I’m a big fan of masking. I make a point of buying one new mask to try in each of my big hauls. Since I only use any particular mask once a week, there’s a lot of room to have a big variety of choice without feeling like I’m drowning in products. I would love to work my way up to having a different mask to use for every day of the week! I could do a clay mask on Sundays, alternate between a sugar scrub and a peeling gel every other week, throw in a massage mask once in a while, and do any number of moisturizing or nourishing types all the rest of the time.
The I’m From Honey Mask has been extremely popular and very well reviewed. Eventually I read one too many accounts of glowing praise before I finally caved in and plopped it into my cart. The price gave me pause, but I decided it would be worth it if my experience was similar to everyone else’s.
Full Disclosure: This review contains no affiliate links, and the product was purchased by me. All opinions expressed are my own and are based on my personal use and testing of the product.
What is it?
I’m From Honey Mask is a nourishing and moisturizing wash-off mask type. It contains 38.7% pure honey and claims to hydrate and revitalize the skin.
As a wash off mask, this can be used roughly in the vicinity of the cleansing part of your routine. You could place it in between your first and second cleansers, after your second cleanser, or even after your acids. I prefer to use it after my vitamin C and BHA because 1. after a wait time, those products have done their work and their efficacy is not effected by washing the mask off, and 2. the moisturizing properties of the mask will then not get in the way and prevent the actives from penetrating.
- Size: 120g
- Price: $44.63 CAD +shipping from TesterKorea
- Texture: Almost exactly like creamed honey
- Scent: Honestly, it smells like sour milk to me
- Packaging: A glass jar with screw top lid; I’m From has a really beautiful and simple aesthetic that I adore
- Longevity: ~6 months at 1 use per week
Ingredients
Honey, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Macadamia Integrifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Microcrystalline Wax, Polysorbate 20, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Beeswax, Tocopheryl Acetate, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Extract, Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Water, Bambusa Vulgaris (Bamboo) Water, Nelumbo Nucifera (Lotus) Flower Water, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Water, Propolis Extract, Beta-Glucan, Bee Venom, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Sophora Angustifolia (Sophora) Root Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris (Bamboo) Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin
CosDNA breakdown. Jojoba oil flags a 2, butylene glycol flags a 1, and beeswax flags a 0-2 for comedogenicity. Beeswax and jojoba also score a 0-2 for irritation.
The standout here is obviously the honey at nearly 38.7% of the product. Honey has fantastic anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, and is a favorite among skincare enthusiasts. In fact many people enjoy doing a mask with just pure honey. This mask is promising to be a soothing and moisturizing powerhouse with additions like snail mucus, bee venom, propolis, shea butter, and macadamia, sunflower, and jojoba oils.
Experience
The mask comes in a heavy glass jar and includes a plastic spatula for application. I wouldn’t recommend using the spatula to put the mask on, I found it needed a finer control to get around the contours of my face. The product itself is a very thick fluid that looks like creamed honey. When I first got my jar, it looked like some of the product had separated and there was some clear-ish fluid hanging around the bottom. I stir my mask every time I open it, but it seems to always have that bit of separation at the bottom that I can’t manage to mix in with the rest. It hasn’t affected the effectiveness of the mask as far as I can tell, so some separation appears to be normal.
Guys, I gotta be honest here, this mask smells super gross. I get absolutely no hints of honey at all, instead it smells of milk that’s gone off. Have you ever gotten a whiff of what it smells like behind the dairy shelves at the grocery store? It’s like that, but instead you get the joy of smearing it on your face. Fortunately the smell isn’t too strong, and it doesn’t bother me once I’ve got the mask on.
I apply the mask with a cheapo mask brush that I picked up for $2. It spreads very easily, and I like to get it in as thin a layer as possible in the interest of conservation. Getting the mask off can be a bit of a pain because it does not wash off with just water. This is where I found a use for the included spatula: I gently scrape the majority of the mask away with the spatula and then I am able to remove the remnants with some splashes of water.
Results
As mixed as my feelings are about the actual use of this mask, I have to say I love what it’s doing for my skin. Immediately after I rinse the mask off, my skin is so unbelievably soft and smooth and my pores always look clean and minimized. This mask isn’t very hydrating, so I still need to apply my moisturizers and serums. I would do that with any mask though, so I don’t count that as a negative. I try to leave this one on for around an hour because I find the effects just get better the longer it stays on my skin.
Wash-off masks tend to impart fairly temporary results, so my preference is to do any wash-off masks in my morning routine. That way, I can better enjoy the temporary benefit throughout the day. The fantastic thing about this mask is that the results that I get really do last all day. I can continually feel that my skin is much softer throughout the day, and my face is still super smooth by the time I’m doing my oil cleanse in the evening.
Another curious effect is that my face as a whole feels… smaller, somehow? This is probably my own speculative bullshit, but when I cleanse at night after using this mask, my face feels like it physically takes up less space. This makes me think that this mask is having a significant influence on my baseline levels of inflammation, which is pretty unprecedented for me. Reduced inflammation of course doesn’t do much for my facial redness and pigmentation (because my redness is not caused by inflammation), but it absolutely helps to combat the other effects of my rosacea. Less inflammation means my skin is more resilient, less irritated, and less likely to flush.
Would I Repurchase?
I’m still very limited in my knowledge of wash-off masks, and I therefore don’t have a solid point of reference to compare this to, but I am really impressed with the performance of this mask. I love it a whole lot, and I’m so glad that my experience has matched so many other reviews. It’s one of the more expensive masks out there, but it’s absolutely worth it in my opinion. This mask has made the cut for my repurchase list, and I will definitely be picking up more.
Escaping Mars 