So... I hoard masks, and then I forget to use them, because I am super forgetful.. Which leads to masks expiring on me before I decided to look at my humongous stash. So what's a girl to do? Chuck them? Use it as a body mask? Or just risk it and use it on my face?
Well, being the cheapskate I am, I chose to use it on my face.
The decision wasn't made lightly though. Part of the reason why I decided to risk it was due to the Leaders coconut gel masks. Now, there was a bit of an upset over these masks and their expiry dates back in late 2015 and early 2016. Leaders USA had their popular coconut gel masks for 50% off for the Thanksgiving sale and people bought TONS of it. Then they discovered the expiry dates were January 26, 2016, only giving them just over two months to use it all. I bought tons of coconut gel masks from Leaders Canada in December and the expiry dates were also January 2016. I meant to use it all by then but school got the best of me and I totally forgot to use them.
I can't remember if it is on Instagram or Reddit, but someone reached out to Leaders regarding the expiry date. Their response, and I am paraphrasing based on my recollection, is that the masks are still okay to use. The expiry date listed is the best use date, but the masks are still usable after the expiry date. It's something along those line. People didn't buy it, but hey, if the company says the masks are okay to use after the expiry date listed, I will use them. So I tried the coconut gel masks that I have already tried before the expiry date and it didn't cause my skin to be upset. So I thought, then why not try it with all the other expired masks.
Now, I am not advocating the usage of expired skin products or anything. Especially if your skin is super sensitive and reactive!!!! Please don't use expired masks and skincare if your skin is super uber sensitive! I only use expired masks because I know my skin is quite non-reactive.
Let's get going with my expired masks~!
Whamisa Organic Fruits & Tomato Fermented Hydrogel Facial Mask with lactobacillus
This was a splurge item that I bought because everyone was raving about it. I just didn't want to use it up!! They cost around $5.30 each + shipping from TesterKorea. It's a lot more in CAD due to the currency exchange, but I think it was at par when I purchased. Anyways, I held on to it and held on it.. Then I realized it's been a couple of weeks after expiration... Oops.... Anyways, I decided to use it up anyways.. It's an expensive mask!
The mask itself has a very strong gingery fermented smell to it. Which makes sense since it's supposed to be fermented.
The mask came in two pieces, the bottom half was half stuck to the packaging so the white backing came off easily. It is all gel material, so there is no lining in the center to hold it all together. But fortunately, the material is thick enough that it doesn't tear easily.
They fit my face well, but unfortunately, I think my face is too big for it. The top barely hit the top of my forehead, and the sides does not reach my ears.. T__T My face is too round! The eye hole is just a bit high up for me as well. I had to drag the upper piece down to cover my nose and the eye hole sits just under my eyes... Overall, I think this mask is just not fit for my round chubby face.
Let's get going with my expired masks~!
Whamisa Organic Fruits & Tomato Fermented Hydrogel Facial Mask with lactobacillus
This was a splurge item that I bought because everyone was raving about it. I just didn't want to use it up!! They cost around $5.30 each + shipping from TesterKorea. It's a lot more in CAD due to the currency exchange, but I think it was at par when I purchased. Anyways, I held on to it and held on it.. Then I realized it's been a couple of weeks after expiration... Oops.... Anyways, I decided to use it up anyways.. It's an expensive mask!
The mask itself has a very strong gingery fermented smell to it. Which makes sense since it's supposed to be fermented.
The mask came in two pieces, the bottom half was half stuck to the packaging so the white backing came off easily. It is all gel material, so there is no lining in the center to hold it all together. But fortunately, the material is thick enough that it doesn't tear easily.
They fit my face well, but unfortunately, I think my face is too big for it. The top barely hit the top of my forehead, and the sides does not reach my ears.. T__T My face is too round! The eye hole is just a bit high up for me as well. I had to drag the upper piece down to cover my nose and the eye hole sits just under my eyes... Overall, I think this mask is just not fit for my round chubby face.
