CYoung has reviewed more than ten masks and peels, and her approval rate of 44% says it all: she is not easy to impress. Most of what she tried she ended up setting aside. The ones she does recommend, though, she genuinely loves.
What does CYoung recommend in masks & peels?
When she approves a mask, it tends to do its job without leaving her skin feeling tight or stripped. She comes back again and again to the I'm From Mugwort Face Mask because it cools skin fast and rinses off in five to ten minutes. For a richer treatment, she calls the I'm From Honey Jelly Mask one of her holy grails for winter, especially now that it comes in a tube and costs a little less. She is also a fan of the Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask, which she says feels refreshing after washing off and sits at the top of the Olive Young rankings when the weather turns cold. For sheet masks, she finds the Mediheal Sheet Mask hard to argue with at under a dollar. She also recommends the Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Capsule Serum Sheet Mask for lasting moisture, saying it comes soaked in enough serum to use on your face and body.
In her words
"I'm not a huge fan of the collagen gel mask, but I love their regular Sheet Mask because it's not even a dollar and it works so effectively. Whoever you give it to as a present, it's amazing."
"One of my friends recommended I try this sheet mask, she has oily skin, so our favorites are different, but even on my dry winter skin the moisture from this one lasts. They said there's a whole bottle of serum inside, so you get a lot, enough for your face, body, anywhere. I recommend it."
"I really loved this sun cushion. A lot of different brands make one, but this brand's packaging looks really cute and Korean, and it's also kind of viral in Korea."
"I use so many bottles of the I'm From Mugwort Mask because it makes your skin cool down, and you only need to leave it on for five to ten minutes. The honey mask takes longer, so if you have more time you can try that, but the mugwort mask works well too."
"This is one of my holy grails for winter, the I'm From Honey Mask, though it's a bit more hassle since you put it on with a spatula, leave it for an hour, and then wash it off. It smells like real honey. They recently changed the bottle to a tube and made it a little cheaper, so it's even better now."
"Beauty of Joseon has a red bean mask and a rice mask, but I like the rice one better because it's a much newer version, [...] they upgraded it so it's smoother and easier to apply. After I wash it off I can definitely feel it's refreshing, the smell is kind of okay, and it's affordable. It's Korea's number one wash off mask, always on the Olive Young ranking, especially when the weather gets colder."
How many masks and peels has CYoung reviewed?
CYoung has reviewed 16 masks and peels, for an approval rate of 44%. 7 approved, 0 mixed, and 9 skipped.
What has CYoung skipped in masks & peels?
She skipped more products than she approved, and her reasons are consistent. Anything that hardens too fast, strips the barrier, or leaves skin feeling tight gets set aside. The Medicube Zero Pore Mask dried her skin out the moment she put it on, and she felt it pulling hard at her pores. The Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask looked good going on but was uncomfortable to sleep in, tricky to apply without a brush, and gave no more hydration than a regular serum. She was equally unimpressed by the Dr. Melaxin Peel Shot, which she called overhyped, and the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub, which she found too rough and said she would not buy again.
"It works fast, three to five minutes, and comes with a convenient tube and spatula. But as soon as I put it on I felt so dry, it hardens so quickly and excessively that you can see all the pores and feel it sticking hard to the skin, way too much stimulation. After washing it off my skin felt tight and dry. It does have AHA and BHA which helps a little, but that is a really small advantage compared to the downsides."
"This one has no scent, so if you're sensitive to that it's great, but I don't know why it's so popular, it feels very safe, that's it, and I don't think I'm going to repurchase it. [...] It's pretty rough as a scrub, so [...] if you have dry mature skin like me it's way too much overexfoliating. It also comes in a jar which is hard to dig into, and the rose scent is too strong for me."
"This Peel Shot is all over TikTok and it's overhyped. It's just a gum exfoliator, when it rolls that's mostly the product clumping with your dead skin. Yes, your skin feels smoother, but for dry skin it can strip your barrier. It was too harsh for me, I tried it and my skin ended up stinking so bad. Between this and the other peeling product I don't want to pick either one, I'll pass on this."
"It's a small amount for the price, and it looks amazing on the skin the moment you put it on, but it's very uncomfortable while you're wearing it because you have to leave it on the whole night. There's too much stimulus on the skin and the texture is runny, so if you don't have a brush you can't even apply it properly. On top of that, the hydration is nothing more than what you'd get from a normal serum. [...] Save your money."
What should you take from CYoung's picks?
CYoung is selective with masks and peels, and her record shows it. If you have dry skin and want something she genuinely reaches for, the I'm From and Beauty of Joseon wash-off masks are her clear favourites. Her skips are worth reading too. She is specific about why certain masks felt too harsh or uncomfortable, which makes her rejections as useful as her approvals.
Watch CYoung say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep MaskNamed a winnerWatch at 5:50
- Medicube Zero Pore MaskSkipped itWatch at 5:17
- Tree Hut Shea Sugar ScrubSkipped itWatch at 16:36
- Dr. Melaxin Peel ShotSkipped itWatch at 5:30
- Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping MaskSkipped itWatch at 1:47
- Numbuzin No.6 Deep Sleep MaskSkipped itWatch at 10:05
- Numbuzin No.4 MaskSkipped itWatch at 10:44
- Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel MaskSkipped itWatch at 2:35
- Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Refreshing Pore MaskSkipped itWatch at 3:04
- Mediheal Sheet MaskRated itWatch at 7:45
- Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Capsule Serum Sheet MaskRated itWatch at 2:57
- Tirtir Mask Fit Cool Blue Sun CushionRated itWatch at 16:16
- I'm From Mugwort Face MaskRated itWatch at 7:32
- I'm From Honey Jelly MaskRated itWatch at 6:43
- Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow MaskRated itWatch at 6:44
- Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Pore Minimizing Quick Clay Stick MaskRated itWatch at 10:57
About this expert
See everything CYoung has reviewed
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This guide reflects what CYoung said across her videos about 16 products in masks & peels, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.