A Dual Mask Treatment That Brightens and Tightens

The K-Beauty trend is everywhere right now, and although there are a ton of fabulous products coming straight from Korea, it can be hard to figure out where to start or what to incorporate into your skin care regimen. At least it was for me. When it comes to routine, I keep things pretty simple. Add too many products and it starts to feel like a chore. But, lately I noticed my complexion looking dull, ruddy and in need of some special attention. This was the perfect time to try something new and see for myself if the K-Beauty trend was really worth all the hype.

The Caolion Premium Hot and Cool Pore Pack Duo ($30) contains two separate masks, which when used together, leave your skin feeling clean and renewed. Caolion is a Korean beauty brand known for their color-, fragrance- and alcohol-free products that are specially manufactured to be free of skin-irritating ingredients. This was good to keep in mind as I embarked on using two back to back masks that produce a different effect on your skin. 

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The first step of this treatment is the hot Blackhead Steam Pore Pack. It’s a charcoal steaming mask that exfoliates, cleanses impurities and removes blackheads and whiteheads. After spreading the thick, black, granulated paste on my face, I massaged the granules for a few minutes to slough away dead skin cells and started to feel the heating effect (full disclosure: I had to watch Caolion's instructional video to get all the steps right). As I felt the heat spread across my face, I imagined my pores opening up and the impurities being drawn out by the charcoal. I like when I can feel a product working, and although the heating effect was tingly, it didn't sting my sensitive skin.

The second step is the hyaluronic acid–infused, cool Pore Original Pack, another mask, but this one is designed to calm and revitalize your skin while tightening pores. The clay and volcanic ash mask went on smoothly and gave me a different kind of tingling sensation. The peppermint leaf extract and menthol gave a cooling effect that soothed my troubled skin—it was refreshing after the heat of the first mask. 

When all was said and done, my pores looked smaller and my skin felt tighter and had a healthy glow for days. That's right...days. This powerful duo is staying in my skin care arsenal, and I can now say I'm a K-Beauty believer.