Product Review: Fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy-Boosting Face Mask

Pandemic living hasn't been kind to my skin, what with all the mask-wearing, over-working, and up-and-down stress and hormone levels. No wonder I've been dealing with more breakouts than usual! Fortunately, using my topical skin prescription twice daily as prescribed helped a lot, as did streamlining my skincare and minimizing potential irritants. The happy result is that the frequency and severity of new breakouts have decreased dramatically in the last few months, so much so that I'm now focusing my full attention on fading the hyperpigmentation and scarring left behind by old blemishes. I've been applying SPF and niacinamide serum daily, and twice weekly I exfoliate and apply the Fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy-Boosting Face Mask ($35 to $83 for various sizes, purchased by me).

The Fresh Vitamin Nectar Mask is not a new or new-to-me product (I've used up a smaller jar of it before), but it worked well enough to warrant a re-purchase during Sephora's big sale so I figured it deserved a shout-out on the blog too. Vitamins C, E, and B5 combine with AHA fruit acids from a concentrated fruit paste of oranges, lemons, and clementines. The result? A face mask that has a consistency halfway between gel and marmalade, and packs a serious glow-enhancing punch. (Side note: It's so marmalade-y I have whimsical visions of Paddington accidentally eating a jar of it whenever I use it.)

As with all things Fresh, the pleasure of the product derives as much from the user experience as it does the efficacy. The green-tinted glass jar has weight and heft. The mask has an invigorating citrusy scent and chunks of real fruit and peel in it. It only has to stay on for 10 minutes, so it's more doable and less of a commitment on a weeknight. For such a short active time though, the fruit acids sure do work their magic. I usually feel a slight tingling at first, and when I wash it off my skin looks noticeably brighter and more even-toned.

A couple of extra usage tips, in no particular order:

1. This mask is more of a brightening mask that improves overall skin tone than an exfoliating one, so if you crave a bit more exfoliation you can do that beforehand.
2. Regardless of whether you exfoliate before or not, don't leave it on for more than 10 minutes max! The actives could irritate skin.
3. This is a messy mask to wash off. Use a dampened paper towel or a face cloth that won't show stains.
4. Once opened, you should probably use it up ASAP instead of letting it sit in your medicine cabinet and rotating through other face masks. The actives will lose their potency after a while.

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