Sungboon Editor
Deep Collagen Power Boosting Mask$11.76COSRX
The Alpha-Arbutin Discoloration Care Hydrogel Mask (3ea)
A three-piece discoloration-care hydrogel mask carrying alpha-arbutin, niacinamide, ferulic acid and glutathione, left on for twenty minutes for a more even-looking tone on cleansed skin.
No reviews yet3ea
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- MatureFine linesSensitiveCompromised barrier
- Helps with
- Fine lines and loss of bounceBarrier weaknessDehydrationEarly environmental damage
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Sungboon Editor Deep Collagen Power Boosting MaskSungboon Editor
$11.76
$3.52
$10.58
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
A hydrogel mask is a gel sheet rather than a paper one, which is why it clings to the face and does not dry out mid-wear. This one carries niacinamide near the front of its list, with alpha-arbutin and acetyl glucosamine behind it. It goes on after toner, in place of the serum step, and the essence left behind is pressed in rather than rinsed off. Uneven patches that show most in photographs are the case this fits, and evenness is slow work: a mask is one evening of it rather than the whole of it. Two or three evenings a week is the rhythm.
Key benefits
- Alpha-arbutin and niacinamide pair on the brightening side
- Ferulic acid and glutathione add antioxidant support
- Five ceramide entries and hydrolyzed collagen mind the barrier while tone evens
- The hydrogel turns transparent as it warms, a cue it has settled in
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
COSRX The Alpha-Arbutin Discoloration Care Hydrogel Mask (3ea)
How does niacinamide relate to the alpha-arbutin in this mask's name?
Niacinamide actually sits higher on the ingredient list, in fourth place, than alpha-arbutin, which appears twelfth. Both ingredients are commonly paired for a more even-looking complexion, and the product name highlights arbutin while niacinamide is the higher-positioned partner ingredient by list order.
Is ferulic acid doing anything meaningful in this formula?
Ferulic acid appears in the back half of the ingredient list alongside tocopherol and glutathione, the formula's antioxidant cluster. It sits in a supporting rather than headline position, working alongside the brightening pair rather than carrying the mask on its own.
Does this mask include any barrier-supporting ingredients, or is it purely for tone?
Ceramide NP and ceramide EOP both appear near the end of the ingredient list, alongside hydrolyzed collagen and panthenol. Their presence is a smaller supporting inclusion rather than a primary focus, but it does mean the formula is not purely an acid or brightening treatment with nothing for the skin barrier.
How many sheets come in this package?
The mask ships as three individually wrapped hydrogel sheets, each sealed on its own so unused sheets stay fresh until opened. That is enough for roughly three separate sessions rather than a single-use trial size.
Can this mask be layered on top of an acid toner used earlier in the routine?
The mask itself contains no acid exfoliant, so nothing in this list will compound with one used earlier. Panthenol, allantoin, and the ceramides near the end of the list are all ingredients commonly layered after an acid step for that reason. Patch testing any new combination first is still a reasonable habit, especially on a night skin is already reacting to something else.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (44): Aqua/Water, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ceratonia Siliqua (Carob) Gum, Chondrus Crispus, Agar, Betaine, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Chloride, Alpha-Arbutin, Erythritol, Sucrose, Cellulose Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Phytate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Ferulic Acid, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NS, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide AP, Ceramide AS, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glutathione, Ceramide EOP
43 of 44 explained
- Aqua/Water solvent
- Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
- Glycerin humectant
- Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
- Acrylates Copolymer film former
- Acrylates Copolymer is a synthetic polymer that forms a film as the water leaves. It holds a formula in place, controls shine and helps a texture stay put.
- Niacinamide active
- Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
- 1,2-Hexanediol humectant
- 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
- Ceratonia Siliqua (Carob) Gum thickener
- Carob Gum is a seed polysaccharide from the carob tree. It thickens a formula and gives a soft, cushioned body.
- Chondrus Crispus plant extract
- Chondrus Crispus is Irish moss, a red seaweed. It is loaded with carrageenan, so it hydrates and thickens at once, and it leaves a cushioned, slippery film.
- Agar thickener
- Agar is a seaweed polysaccharide that sets into a firm gel. It is the gelling agent behind jelly masks and thick sleeping packs.
- Betaine humectant
- Betaine is a sugar-beet-derived humectant that cells use to hold water. In a formula it hydrates and takes the edge off cleansers and acids, which is why it often appears alongside them.
- Sclerotium Gum thickener
- Sclerotium Gum is a fungal polysaccharide thickener. It gives a smooth, non-stringy gel and holds an emulsion stable.
- Potassium Chloride mineral
- Potassium Chloride is a mineral salt used to bring a formula closer to the salt balance of skin, most often as part of a sea-water or mineral-water blend.
- Alpha-Arbutin active
- Alpha-Arbutin is a plant-derived compound, related to the sugar-bound form found in bearberry, used for the look of dark spots and uneven tone. It is stable in water and works at skin-friendly pH.
31 more explained
- Erythritol humectant
- Erythritol is a sugar alcohol humectant with a faint cooling feel as it dissolves. It hydrates and helps a formula spread without tack.
- Sucrose humectant
- Sucrose is table sugar, used here as a humectant. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and, in a scrub, doubles as the physical grain.
