Saturday Skin just launched a new sleeping mask last month, and I was able to get my hands on a jar so I could test it out. I gave it a couple of weeks and even included before and afters! Read on for my full review!
So first off, let’s talk price: it’s $29 (for 50 mL). Not the most expensive and definitely not the cheapest. For reference, the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask is $25 (70 mL), but the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask is $22 (30 mL). There’s a really wide range of pricing for the world of sleeping masks, but these are some of my favorites. I’ve also used the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Mask ($38 for 125 mL), which wasn’t really one of my faves. I mostly disliked the fact that it asks you to apply a thick amount and then tissue off the excess after 10 minutes. I hate wasting products, so I started to use it as just an occlusive at the end of my routine and did not tissue off anything (also put on less, of course). It doesn’t have too many actives in it, so that would likely explain the relatively lower price (per mL). Okay, tangent done: let’s get back to business with the Saturday Skin Yuzu Sleep Mask!
The packaging is super cute. I am SUCH a sucker for a good frosted glass. I don’t know why, but it always feels so much more premium to me than just a generic glass jar. The top has a cute little holographic slice of yuzu, really hearkening back to the name of the product. Once you open up the jar, you’ll find a flat plastic scooper that nestles perfectly into the little orange liner that separates the product from the external environment. It’s a well-designed system, and I really appreciate that because some masks 1) do not come with a scooper at all or 2) the scooper does not have a nested system, so it just sits awkwardly to the side of my products. So I really like how holistic the packaging developers were for this product. I will say that the jar is MUCH larger than how much product there is in it. There is a layer of dead space / empty glass that surrounds the product. And that’s fine, it really adds to the premium feel of the product. But it is not the most eco-friendly solution possible.
Moving on to the actual usage of the product. It scoops out easily. The texture is like a very light jam. I loved how easily it spread. You do not need that much of it to cover your face. I would say I used like 1/4 of the “scooper” area. So it really was not that much. The scent of it is a really nice, refreshing citrus smell. I don’t think I have ever had Yuzu as a fruit itself, so I don’t know if it is from yuzu or some other citrus. But logically, I want to say it is from the yuzu. Also, since I have now said yuzu probably a hundred times, I feel like it is a good time to talk about why yuzu is chosen over lemon or orange (or even strawberry). According to the product page, yuzu actually has 3x the amount of vitamin C as compared to other citrus fruits. And if you recall, vitamin C is one of my favorite hero ingredients for fighting free radicals that cause skin damage (and aging), as well as for brightening.
Moody pictures with skincare textures: the usual.
Speaking of ingredients, I want to highlight some of my favorites. The number 3 ingredient (after water and glycerin—an excellent humectant) is niacinamide. This is great for minimizing pores, adding extra moisture, and reducing fine lines. It’s honestly an ingredient that I look for in pretty much all of my skincare products. Is there such thing as too much niacinamide? Well, I hope not because I get a LOT of it on my skin daily. The sleep mask is also packed with lots of silicones, which are going to be essential for maintaining your skin’s hydration throughout the night because 1) you’re not going to be drinking water or adding anything to your face and 2) you are going to be breathing deeply a lot, which causes dry skin where there is repeated air exposure. One thing that I thought was interesting was that both glucose and fructose are pretty high up on the ingredient list for this. According to Paula’s Choice, glucose is added to products for its ability to bind to water. I can also see some benefits of glucose and fructose for your skin microbiome as well. In order to have healthy skin, your microbes need to be functioning optimally as well. So I do think that a benefit of this product is “feeding” your microbial friends on your face. In addition to the various plant and fruit extracts, they also add in vitamin C (just ascorbic acid), tocopherol (vitamin E, great for skin soothing and also functions as an antioxidant), and a BUNCH of peptides of the oligo and poly varieties. These peptides are going to serve as great building blocks for your skin to become stronger, divide, and generally be healthy. It also has retinol (towards the end of the ingredient list), which will also help out with anti-aging. I didn’t even know it had retinol in it because it isn’t really advertised as an anti-aging product (it’s positioned more as a softening and suppling skin product. Is suppling a word? Not sure, but I mean making your skin supple!).
Before (unfiltered, phone picture)
The results? I used it for a little over two weeks and took a couple before and after pictures (unedited, just phone pictures). I don’t think I saw too much of a difference — of course I was doing my normal skincare routine as well. My pores kind of look the same, my skin texture is pretty much even. Maybe there is a decrease in the redness / splotchyness (along my cheek), so that’s a win there. I definitely did not see any dramatic changes. But I do think that it was helpful for hydrating my skin. And that’s something that I will not understate. It’s a very important thing to happen!
After 2 weeks of using the Saturday Skin Yuzu Sleep Mask. Unfiltered, phone picture
So the million dollar question: after I finish this up, would I buy it again? Probably not. From a cost-perspective, it is hard for me to beat the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask. I also think that I prefer the hydrating / occlusive nature of the Water Sleeping Mask. Granted, the textures are very close between the two. But the main differentiating factor: the Saturday Skin Yuzu Sleep Mask smells SO good! And I love me a good smelling skincare product (probably why I am a Glow Recipe addict too. It’s problematic how often I mist with the Watermelon Glow Super-fine Mist). The Saturday Skin Yuzu Sleep Mask also has niacinamide in it + tocopherol. And you won’t find that in the Water Sleeping Mask from Laneige. But like many things in the world, you have to make tradeoffs, and I think it’s more worth my money to go with the Laneige, especially knowing that my serum will provide niacinamide and that my moisturizer will have tocopherol in it. So I can sleep knowing that my skin is still getting these crucial ingredients, even if I am not using the Saturday Skin Yuzu Sleep Mask.
Thanks for reading & see you again soon,
Spencer