Torriden Dive-In sheet masks, $5 at Verdo

We have put a small run of Torriden Dive-In sheet masks on the site at $5 each. They are a Korean single-use sheet mask, and they are the cheapest thing we sell, which makes them a reasonable way to try Korean skincare without committing to a full-size bottle of anything.

Torriden Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Mask, $5

What a sheet mask actually does

A sheet mask is a piece of fabric soaked in essence. You put it on clean skin, leave it for the time on the sachet, take it off and pat in what is left. That is the whole thing. It holds the essence against your face for fifteen or twenty minutes instead of it evaporating in thirty seconds, and afterwards skin usually feels softer and looks a bit plumper for the evening.

We want to be straight with you about the limits of that. It is a short-term comfort step, not a treatment, and it will not do anything lasting to lines, tone or texture. If someone is selling you a sheet mask as a fix for something, be suspicious. What it is good for is the night before you want to look rested.

Why this one

The Dive-In range is built around hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that holds water. Torriden use a low molecular weight version, which is a smaller form of the same molecule. There is also panthenol, which is a common conditioning ingredient in both skincare and haircare. Each sachet holds one 20ml sheet.

Beyond that we would rather point you at the ingredient list on the sachet than repeat marketing copy. It is a nice mask and it is five dollars.

When we would use one

• The night before a wedding, a shoot or anything photographed.
• On a long flight, or the evening you land.
• After a day outside in the wind, when skin feels tight.
• On a winter evening when the heat pump has been running all day.

Not every day. There is no benefit to that, and at some point you are just spending money.

How to use it

Cleanse first, then apply the sheet to dry or slightly damp skin. Leave it on for the time given on the sachet and take it off before it starts to dry out, because a drying sheet will pull moisture back off your face. Pat the remaining essence in rather than rinsing. Follow with a moisturiser if you normally use one.

Single use, and for external use only. If your skin reacts to it, take it off and stop using it.

Where to get one

Online at verdocosmetics.com, or in person at the salon, 245 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland. We hold a small number at a time rather than a wall of them, so if the site says sold out, it is genuinely sold out rather than a sales tactic.

If you are already coming in for nails or a facial, ask and we will put one in with your appointment.

Photograph by Christian Agbede on Unsplash. It is an illustration of a sheet mask, not a photograph of this product.