- Cellulose Gum thickener
- Cellulose Gum is plant cellulose modified to dissolve in water. It thickens, holds particles in suspension and gives a smooth, slippery body.
- Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a sugar-derived emulsifier and solubiliser, mild enough to be a standard choice in Korean essences. It dissolves small amounts of oil into water without any tightening feel.
- Panthenol humectant
- Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
- Allantoin active
- Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin.
- Acetyl Glucosamine active
- Acetyl Glucosamine is the sugar unit hyaluronic acid is built from. It is used as a humectant and, at higher levels, for the look of uneven tone, often paired with niacinamide.
- Xanthan Gum thickener
- Xanthan Gum is a polysaccharide made by fermenting sugar. It thickens a watery formula into a gel and holds the whole thing in suspension so nothing separates. Too much of it and a serum turns stringy, which is why it appears in fractions of a percent.
- Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
- Adenosine active
- Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
- Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract plant extract
- Cocoa Extract carries polyphenols and a little caffeine. It is used as an antioxidant plant extract and gives a faint warm tint.
- Hydrolyzed Collagen protein
- Hydrolyzed Collagen is collagen broken into fragments small enough to dissolve in water. It cannot become collagen in skin; what it does is hold water at the surface and leave a smooth, conditioned film.
- Sodium Phytate chelator
- Sodium Phytate is a rice-derived chelator used in place of EDTA. It ties up trace metals so the formula stays stable and its colour and scent hold.
- Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
- Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol
- Cetearyl Alcohol is a waxy solid, not the drying kind of alcohol. It is a blend of cetyl and stearyl alcohols used to thicken a cream and keep oil and water from separating, and it softens skin as it does so.
- Stearic Acid fatty acid
- Stearic Acid is a saturated fatty acid from plant fats, and one of the three lipid classes skin's own barrier is built from. In a formula it thickens, stabilises the emulsion and can be turned into a soap-style cleanser by adding a base.
- Pentylene Glycol humectant
- Pentylene Glycol hydrates and, like the other longer-chain glycols, makes a formula less hospitable to microbes so the preservative system can be lighter. It also improves how evenly a product spreads.
- Ferulic Acid antioxidant
- Ferulic Acid is a plant antioxidant from bran and seeds. Its main formulation job is stabilising vitamins C and E so a serum keeps working for longer, which is why the three appear together so often.
- Ceramide NP barrier lipid
- Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy.
- Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
- Tocopherol antioxidant
- Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is hyaluronic acid linked into a mesh. It holds water in a soft gel on the surface rather than sinking in, and it releases that water slowly through the day.
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid humectant
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid cut into much shorter fragments. The smaller the fragment, the further into the outer layer it can settle, which is why serums stack several sizes together instead of using one.
- Ceramide NS barrier lipid
- Ceramide NS is another of the ceramides skin makes for itself. It is used alongside NP and AP so a formula supplies a mixture rather than a single lipid.
- Cholesterol barrier lipid
- Cholesterol is the third of the three lipids the outer layer of skin is built from, with ceramides and fatty acids. Formulas that carry all three are following the ratio skin itself holds.
- Phytosphingosine barrier lipid
- Phytosphingosine is the backbone every ceramide is built on, and skin uses it in its own lipid layer. In a formula it works with ceramides and cholesterol and also keeps the product stable against microbes.
- Hyaluronic Acid humectant
- Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
- Ceramide AP barrier lipid
- Ceramide AP is a second cosmetic ceramide, distinguished by an extra hydroxyl group. Formulas that name several ceramides are copying the mix skin actually holds rather than relying on one.
- Ceramide AS barrier lipid
- Ceramide AS is a further member of the same lipid family. Its presence usually signals a formula built around a full ceramide profile rather than a single headline one.
- Glutathione antioxidant
- Glutathione is a small peptide the body uses as one of its main antioxidants. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant and for the look of dullness; it is unstable in water, so formulas that carry it are usually built around protecting it.
- Ceramide EOP barrier lipid
- Ceramide EOP is the ceramide with the longest tail, and in skin it acts as the rivet holding the lipid layers together. It is the third member of the standard cosmetic ceramide trio.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809598457249
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 3ea
- Category
- Mask
- Actives
- Adenosine, Allantoin, Arbutin, Ceramide NP, Ceramides, Collagen, Glutathione, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
How to use
- Use the Alpha-Arbutin Discoloration Care Hydrogel Mask after toner, in place of your serum step, in the evening.
- Unfold the sheet, line it up at the eyes first, then smooth it outward so no air is trapped underneath.
- Take it off at the time printed on the pack, pat in the essence left behind rather than rinsing, then go straight to your moisturizer.
- Two or three evenings a week is a normal rhythm. Do not leave it on past its time; a sheet that has gone dry takes moisture back off the face as it goes.
Worth knowing
- Collagen here is not plant-derived, so this is not a vegan formula.
Reviews
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COSRX The Alpha-Arbutin Discoloration Care Hydrogel Mask (3ea)
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
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COSRX, Korean-market original
Alpha-arbutin hydrogel mask, 3 ea, with Niacinamide and Ferulic Acid.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
COSRX verifies units itself. Find the verification page on cosrx.com and enter the batch number and expiration date printed on your unit. Read them off the package rather than from us, which is the point.
Source: COSRX FAQ
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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