Himalaya Almond & Cucumber Peel-Off Mask: So Does Hypoallergenic Also Mean The Product Is Safe for Sensitive Skin?

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Let me state this at the start – Himalaya Almond and Cucumber Peel-Off mask is not the only product that does not state prominently whether the product is right for sensitive skin. I haven’t seen many popular brands – national or international – come up with a dedicated product line for this skin type. The pack does mention it is ‘hypoallergenic’ but this little nugget of crucial information is contained in the fine print on the back of the pack.

Since I am among those who have sensitive skin – it is prone to itchiness, irritation and allergies – for lack of a better choice, I end up buying products that claim to be ‘mild’ or herbal – Dove, Himalaya, Johnson’s Baby products or the FabIndia range. Few have been perfect fits, others have kept me going from brand to brand – but there haven’t been any real problems to report. With the Himalaya Almond & Cucumber Peel-Off Mask, however, there are a few things to be said.

I have used a peel-off mask in the past – the EverYuth Orange Peel-Off Mask – and my skin took that alright. Going by that, I bought the Himalaya Almond & Cucumber one for an instant cleanup at home.

It was super-clingy and hard to remove.

I applied the mask fairly generously (as generous as I could imagine because the pack does not mention what the right layer of thickness is) and kept it on for the 15 minutes it said on the pack. But taking it off was a task and it was literally painful. Unlike the pack I had used in the past, this mask did not peel off evenly, but instead it came off in small bits and not too easily, and that hurt. And it took almost 15-20 minutes to get the whole thing off my face.

There was redness all over.

It does say on the pack that the product is hypoallergenic, but the peeling of the mask in small bits irritated my skin and there was noticeable inflammation and redness all over the face that took almost 30-45minutes to calm down. Interestingly, the tube says the ingredients have astringent and anti-inflammatory properties. (The mask is two years away from expiry.)

Luckily, I had no social outing planned that day.

The after-effects were not worth the exercise.

After almost 45 minutes, when my skin calmed down, it certainly felt cleaner and tighter, as the mask promised, but that wouldn’t prompt me to try it once again.

So, my question is: If this product is hypoallergenic, why did I have an allergic reaction to it? Was I wrong in assuming that ‘hypoallergenic’ also means that the product is safe for sensitive skin? And if it isn’t, wouldn’t it be better if the company states clearly on the front of the pack whether or not is it for all skin types, instead of risking the reputation of the entire brand?

Product: Himalaya Almond & Cucumber Peel-Off Mask

Weight: 100g

Price: Rs.110