Cosmetic Sheet Face Masks – Recent trends

INTRODUCTION

Skin care has been an integral part of hygiene and health. With increasing consciousness about beauty and skin care regimen, there has been a boom in the area of facial cosmetics. The focus has been on aspects such as exfoliation, deep pore cleansing, detanning, moisturizing, rejuvenating, etc. Time paucity and the urge for instant results have led consumers to look for products that are safe, and can provide the desired effect with profound efficacy in short durations. This has led to the invention of products such as face packs and face masks. Face masks have evolved into different forms based on the skin type and desired end use.

With the increasing interest of consumers towards products that comprise natural ingredients and are free of synthetic chemicals, different mechanisms involving bioactives have been sought. Bioactives such as herbal ingredients, vitamins, proteins, minerals, growth factors, probiotics, and therapeutic agents such as CBD, are being incorporated into face masks to endow them with properties such as moisturizing, exfoliating, lightening etc.

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Some of the well known types of facial masks are rinse‐off masks, peel‐off masks, hydrogel masks, and sheet masks.¹

Rinse-off masks are face packs that are applied to the skin and rinsed off upon drying. Rinse-off masks are of different types, such as moisturizing, cleansing, toning, exfoliating, waxy, and mud masks. However, rinse-off masks may render uneven texture and results, as it involves manual application of the material on the face by the user.

Peel-off masks are masks that are formed as a film on the skin and can later be easily peeled off. These masks work by gently removing the outermost layer of skin to relieve dullness and dead skin, clear out pores, and remove acne-causing dirt and bacteria.² However, most of the peel‐off masks are based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), which cause occlusion and tensor effect.

Hydrogel masks are masks comprising 3D networks of polymers that have the ability to absorb/ lock in water. This ability to lock in moisture enables achieving moisturizing effect upon application on skin. Silk sericin embedded in nanocellulose, when applied as a facial mask, exhibits proper biological features for facial treatment. Hydrogel masks also tend to be infused with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, making them incredibly hydrating and effective.³ Though skincare hydrogel masks provide good moisturization, they lack nutrition. Also, biopolymers such as Kappa-carrageenan, xanthan gum, guar gum, pectin, alginate, cellulose, gelatin, collagen, hyaluronic acid and chitosan, used in cosmetic applications in hydrogel form, may render the disadvantages of irritation, allergic sensitivity, inflammation, poor gelling ability, foul smell and poor compatibility with a hydrophobic polymer matrix.

The surge in the numerous sheet mask products in the market may be attributed to the need for products devoid of the demerits associated with the rinse-off masks, peel-off masks and hydrogel masks.

Sheet masks

Sheet masks^{3, 4} are fast gaining dominance, due to the ability to achieve desired results in a short time of 10 – 20 mins, ease of application, adaptability and ease of carrying, amongst other aspects. Sheet masks render benefits such as hydrating, balancing, moisturizing, calming and brightening the skin. The trend originated in South Korea. Unlike the paste-based face masks, sheet masks don’t dry out, keeping the skin supple and hydrated.

Materials frequently used for the manufacture of the face mask sheets to carry nutrients or bioactives are non-woven fabric, cotton, microfiber, cupra, tencel, pulp, lyocell, hydrogels and biocellulose.^5,6 Sheet masks are extremely thin face-shaped sheets soaked in nourishing serum comprising nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, probiotics, cannabidiol (CBD), etc., depending on the desired end result.

Research suggests that skin care products with prebiotics and probiotics help in restoring skin microbes into balance. Probiotics used topically help in treating skin conditions including eczema, acne, dry skin, and even wrinkles, and skin cancer risk linked to UV damage. L’Oreal sponsored studies show that Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Vitreoscilla are a few live probiotic extracts with various benefits for skin health.⁷ The topical probiotics form a protective barrier as they sit between the skin’s surface and the toxins.⁸

RECENT TECHNOLOGIES

With the introduction of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D printing, companies have been offering new experiences to end users.¹⁸

