These award-winning Taiwanese sheet masks are just P74!
Move over, Japan and South Korea: the newest beauty destination is Taiwan! I’ve been a big fan of Asian Beauty (AB) for a while now, and now the latest trend is moving towards the direction of our northern neighbor. What makes Taiwanese products so exciting is that they offer advanced research, technical expertise, and premium formulations at very reasonable prices, which is obviously a win-win for savvy beauty addicts. Luckily, we needn’t look too far or request for pasabuy to get our dose of Taiwanese Beauty!
I’ve never heard of a better sheet mask "rave" than “Official Sheet Mask of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant” so I was very much intrigued by the Dr. Morita Sheet Masks. The brand is the #1 bestselling mask in both Taiwan and Hong Kong, plus they recently received the Silver Award from Monde Selection, an independent consumer product evaluating body. Well, guess what? They’re only P74 each at our very own local Watsons! That’s a pretty affordable price as far as sheet masks go, and there are six variants to choose from.
If you had to choose just one to try, get their best-selling Hyaluronic Acid Essence Mask! It’s formulated with both hyaluronic acid and collagen, which offer anti-aging benefits and suit all skin types. If you’ve been feeling like sheet masks don’t really work, this is the one that will make you change your mind. What makes it work so well is that it contains three different sizes of hyaluronic acid molecules, which ensures that all the different layers of your skin get that boost of hydration. As a result, skin stays moisturized for much longer!
Dr. Jou, the third generation of the founding Morita family and its Chief Brand Consultant, explains that their sheet masks are designed to function as toner, lotion, and serum in one. This certainly felt true in our experience! Gett also shares that this mask calmed her irritated skin, and that she woke up to skin that felt plump and hydrated even though she had only applied the mask the night before.
For an essence that’s richer and almost like an emulsion, the Intense Hydrating Serum Facial Mask works great on dry, dehydrated skin. It also contains three different sizes of hyaluronic acid molecules and a special HA called Hyaloveil®-P, which makes the moisture adhere to skin better. It’s supposed to help prevent aging and smooth fine lines.
The sheet mask fit was a bit big on my face so it partly covered my nostrils and even got some essence in my eye, which stung a little but only for a second or two. Otherwise, the mask felt very nourishing, and the zit on my forehead even flaked off! I found it interesting that instead of the essence just evaporating after, there was a light oily feeling like I had put on a face oil. It was unexpected but not unpleasant, and I noticed that my skin felt moisturized for longer.
While I’m not interested in getting any paler, the Whitening & Moisturizing Essence Facial Mask is super interesting to me because it combines Japanese hyaluronic acid with German mandelic acid. I’ve wanted to try mandelic acid since learning that it was a gentler alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), and the combo with hyaluronic means the mask will have two humectants! Mandelic acid will certainly help to create a brighter complexion and help fade dark spots.
Traditional Chinese medicine has long revered its health benefits so it’s only fitting that Dr. Morita applied this ancient knowledge to develop the Platinum Colloid & Black Pearl Extraction Moisturizing & Black Facial Mask. Platinum colloid offers antioxidant protection against premature aging, while black pearl extract is known to promote cell renewal and enhance skin elasticity. Gett shares that the mask moisturized and soothed her irritated skin, but didn’t notice any whitening effect.
I’m honestly not too sure about how the Triple Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Essence Facial Mask is different from the bestseller, but in addition to the hyaluronic acid, this also contains 11 amino acids. Among them are Arginine (brightens the complexion and repairs visible skin damage, and Glycine and Proline (helps smooth fine lines). Khae reports that mask helped her recover from a recent breakout by calming the spots and smoothing them out. Her face felt refreshed and looked brighter, and she even got compliments on her skin afterwards!
Finally, the line has the odd-sounding Platinum Colloid & Hematite Extraction Whitening Black Facial Mask. It contains a suspension of the semi-precious metal and extracts of the mineral to improve the skin’s regenerative properties and help fight the signs of aging. There’s also Japanese tranexamic acid and multiple herb extracts to create a skin brightening effect, which Claire experienced with her first use of the mask. Her skin felt firmer and better hydrated, too!
Dr. Jou stresses the importance of wearing sheet masks for no more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time, because leaving it on beyond that point causes the sheet to reabsorb the moisture when it begins to dry off. In our experience, this was enough time for us to see the effects of each mask! All the Dr. Morita sheet masks contained a generous amount of essence, leaving us with plenty of leftovers. It seems excessive to massage the remaining essence into your face after masking, but that is an option. There was still enough left after applying the essence all over our arms and legs, so we stored the packets in the fridge and used them the next morning. Daily masking offers the best results, after all, so this is a pretty economical way to do it!
Since the masks are very thoroughly soaked with essence, it would have been tricky to apply a thin, flimsy sheet. Dr. Morita solved this problem by including a textured backing “applicator” with each mask, so the sheet is easier to unfold and position over the face. We were a bit surprised when we first saw these as the material is only a little rougher than the actual mask and we’re more used to plastic backing, but it proved to be easier to handle. Kudos to Dr. Morita for paying attention even to small but important details!
At just P74 each, these sheet masks are quite a steal for the quality they offer! The essence always feels rich and almost serum-like, and the resulting moisture doesn’t just evaporate from your skin after. It really does feel like a generous layer of skincare! It certainly delivers on its one-step skincare promise, so it’s a great alternative for when you’re too lazy or tired to do a full night routine.
Have you seen these masks in Watsons and SM Beauty yet? Which variants have you tried?