I bought this masque after it was used on me during a facial as I had very dehydrated skin. I thought I had dry skin (which is a lack of oil in the skin) but actually my skin was dehydrated (a lack of water in the skin). This masque is for dehydrated skin - so if your skin gets very tight after a hot shower, or you feel your skin shows a lack of radiance then your skin could be dehydrated.
As with all Dermalogica products the packaging is plain white with grey text and a grey lid. The masque comes in a squeey tube, which stands on the lid which makes it very easy to get the product out in a controlled way without wasting any.
The masque is a thick clear gel and has a basic 'clean' smell, but doesn't smell sweet or soapy - I think this is due to all the natural ingredients. It is a nice smell though.
On the back of the tube it says that the masque is for all skin conditions. Ingredients wise it contains rosemary, hops, cucumber, arnica and vitamins A,B5, C and E.
Use
You apply the masque after cleansing (and ideally after exfoliation). It feels very cool and calming when you put it on. It is very gentle so you can put it on the eye area as well (the packaging confirms this). You apply a thin layer to the whole of the face and neck area and then leave it for 10-15 minutes. What seems to happen is it sinks in and almost dries on your face so it feels as though it's disappeared. Sometimes towards the 15 minutes it almost feels as though your face is drier than when you started! However, you remove it with hot water and a cloth and suddenly all the gel seems to appear again and then it washes off.
I find that I am left with very smooth, plumped up skin with fewer fine lines (although this isn't an anti-aging product as such, I think my lines are caused by dehydration). The effect also seems to last for a few days before I need to use it again.
Cost
This is not a cheap product, it costs around £21.00 online and nearer £30.00 in a salon (this is for a 75ml tube). However you don't need to use it more than once a week to get a good effect and you don't use that much product at a time. I bought a tube last September which I'm about 3/4 of the way through now, so I think it's very good value for money considering the quality and also the fact that it does what it says it should.
Overall, I love the masque, my skin has improved so much by using it, I think it's well worth the price and will not hesitate in replacing it when I finally run out!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Refresh your stressed, dehydrated skin and restore its suppleness. This oil free gel ... more
formula is ideal even for your delicate eye areas. Recommended by Jemma Kidd for long flights or late nights. Voted best hydrating masque by INSTYLE 2004
Refresh stressed, dehydrated skin and restore subtleness with Dermalogica's Hydrating ... more
Masque. The Hydrating Masque is a soothing blend of botanical bitter orange, hops, rosemary, and horsetail. The oil free gel formula is ideal for the delicate eye a...
A hydrating, oil-free gel that restores critical moisture to dry skin without unwanted ... more
oiliness, helping to restore suppleness and reduce the appearance of fine, dry lines. Calming botanical extracts of Bitter Orange, Hops, Cucumber and Arnica reduce i...