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Faace’s fuss-free face masks took the confusion out of my skincare regime
Faace’s ‘lazy’ products do exactly what they say on the tube
Ellie Fry
Thursday 15 February 2024 20:00 GMT
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There are two types of people when it comes to skincare – those who enjoy experimenting with new treatments, ingredients and formulas, and those who neglect their routine. Quite frankly, I’ve been lurching between the two. Some months have been a huge success, with a far more extensive and strict routine, while in others it’s been a struggle to simply take my make-up off. Whichever camp you fall in, Faace is a skincare brand that will intrigue you with its pared-back, simplified approach to ingredients and results.
Taking on the dragons in this week’s Dragons’ Den episode, the brand was founded on the mission of providing “a solution to skin that’s been disrupted by life”. Faace is looking to cut through the noise; rejecting the endless marketing ploys and technical jargon that dominates the skincare sphere. It’s certainly aimed at the busy millennial, priding itself on creating skincare for those of us who are too busy or burned out to read complicated ingredient lists, or too broke to visit a dermatologist.
Its minimalistic range features four masks and two cleansers that are all tailored to different skin scenarios as opposed to skin types. From “period faace” to “tired faace”, each formula looks to treat a particular ailment and is broken down to justify every ingredient in an accessible way. The brand has impressive eco-credentials, too.
I’m usually quite sceptical of beauty brands that centre their branding around such a tailored skincare approach: can one product really do it all when it comes to tackling hormonal breakouts? I tried a few products from Faace’s line to find out.
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How I tested Faace face masks
I tested two of the brand’s masks: period faace (£21.60, Lookfantastic.com) and tired faace (£16.20, Lookfantastic.com). Perfect timing, as I was facing a serious two-day hangover while being on my period – the worst kind of double whammy. Although these masks are designed to treat a specific concern, they are multi-use, which I love. You can use it as a priming moisturiser before your make-up, as a quick five-minute mask or as an overnight treatment, depending on your needs – so I tested them in all of these scenarios to see how they performed. Keep reading for what I though.
Faace period face mask
The period treatment mask is aimed at skin that is “unnecessarily shiny or super dry – or both” and looks to rebalance your complexion and combat hormonal breakouts. I do suffer from temperamental skin generally, but even more so during my cycle, and recognise my skin in this description as it changes from dry to oily with painful breakouts and sensitivity. I’d usually try to keep hormonal acne at bay with a cocktail of skincare products and a complicated routine, including niacinamide, salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid and ceramides. I was thankful to see some of these familiar ingredients present in this mask, alongside more natural ingredients that I wouldn’t usually dabble in, including lavender for its antiseptic properties and hormonal balancing, and green tea for soothing inflammation.
The potent mask gave me everything I needed in one treatment, without any irritation – the gel-like formula is strongly scented, which usually rings alarm bells for my sensitive skin, but applied smoothly without any discomfort. It dried down relatively quickly, unlike thicker face masks, which meant I could go about my day (read: nurse my sore head on the sofa). I kept the treatment on overnight and was impressed to see my skin looking clearer and far less inflamed – angry breakouts calmed down and the texture appeared smoother.
Faace tired faace mask
I enjoyed similar success from the “tired faace” mask, aimed at dull complexions that need pepping up with plenty of hydration and gentle exfoliation. The formula includes caffeine to awaken the skin and soothe inflammation, aloe vera for hydration, vitamin C, the gold standard in brightening, and lactic acid to gently exfoliate, as well as rosehip oil, a natural vitamin A (retinol) to boost collagen. Considering the potent acids present here, I was surprised that I didn’t feel any tingling or irritation, and was left with seriously bright and glowy skin. I loved that this mask allowed me to try new ingredients that I wouldn’t usually invest in, and I’ll definitely be reaching for this as a glowy priming base underneath make-up as a new way to experiment with the product.
The verdict: Faace face masks
My concerns about these types of tailored products being a fad have been sufficiently debunked by Faace’s offering. The branding is uncomplicated yet detailed enough to give you a real understanding of which ingredients work to target a particular concern, while the formulas cleverly blend well-known hero ingredients with lesser-known natural solutions that actually work. I’ll definitely be reaching for these products again when the next hangover and hormonal breakout comes around.
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Still in need of a bit of skin TLC? Read our round-up of the 10 best night creams for glowing skin in the morning