Though we don’t experience winter here in humid Singapore, I find myself perpetually plagued by dehydrated, red skin. Whether it’s due to the harsh UV rays outside or the ultra-drying air-conditioning indoors, it’s near impossible to escape these damaging elements daily.
As a beauty writer of almost five years now, I’ve been on the hunt for the best sheet masks that tackle my main skin concerns. They’re an easy way to get a quick moisture boost in a short amount of time, giving your skin an instant pick-me-up. However, not all sheet masks are created equal.
After trying over 100 different ones in the past few years, I’ve created a mental checklist of qualities I look for in a hydrating sheet mask. So when Japanese skincare brand SENKA kindly sent me their new SENKA Perfect Skin Fit Masks, there was no better time to put them through my five tests.
Ahead, they’ll be pitted against my current go-to sheet mask, so keep reading to see how they fared!
Test #1: How well does it retain serum?
I’m sure we’ve all been there – we tear open a new sachet of sheet mask, only to have its serum or essence spill out everywhere, creating a huge mess that we have to clean up after. This is an indication of how poorly the sheet mask is able to retain serum, which means you may not be getting the full benefits of the sheet mask when it sits on your skin.
The amount of excess serum in each mask sachet
To see how well the SENKA Perfect Skin Fit Mask HydratingEX Sea Grape holds its serum, I poured its excess serum out into a small glass jar, measured it, and did the same with Brand X’s sheet mask.
As you can see, SENKA’s serum is more viscous in texture, and there was only 3ml of excess serum in the sachet. Meanwhile, Brand X covered the bottom of the glass jar with 8ml of serum.
The actual amount of serum each mask holds
However, when I squeezed the serum from both sheet masks, we see that SENKA’s Perfect Skin Fit Mask actually holds 5ml more serum compared to Brand X’s. Since there’s more serum in SENKA’s, the mask transfers a greater amount of benefits to your skin, so you’ll be able to reap even more hydrating benefits from the sheet mask.
Test #2: Does it fit well?
Next, I’ll be assessing the fit of both masks to see how well they adhere to the contours on my face.
Drenched in a nourishing serum, the SENKA Perfect Skin Fit Mask HydratingEX Sea Grape felt hydrating and comforting on my skin. The unique gel-like material felt incredibly cooling on my skin and it’s even softer than the usual cotton sheet masks I’ve tried.
It fitted my face perfectly and blended in quite seamlessly, almost like a second skin – you probably wouldn’t have noticed I had a sheet mask on at first glance.
Apparently, the material of SENKA’s sheet mask is known as CMC, a new generation material that’s designed to retain even more serum – this explains the results we saw in the first test. I could also walk around without worrying about the serum dripping all over the place.
I didn’t have to readjust it constantly while it was on my face too. Plus, the mask is also free of alcohol, fragrance, and colourants, something my sensitive skin really appreciates.
Brand X’s sheet mask, on the other hand, is made with a cotton material that seemed to bunch up easily no matter how hard I tried to manipulate it. In fact, there were gaps along the curved areas of my face, such as my nose and under-eyes, so they don’t get the hydration they need.
SENKA’s ultra-thin, gel-like material is indeed impressive. It fitted my face well and didn’t budge the whole time it was on.
Test #3: Does it deliver a boost of hydration?
Now, it’s time to determine which mask is able to truly quench my parched, dehydrated skin.
Before applying the SENKA Perfect Skin Fit Mask on the right side of my face and Brand X’s sheet mask on the left, I measured the hydration levels of both cheeks. Then, I left the sheet masks on for 10 minutes and took the measurements again.
The results speak for themselves. Just take a look at how well the SENKA Perfect Skin Fit Mask helped quench my skin’s thirst while rebalancing my sebum levels. It bumped up my moisture levels by a remarkable 24.5%, while Brand X’s sheet mask only saw a 14.9% increase, so it’s clear who the winner is!
The right side of my face felt so much smoother and softer too, and I could have easily done without a moisturiser after.
Test #4: How quickly does the serum absorb?
As I waited for both sides of my face to dry after removing the sheet masks in the third test, I set the timer to see which of the serums absorbed faster.
Although SENKA’s Perfect Skin Fit Mask HydratingEX Sea Grape has a more viscous texture, it was able to sink into my skin quicker, clocking in an estimate of five minutes. My skin felt soft, plump, and ready for the next step of my routine. Best of all, it didn’t feel overly rich and adequately hydrated my skin.
