Sheet masks guys. I remember being skeptical of them when I saw them pop up a few year back, but this was long before my interest in beauty and skincare really took flight, when even moisturizer was a bit of a mystery to me. Now a few years later sheet masks have become a staple for myself and the industry. You know something has reached staple status when not only every luxury brand has their own, but places like CVS have dedicated shelfs to them. I’ve tried a good amount by now, but lets be honest, that’s not even scratching the surface. There are probably more types of sheet masks out there then wine at this point.

I like picking up sheet masks as my introductory product to a new line. I think it gives a good, low commitment and economical way of testing the waters of a new range. Recently I’ve found myself a new favorite this way. Farmacy, a newer natural brand carried by Sephora that centers it line around a new found strain of Echinacea, has launched a lovely collection of powerfully performing masks.

I grabbed the Farmacy Clear Day Mask Medley so I could sample half of the 6 masks they offer. The set includes a Brightening, Soothing and a Deep Moisture coconut gel masks. As I mentioned above Farmacy is a natural product line, the core of it revolving around a new found strain of echinacea. The herbal enthusiast in me interest was of course peaked. Echinacea is pretty big in the natural remedy world, hands down one of the most massively recognizable herbal cold remedies out there. I haven’t seen it too often in beauty products, but it’s got some similar healing properties to the skin as it does to the immune system.

Supposedly the new found strain is much more effective then the already effective plant, being even more loaded with antioxidants, making it an even greater skin healer, and age fighter. Echinacea is known to help heal and fight acne, It’s anti inflammatory, bringing down irritation and swelling, as well as possessing some anti bacteria components. It’s rich in tannins, and helps cell turnover which makes it great for smoothing the skin and creating a more youthful looking complexion. It’s been used for years to treat burns and help heal skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, so naturally it would and should find itself into the beauty world.

The masks are of the Coconut gel variety, which although makes them extra goopy to use, starts them off with a great base of moisture. I’m a lover of coconut in all types of products, I even love using coconut oil straight from the jar as a hair mask. Coconut is full of Vitamin E, proteins, moisturizing components and anti aging properties. I’ve heard the coconut gel textures helps keep active ingredients potent for longer, but I’m no sheet mask maker. The masks all contain a bevy of great things like propolis, Hyaluronic acid, and collagen. Also making an appearance is glycerin and castor oil, along with olive oil appearing in the Hydrating and Brightening ones.

Now all the masks contain Echinacea but each also has a headlining ingredient to go with the Title and it’s titular purpose. Deep Moisture’s star ingredient is Cucumber. Rich in Vitamin C and silica, cucumber is great at moisturizing the skin and creating a brighter complexion. Ascorbic acid and caffeic acid in cucumber make it great at helping the body retain that moisture. Deep Moisture also has some other fun ingredients on its list like Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging ingredient.

Soothing is centered around the use of Kale, which we already know this trendy green is good for us to eat! Kale is high in Vitamins like C and A, and antioxidants. Vitamin A is similar to retinol, so it helps with cell turnover, and vitamin c helps create collagen and protect agains sun damage. Kale is also known to contain skin friendly copper, a pigment that helps protect against the sun, create collagen production, and calm inflamed skin. Soothing also has Wild Thyme Extract which is anti bacterial. I’ve actually read a few natural bloggers that used DIY thyme infused toner to fight acne, definitely something I will be testing out in the near future!

Last one I tested out was Brightening with its key ingredient being Purple Broccoli. Broccoli is a fun ingredient for me to see in skin care, as it doesn’t make it on to branding often. Broccoli has got a lot of vitamins and antioxidants present in it. It also has a ton of anti inflammatory properties which is what Farmacy is claiming to be the brightening agent in this one, helping the skin fight to much melanin (the stuff that makes us tan). Sage pops up a the ingredient list on this mask, although near the end, but its inclusion is nice to see for it has anti aging, clarifying and toning abilities.

I found these all performed very well on my skin, they were extremely hydrating, calming, and brightening to my complexion. My only complaint was the sense of redundancy I felt from the Clear Day Mask Medley kit, not only did the masks have a bunch of similarly performing ingredients but I noticed no difference between the masks in terms of results, so as far as I know they could just be the same mask with a different picture on the package. Some people might have an issue with the added fragrance in the masks, and the presence of alcohol in the Brightening one, but my usually sensitive skin was not reactive at all. I do plan on buying more of these guys in the future. The dewy, luxurious feel it gives to the skin it very satisfying. I also liked saving the extra serum at the bottom of the packet in the fridge and using it for the days that followed, giving a little more milage to the product.

Farmacy is a super intriguing brand to me, and I’m eager to get my hands on their Setting Spray and Cleansing Oil to test out next or maybe I’ll just go ham and spring for this trial kit! Let me know if you have any mask recommendations for me! I love trying new ones all the time, and I’d love to know your thoughts on any Farmacy products if you’ve tried any!