Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably know about the sheet mask craze that’s totally swept the nation with a cult-like following. Reminiscent of the cloth masks used by your aesthetician in a facial, sheet masks have made their way into the home and promise to do just about everything from brightening and exfoliating to softening, smoothing and beyond.
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But, for as much as they are loved, a new report by Racked is placing serious fire under the sheet mask industry and questioning whether the techniques used to make them are sterile enough.
All of this chatter came to be when a post was shared on the Asian beauty page of reddit showed photos of sheet masks being made in private homes and using unsanitary manufacturing methods. According to Racked, “Several brands have been identified as using at-home labor for folding and stuffing sheet masks into their envelopes. Because there are so many small cosmetic brands, it is fairly common and the practice has been widely reported in Korea since 2008.”
https://t.co/u0VBbadKyF
상위에서 맨손으로…상처난 손으로….위생관념은 찾아볼 수 없는 수준 pic.twitter.com/yDpDk7znQx— 화장품 오따꾸 (@dotorucom) June 9, 2016
Stateside, this wouldn’t fly.
As if knowing that your beauty products were being made using unsterile practices and packaged without gloves in a random stranger’s home isn’t unsettling enough, there were also reports, which went viral, of a Korean consumer finding an insect in a sheet mask packet. Oh, and the Racked story also went on to say that the at-home mask packagers were getting paid a fraction of a penny.
For those who can’t give up their beloved sheet masks, where does this leave them? Of course, you’re going to want to inspect everything that you’re putting on your face to make sure it looks sterile and clean. Also, be an educated consumer and make sure you purchase your sheet masks (as well as pretty much any other beauty product) only from a reputable retailer.