Brand X, however, took much longer to absorb and left a tacky residue on my skin. My complexion appeared a little greasier too, and the sheen was obvious.
Test #5: Are there any notable ingredients?
Besides keeping an eye out for sheet masks with hydrating properties, I’m always on the lookout for ones that offer extra benefits. One way to do so is to check the ingredients list.
SENKA Perfect Skin Fit HydratingEX Sea Grape
SENKA’s Perfect Skin Fit Mask HydratingEX Sea Grape (left) feeds the skin with three times more hyaluronic acid serum. The hydrating formula is bolstered by Sea Grape extract, which is rich in minerals and proteins that reverse dryness and lock in moisture for longer.
On top of that, there’s SENKA’s signature White Cocoon Essence, which works to brighten dull and dehydrated skin while keeping it soft and supple. The mask also contains Japanese Marine Algae Extract, an ingredient packed with vitamins and amino acids to help your skin retain moisture better.
SENKA Perfect Skin Fit BrighteningEX Berry
If you need a brightening boost, go for the SENKA Perfect Skin Fit Mask BrighteningEX Berry (right). Just like the HydratingEX Sea Grape, it boasts three times more hyaluronic acid serum and White Cocoon Essence.
It contains a potent blend of Cranberry and Raspberry extracts as well as Japanese Yoshino Cherry Essence, which are high in antioxidants. The ingredients found in SENKA’s Perfect Skin Fit Masks are very much like skin superfoods, which give our skin a boost of nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. Together, they reduce dullness and brighten your complexion for radiant, luminous skin.
Overall, my experience with SENKA’s Perfect Skin Fit Masks was stellar. I loved the way it fit on my face and how supple my skin felt once the serum had fully absorbed. I was also thrilled to try out the BrighteningEX Berry mask to see if it could even out my skin tone.
Senka Perfect Skin Fit Mask review: Results after 1 week
I went on to use the SENKA Perfect Skin Fit Mask HydratingEX Sea Grape once and the Perfect Skin Fit Mask BrighteningEX Berry twice in the same week.
After the trial, my complexion gained a dewy, moist sheen. Rough patches were smoothed out and the redness on my cheeks and forehead had subsided, leaving me with a more even skin tone.
My overall complexion looked brighter too, thanks to the extracts in the Senka Perfect Skin Fit Mask BrighteningEX Berry. My skin felt bouncier and I could feel the hydrating effects of the masks for longer.
Having sampled heaps of hydrating sheet masks over the years, I can confidently say that these are the best I’ve ever tried. I love how apt the product name is, since it really does fit my face perfectly. These sheet masks checked off all of my boxes and aced every test I had lined up.
My quest for hydrated skin didn’t stop there, though. To boost moisture levels by up to 98%, I’ve also incorporated the SENKA Deep Moist Lotion I and Deep Moist Gel Cream into my skincare routine.
The former has a light and fresh texture that hydrates and balances my skin right after cleansing, while the latter is a lightweight, gel moisturiser that keeps my skin supple and plump without clogging my pores. In fact, 20 Daily Vanity readers also tried the SENKA Deep Moist Gel Cream and here’s what they thought of it.
I highly recommend adding those two steps if you want to experience the softest, bounciest skin!
Even better, you can enjoy 20% off SENKA Perfect Skin Fit Masks (introductory offer) when you shop at Watsons.com.sg. And when you purchase two boxes of masks, you’ll receive a S$5 Project Acai voucher!
What’s more, when you become a Top Spender (minimum spend of S$60), you’ll get a chance to win The Ultimate Acai Hamper (worth S$107)! Here’s what you can expect to find in each hamper:
- 2 x Sambazon Acai Sorbet Pint (scoopable Acai)
- 1 x NutCulture Almond Butter Jar (230ml)
- 1 x Sambazon Wooden Bowl
- 3 x Project Acai Patches of different designs
- 2 x Project Acai S$5 Voucher
- 1 x Project Acai Cooler Bag
SENKA Perfect Skin Fit HydratingEX Sea Grape and SENKA Perfect Skin Fit BrighteningEX Berry retail for S$3.50 (one piece) and S$13.90 (box of four pieces) at Watsons stores and Watsons.com.sg.
This article is brought to you by SENKA.
