of “sheet mask challenge”, a large package with a whole stack of sheet masks cuts down on cost and packaging. One of the drawbacks to daily sheet mask use is the excess waste involved, but there is less overall packaging here which is nice.
I’ve been curious about the Melano CC products after seeing their Intensive Anti-Spot Essence pop up on several “Best Vitamin-C Products” lists over the years. Coming from the same parent brand as the beloved Hada Labo, I was excited to see what these sheet masks could do. These are actually my very first products from the Rohto umbrella to try!
Featuring both pure ascorbic acid (aka vitamin c) alongside a vitamin c derivative, the sheet mask essence also features vitamin e and two citrus fruit extracts. All of these ingredients are focused on brightening and antioxidant support. Vitamin c and vitamin e work especially well together in fighting against UV damage caused by sun exposure. They are a dream-team pairing that you often see in well formulated vitamin c serums.
Aside from that, there isn’t too much to the ingredients list. Water, glycerin, preservatives, and some texturizers are all that fall outside of the active/brightening/hydrating bits of the essence. This really is a simple and stripped down formulation that is focused solely on brightening and hydrating the skin.
As someone who constantly battles acne scarring and hyperpigmentation, these same brightening formulas are just as important to me (I’d like to think that my religious sunscreen application and hat wearing keeps a good portion of potential sun damage at bay). Ingredients like vitamin c, niacinamide, and rice ferments are the core of my brightening and hyperpigmentation reducing routine. So, these sheet masks from Melano CC seemed like the perfect test subject for this challenge.
The watery essence soaks through the lightweight and rather thin sheet mask material. Each mask in the pack is DRENCHED in essence, not once did I pull out a mask that felt half dry or like it wasn’t getting enough contact with all of that brightening goodness. I will say that the mask material itself does feel more bargain and doesn’t like to sit 100% snug on my skin (especially if I haven’t shaved in a day or two). But, it is better than some other “value set” sheet mask packs that I have used in the past from brands like Tony Moly.
Once on and situated though, my skin DRINKS up the lightweight and hydrating essence. I love the slight cooling effect that sheet masks bring, and the combination of hydration/cooling is so great with these Melano CC masks. I honestly should have kept the pack in the fridge for that extra bit of cooling!
I was able to keep these masks on anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on my schedule and how quickly they began to dry (this varied based on how dry my skin was that day and how humid it was in the house), but each time my skin was always left looking and feeling more refreshed. Immediate results included hydrated and dewy skin that had a slightly more brightened tone.
But, what really impressed me was the long term brightening and skin-tone evening benefit I noticed after about 10 days of continued use. Areas like my jawline and cheeks that are super prone to hyperpigmentation from shaving seemed to have less overall dark spots. Even my neck (that only received the excess essence and no contact with the actual mask material) appeared to be less impacted by ingrown hair-related dark spots.
As my time with this challenge came to a close, I was left with a real love and appreciation for the simplistic/effective sheet mask essence that the Rohto Melano CC Intensive Brightening Sheet Masks are soaked in. My skin loved the punch of hydration and skin-tone balancing for sure!
Long term, I think I would probably start searching for a toner or stand-alone essence that has a similar formulation over using a sheet mask every single day. There are times when my schedule/lifestyle just doesn't allow for me to sit with a mask on! But, supplementing a nice and relaxing sheet mask for a daily vitamin c product is a very nice treat that I could see myself making time for several days a week.
Anyone looking to target skin dehydration that also needs a brightening/hyperpigmentation-fighting product, the Melano CC Intensive Brightening Sheet Masks are an excellent option. Mask for mask, they are also quite affordable and cut down on single use waste over traditionally packaged sheet masks. Win, win, win!