Neutrogena MaskiD^{19, 20}

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.’s top skincare brand Neutrogena unveiled the Neutrogena MaskiD, a personalized skincare product, at the Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES) in Las Vegas in 2019. This 3D printed sheet mask (US10842242B2) is powered by user data to deliver highest clinical efficacy. The idea for the personalized product started with the 2018 launch of the Neutrogena Skin360. The smartphone-enabled tool allows consumers to understand their skin at a deeper level by measuring the skin’s health by recording metrics including pore size, fine lines, and moisture levels. Neutrogena MaskiD works by using proprietary algorithms. Personalization with the Neutrogena MaskiD starts with the shape of the mask itself, wherein  the user simply snaps a selfie with a smartphone 3D camera, to create a precise, multi-dimensional map of their face and the exact measurements and shape of their nose, space between the eyes, lips, and other unique physical characteristics. Then, this personalized data from the Neutrogena Skin 360™ system creates the virtual equivalent and a knowledgeable dermatologist analyzes the skin’s needs and suggests what ingredients will be most beneficial and where. Finally, using a proprietary 3D printing process, high-efficacy ingredients are printed onto a custom-fit hydrogel mask on the exact zones of the mask where the greatest benefit for the individual is to be delivered.

An app prompts scanning the face, securely recording the facial measurements, serving up a 2D design based on the recorded data, and then printing a 3D mask using a liquid-type hydrogel material. Specific functional ingredients are used for different parts of the skin, i.e., the ingredients that are tailor-made to suit the needs of the skin of each area. For example, a mask could contain a hydrating formula in the forehead region, an anti-aging formula for under eyes, and ingredients to even out the skin tone around the cheeks.

Grand Fan Group, a China based supplier of hair, body wash and care brands, acquired the Cicabel brand from French manufacturer, Santinov in 2017. CICABEL unveiled a peptide-based facial mask based on Santinov’s bio-medical technology in August 2017.²⁶ The CICABEL Mask is a three-step revitalizing and hydration face mask set using stem cells as the principal component. This mask activates skin stem cells, and provides nutrition that penetrates deep into the dermis and promotes the regeneration of new cells, thus delivering an in-depth replenishment effect.

Amorepacific acquired Cube Me, a provider of collagen, hyaluronic acid and vitamins, in 2019, and launched its brand Laneige. The leading Korean beauty company has also announced the release of its Lab Tailored 3D Mask, as it boosts its luxury portfolio through a partnership with Rationale Group.²⁷ Amorepacific has also announced the purchase of a minority share in Australian luxury skincare company Rationale Group.

Some recent interesting patent publications are presented here.

• US10631616B2 from The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is directed to a sheet pack comprising an absorbent layer impregnated with a treatment composition containing ingredient(s) that activate period genes. These ingredients when topically applied to skin, stimulate a gene that is variably expressed over a 24-hour period in native untreated skin cells. Cichoric acid, peptides, and ingredients that are activators of the cellular autophagy process through stimulation or inhibition of various cellular preferably keratinocyte metabolic pathways, have been proposed to act as activators of homolog genes (PER1, 2, and 3), Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput (CLOCK), Chryptochrome Circadian Clock 1 or 1 (CRY1, 2), and Brain and Muscle Arylhydrocarbon Receptor Nuclear Translocator (BMAL). Genes such as MAP-LC3, ATG5-12, protein p53, AMPK, or DRAM genes are stimulated by the activators. This patent also discloses that the pack is provided along with clear user instructions to topically apply the sheet pack to the skin at a time when the gene that is stimulated by the ingredient is being maximally expressed in native untreated skin cells. Also, this sheet mask can be cut into a variety of configurations suitable for application to the face. This may be a one-piece mask that covers the entire facial surface, or may comprise various smaller pieces that can be placed at desired strategic areas such as under the eyes, around the mouth, or on dry areas of skin.

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• KR102216077B1 from Choi Mi Young discloses a mask pack having a phototherapy function. The mask pack emits light from a light source, the light being of high emission intensity at a specific wavelength of 380 nm to 780 nm, thereby providing acne care, anti-aging, whitening, skin regeneration, wrinkle improvement, and skin tone improvement.

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AUTHOR

Dr. P. Lakshmi Santhi

Mr. Tulasiram Tankam

Ms. Vasudha Kasibhatla