Mummy Mia! The Yufit MIRAPACK Cellulose & Hydrogel Mask Review

Ahh, sheet masks. They may be old news to those who already enjoy Asian beauty (AB)/Asian skincare, but skincare companies are continuously trying to innovate in order to keep it interesting and relevant. Can’t blame ’em! I mean, after a while, I might even get tired of My Scheming. Bahaha, just kidding. That’s impossible!

I recently tried an interesting 2-step mask system, the MIRAPACK, by a South Korean brand called The Yufit. I’ve never quite used a mask like this before, so I’m very excited to introduce this gorgeous-looking mask~

This product was provided by a distributor of The Yufit for an honest review in advance of the North American market. All content on A River Lily reflects my honest opinion. Check out my Policies and Transparency page for more info.

The Claims

First things first. Here’s a commercial:

(I swear, it starts off sounding like K-drama…)

The MIRAPACK is a premium 2-step masking system, including (1) a 3-piece cellulose and hydrogel mask, and (2) a “Miracle Cream” for your post-masking pleasure. The Yufit is a South Korean company founded in 2006; they’re small  compared to giants like LG and Amore Pacific, but they own several brands including a makeup brand. The Yufit seems to be best known for their slimming (including getting that slim, V-shaped jawline) and anti-aging products.

“Mira” (미라) translates to “mummy.” Yes, that kind of mummy. As you saw in that commercial, the concept of the Mirapack is to wrap your skin in this fabulous mask and preserve your flawless, youthful skin for eternity. Gotta keep that glowy, chok chok skin in check, right? Plus, it’s a “beautiful secret” stowed away and preserved for your next life and all of that (arguable cultural/historical appropriation aside…). I’m intrigued that the mask is made of cellulose (a fibrous organic compound) plus hydrogel (a highly absorbent natural/synthetic network of polymer chains, capable of containing up to 90% water). The mask is made in 3 layers: hydrogel > cellulose (100% cotton) > hydrogel. I imagine this not only locks in even more essence, but also makes the mask’s weave fit more snugly to the face without suffocating it. That’s just speculation, though, since I’m not sciencey enough to test this scientifically. 😦

As an aside: If I’m not mistaken, this mask packaging was designed by this Dongho of Sewing Boundaries. Sounded really interesting; here’s his tweet of the fashion line’s Fall/Winter 2016 collection.

I really like this understated but elegant design. Okay, taking my designer hat off now.

Anyway, back to the mask. While I currently only have the tiiiniest hint of crow’s feet around my eyes, I am not yet reaching for anti-aging products. It’s mostly hydration, healing, brightening, and sebum control for me! As I always say, though, product marketing can only say so much about the product’s actual abilities. “Anti-aging” typically includes a lot of nutrition and hydration in general, which anyone of any age can benefit from.

Ingredients List:

The Mirapack’s ingredients list is actually not bad at all. The mask (Step 1) ingredients:

Water, butylene glycol, saccharomyces ferment filtrate, lactobacillus ferment, xanthan gum, Peucedanum graveolens (dill) extract, niacinamide, Vitis vinifera (grape) seed extract, Ceratonia siliqua gum, agar, alcohol, reservatrol, Scutellaria aicalensis root extract, 1,2-hexanediol, camellia sinensis leaf extract, Houttuynia cordata extract, adenosine, Citrus junos fruit extract, caprylyl glycol, Artemisia princeps leaf extract, glucose, Tamarindus indica seed gum, cellulose gum, parfum, phenoxyethanol, disodium EDTA

The Miracle Cream (Step 2) ingredients:

Water, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, dipropylene glycol, glycerin, cetearyl alcohol, glycereth-26, niacinamide, silica, PEG-100 stearate, glyceryl stearate, cetearyl olivate, ammonium acrylouldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, sorbitan olivate, Saccharomyces ferment filtrate, lactobacillus ferment, 1,2-hexanediol, butylene glycol, wine extract, Illicium verum (anise) fruit extract, fragrance, allantoin, Diospyros kaki leaf extract, Castanea crenata shell extract, Scutellaria bicalensis root extract, adenosine, disodium EDTA, resveratrol, Peucedanum graveolens (dill) extract, phenoxylethanol, xanthan gum

*The amount of each ingredient actually in the product, as well as the product’s overall formulation, greatly affect the potential for irritation. Every individual’s skin may react differently to the same ingredients. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).

Despite this impressive resume of ingredients, I’m always cautious about my expectations and hopes. Very often, there are so many of each ingredient—and unfortunately, many “key ingredients” are so far down the list anyway—that the good stuff might come in only negligible amounts, meaning you might not get the full effects. Of course, I’ll reserve my judgment until I test it!

Key ingredients:

• Saccharomyces ferment filtrate – This is often compared to galactomyces, as in the main ingredient in AB favorites like Cosrx Galactomyces 95 essence and Purebess 100% Galactomyces essence. Saccharomyces comes from yeast and stimulates elasticity, boosts the skin’s immunity, destroys some bacteria, and moisturizes.
• Lactobacillus ferment – This one is actually new to my skin. It inhibits melanin production, brightens the skin, boosts immunity, and of course, moisturizes.
• Niacinamide (A.K.A. vitamin B3) – Another crowd-pleaser! Effective up to 5% of a product’s formulation, this is a very stable skin-brightening and anti-aging powerhouse. Niacinamide improves elasticity, irritation/redness, skin tone, texture, and acne (anti-bacterial properties). It’s even been shown to “increase ceramide and free fatty acid levels” (learn more about ceramide and the skin barrier here!). Another claimed benefit includes reducing sebum production, though I cannot currently find a reputable source for this other than the fact that Fiddy Snails told me a while ago, haha.
• Lys’lastine V (dill extract) – Stimulates an enzyme called LOXL and “restores elastin functionality“, which basically will keep your skin firm and smooth by improving skin elasticity. It’s considered a rather innovative in the anti-aging skincare field.
• “11 natural sources” ingredients, which include the plant extracts listed in the ingredients but in smaller quantities. Altogether, they intend to support the anti-aging, brightening, soothing, and moisturizing effects of this mask.

