Review: Huxley Secret of Sahara Mask: Oil in Extract ★☆☆☆☆

Huxley Secret of Sahara Mask: Oil in Extract contains prickly pear seed oil and cactus extract to intensely hydrate and moisturize all skin types, especially dehydrated skin.

Full of antioxidants, this unique oil and extract blend does not contain parabens, synthetic dyes or mineral oils.

I absolutely adore the packaging. It looks very sleek and stylish in real life. But it turned out to be really hard to photograph.

A box of 3: $24.98 on Amazon | $27 at Ohlolly.

Extract Water (20 ml / 0.67 fl oz):
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycereth-26, Butylene Glycol, Coptis Japonica Extract, Malachite Extract, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tromethamine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance

Oil (5 ml / 0.17 fl oz):
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Bixa Orellana Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate

Before masking

My skin is feeling dry with some redness. I’ve cleansed, toned, and exfoliated my skin. Find out how I normally prep my skin for masking.

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Instructions:

1. Create a thin fold on the bottom sachet containing the oil
2. Fold over another 2 times
3. Push the air bubble upwards
4. Watch the seal break
5. Massage the packet to blend the oil and essence as evenly as possible

As the oil and extract essence are stored in separate pouches, we’ll have to mix the 2 prior to using. I normally detest such set-up because it takes herculean strength to pop the sachet. But to my surprise, it was really easy with this translucent packaging.

Material

Upon opening the packet, I detected a strange scent. I’m not good at describing scents but I’d say it reminded me of fermented rice wine plus a subtle perfume.

The sheet is made with tightly woven microfibers (150 times finer than regular fibers) and offers a silky smooth texture that helps skin absorb the essence quickly and effectively. It did not come with a backing but proved to be relatively easy to unfold and apply.

I’m not sure if I’m the only one who thinks this but sheet masks that require users to blend essences beforehand always leads me to think that the sheet is unevenly coated. I get slightly annoyed and try to manually spread the essence all over an unfolded sheet, creating a mess that I hoped is worth it.

During masking

Fit was amazing! It covered my entire face and the holes were perfectly lined up with my features. Just a side note, the sheet was smaller than most sheet masks and ended at the inner perimeter of my face, so people with wider face might find the material insufficient.

Adherence was amazing too! Microfiber masks normally clung on like second skin. It’s one of the best materials for people who can’t sit still while masking.

I took the mask off after 25 mins, it was starting to dry out.

After masking

There were lots of essence left to pat in. Finish felt greasy and looked very dewy. Aside from the finish, I did not see any change to my skin. I attribute it to my combo skin type with dehydration issues.

If you’ve read my article about Hydration vs Moisturization, you’ll know that dehydrated skin requires water while dry skin requires oil. As this sheet mask replenishes more oil than water, my skin did not receive what it needs.

The result is a tight and crepey skin with a layer of greasy film on top. If my skin were to be pumped with water, it will at least look a little brighter and feel softer.

Below is a side by side comparison of the before and after pictures.

Before masking

After masking

Dry skin produces less sebum and requires oil to nourish and protect it. In conclusion, this sheet mask is really beneficial for dry skin types. It’s not a bad mask, it’s just not for me.

A box of 3: $24.98 on Amazon | $27 at Ohlolly.

Go be beautiful!

Love,
Elaine