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| Before: Urg I was breaking out BAD back then.. |
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| After |
I had it on for 45 minutes. I took it primarily because the upper lip area was dried up, but the rest of the mask was still moist. Oddly enough, the left side of my face felt sticky while the right side isn't. So I guess the side of my face was more thirsty than the left side?
My face felt moisturized, it was especially evident when I was applying my moisturizer that night. It went on so much smoother... I can see why this mask is so expensive... Other than that, I didn't see any other results, but then again, the mask is expired so I am not expecting much besides moisturizing properties.
Kao Megurhythm Steam Eye Mask
Now I don't know what's wrong with me, but it was a HOT night that I decided to use this.. Why would a sane person use a steaming eye mask on a hot night? I have no idea...
The mask felt warm to the touch as soon as I took it out of the package. It felt very nice against my eyes, I can feel my eyes starting to relax a bit. But it didn't last very long. The mask cools down within minutes. I ended up pressing the mask against my eyes to ensure I get every bit of that nice warmth. The box did say it only last about 10 minutes, and I did waste some time taking pictures so that sounds about right.. Yes.. I don't get why I decided to take pictures before I used the mask instead of after.. It still looks the same.. ^__^;;
I really liked this mask! I love that I can get it at my local Superstore and T&T. I am going to see if I can track down the rose and yuzu flavour locally. ^_^
Shara Shara Pink Piggy Collagen Hydrogel Mask
I got a pack of 5 of these masks for free from Shara Shara when I purchased the All In One ampoules from them. I only ended up getting 4 due to the weight limit, but that's okay. :)
The mask has no discernible smell and is actually slightly pink. It comes between a semi hard plastic backing and a softer backing. Obviously you are supposed to take off the hard backing and smooth it over your face. Then you take off the softer backing. But I ended up flipping it around since I can feel the mesh on one side. I just prefer to have the fleshier side against my skin.
The mask fits relatively okay, it barely reach the hairline and my jawline. The nose piece is super big so I had to flip it up or else I couldn't breathe.
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| Before |
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| After |
I took it off after the bottom edges started to dry off. There is a little extra essence on the side of my face so I just pat it in and my skin felt moisturized. I don't mind using it whenever I need to add a bit more moisture to my skin but given how hard it is to find it online, I wouldn't buy it again.
The YEON Snail Time Treatment Hydrogel Mask
This mask was purchased when representative from The YEON went on r/AsianBeauty and had a promotion where each of the masks was only $1 + shipping. I of course snagged some up and then forgotten about it.
The mask fits okay. It's not reaching to the side of my face, nor is it reaching the top of my hairline. But a lot of the masks don't so I just give up.
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| Before |
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| After |
The YEON Clean Sea Abalone Nutritive Hydrogel Mask
This is also from The YEON, such that the fit and smell is similar as above.
The YEON Korea Red Ginseng Vital Hydrogel Mask
Do you love ginseng, especially the smell of it? If you do, this is the mask for you!! This mask is SO STRONG with the ginseng smell. However, I grew nose blind to it relatively soon. The mask is light brown due to the ginseng and the fit is similar to the others.
I didn't find much effect besides moisturizing properties to this mask. I just wanted to take it off and throw it away as far as I can.. Can you tell I am not a fan of ginseng?
The YEON Caviar Age Care Hydrogel Mask
**I thought I took pictures of the mask but apparently I didn't. I ended up using all of them before I realized this so no pictures of the package.. Sorry!**
This mask is actually black! Which was quite neat. It is the most fragrant mask after the ginseng mask. However, I cannot pinpoint exactly what the smell is. Everything else is the same as the other The YEON hydrogels. And similar to the other masks, I only found it to be moisturizing as it is expired.
I wouldn't buy these masks again as it seems really hard to find these online.
Honourable Mentions
As I mentioned at the beginning, the whole reason why I started using the expired masks was due to the Leaders coconut gel masks. I actually still have a whole bunch of them and have been using them. I actually REALLY love them. Every time after I finish using it, my face feels super soft and I can feel my moisturizer going on 10 times smoother.