Whoo, them’s some ambitious claims. Let’s see how they all hold up!

The Evidence

Well, this is embarrassing.

Performance:

The Mask: A 3-part mask with a second post-mask step is not exactly the norm in Korean sheet masks—though they’re definitely available in higher-end masks—so I felt quite fancy using this! Even the packaging is sturdy and well-made. This truly adds to an at-home spa. I would have turned on the A/C and basked in my fluffiest comforters were it not already a cool spring evening in Hawai‘i. Aww yeah. In my excitement after getting the package, I used this mask twice in three days. The directions advise to leave this on for 15-45, but as usual I keep it on for about an hour. What a rebel, amirite?

The Mirapack mask feels, well, as you would expect when you smush fibers with hydrogel. It’s about as slick as a typical hydrogel, yet thinner. As I’d predicted, my face did not feel as bogged down as it usually would with a heavy cotton mask or an average-quality hydrogel mask. +1 mask.

It didn’t start to dry out until maybe 30~45 minutes in. That’s great, considering I didn’t use my Daiso serial-killer silicone mask. The mask technically has 35 g of essence, but it’s all packed well in the mask; not really much extra essence left in the foil to save for later as I usually would. Not that you need it, eh? Fun fact: 35 g is the highest amount of ingredients contained in any other South Korean mask (currently). Noice.

My skin felt feels nicely plump and hydrated after masking. That Saturday after I’d used the mask twice during the week, my face finally appeared noticeably brighter. Honestly, getting that drastic glow from a mask a bit rare for me personally. I actually went out without putting on any makeup except for eyeliner and a concealer for my post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Wao~!

My main complaint: In theory, the neck part is such a great idea. In execution…yeah, not so much. It’s the same material as the other mask parts but it just kept sliding down! Perhaps this could use a couple of those ear-loops, like the Daiso silicone mask. You could probably duct-tape the mask down, but that kind of impedes the whole faux-spa thing.

The Miracle Cream: I’d consider this cream as a sort of heavy, occlusive moisturizer that seals in the good stuff; it’s thick and feels very concentrated. After all, silicones in the form of dimethicone and silica are high up on the ingredients list. It does go on smoothly and feels and smells nice, but considering its texture, someone with dry to normal skin would benefit more from this. In any case, it works to seal it all in anyway! No complaints there. This little packet holds enough cream for about 3 generous uses, and you can easily fold it up and store it in a Ziploc bag for later use. This is one way for the effects of the mask to linger on your skin for a few more days.

Fragrance:

The mask and cream smell as luxurious as I expect from a premium mask. Oh my. It’s fragrant, floral, and reminds me a bit of Anthropologie for some reason. Its scent is almost exactly like a high-end perfume. Perhaps the Burberry Brit? Eh, one of those.

Value:

It’s currently only available in South Korea (not even our usual online Korean beauty stores have it—yet!). I wish I could tell you where to get this thing, but as I mentioned above, I was provided this mask in advance of the brand’s North American distribution launch, anticipated this summer. I was surprised not to see the Mirapack on Ebay, since there are some other Yufit products. In general, though, The Yufit appears on some Korean online markets, so look out for the Mirapack on:

• 11st
• Global Interpark
• Gmarket

These curtains were a really good $7 investment in these photo ops.

The Verdict

I’m moderately impressed by the Mirapack, although I wasn’t totally blown away. Maybe it’s because it’s a supposed to be a higher-end product and therefore it incites much higher expectations. That being said, the Mirapack absolutely has a luxe quality to it. It feels fabulous, smells wonderful, and is designed well enough to maximize the skin’s nutrition and hydration. It’s almost impossible to know whether or not each ingredient in the list actually does as intended, though I like to think it did because of the actually-visible brightness and glow (honestly, I don’t get that post-mask glow often! You’re lucky if you do!).

But like I always say, sheet masks are intended for instant, temporary effects. Unfortunately for reality, you can’t actually preserve your wonderfully perfect skin unless you soak in these wonderful ingredients in higher quantities through longer-term products like essences or moisturizers—so I’m curious to see if the Miracle Cream will come in a jar by itself in the future. Hmmmm.

Overall, I really enjoyed this mask and would recommend anyone interested to try it. After all, every little thing we do for ourselves adds up to grand results. Why do you think a lot of us have nearly 12-step routines? 😛 I’m looking forward to whatever else The Yufit has to offer!

Overall Rating: 4 / 5

Rating system:
5 / 5: HOLY GRAIL STATUS. I dare you to pry this from my cold, dead, kpop-glowy hands.
4 / 5: I really liked this! Would repurchase until I find a better alternative.
3 / 5: So-so. Unimpressive results, but may work better for others with different conditions.
2 / 5: Would not repurchase. Possibly caused some issues for me, but may work for others.
1 / 5: This lied to me. It did nothing that it said it would, and caused some issues.
0 / 5: Do not buy this. No one should have to suffer the way I did.

Have you used any The Yufit products before? Did this one pique your interest? How do you like hydrogel and 2+ piece masks? 🙂