Nannette de Gaspé Restorative Techstile Masque for the face, $145 at Holt Renfrew (www.holtrenfrew.com).
The Product
Nannette de Gaspé Restorative Techstile Masque for the face, $145 at Holt Renfrew (www.holtrenfrew.com).
The Promise
Available in forms for the hands, face, eyes, mouth and neck, these waterless masks reduce signs of aging by smoothing wrinkles, hydrating and brightening.
How it works
Unlike typical sheet masks, Nannette de Gaspé's version uses a patented dry delivery system via Japanese-sourced fabric that allows for micro penetration of the active ingredients. Humidity, temperature, pH and natural body movements trigger the diffusion of these anti-aging ingredients, which gradually penetrate multiple layers of the skin during a period of six to eight hours.
How to use it
Apply the formulated side of the mask onto a cleansed face. Lightly massage the surface of the mask three to four times to activate the formula, leaving the mask on for 15 minutes. After you've removed the mask, do not rinse your skin. The mask can be stored in its resealable pouch and used up to three times.
The bottom line
It's rare that a beauty product elicits an expletive from me, but that's exactly what happened when I removed this mask from my face. I didn't know what to expect from the soft, dry fabric that's held in place by slots you loop around your ears, making it easy to go about your grown-up business while reclaiming your youth. After 15 minutes, I took it off to find my skin feeling supple and hydrated, the same as if I'd been wearing a regular sheet mask, minus the goopy residue. While it is substantially pricier than your average Korean-beauty sheet mask, doing away with water means that a full 87 per cent of the formula is made up of active ingredients and emollients. Founder Nannette de Gaspé Beaubien is the executive chair of Quebec-based biotech firm Biomod, where through research on wearable skincare technologies, the company came upon this unique delivery system. Her success is a unique story – a study of 890 start-ups that received venture capitalist funding published in Bloomberg last March found that just seven per cent had female founders. Hopefully her ingenuity means that tides are turning, even if they are waterless.