Where does this sheet mask go in my routine?

After toner, in place of your serum step, in the evening. Toner goes on before it, and the rest of the routine goes on after you take the sheet mask off. If you are adding it to a routine you already like, give it a week on its own first, so what you see is the Niacinamide and not three changes at once.

Does this sheet mask contain fragrance?

Yes. The ingredient list names Citronellol, Eugenol, Fragrance and Hexyl Cinnamal. They sit on the panel printed on this page, so you can read the position for yourself before you buy. If fragrance components are something you avoid, this sheet mask is not the one.

What else is on the list besides Niacinamide?

Menthyl Lactate, Adenosine and Caffeine. The order they are printed in on this sheet mask's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Niacinamide sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Retinol and Tartaric Acid.

Dr. Melaxin

Cactox Cooling V-UP Mask 9.3g x 4ea

Name: Dr. Melaxin Cactox Cooling V-UP Mask 9.3g x 4ea
Brand: Dr. Melaxin
SKU: 2214
Price: 44.5 USD
Availability: InStock

Menthyl lactate does the cooling, with Niacinamide fifth, Caffeine and Adenosine, on an agar and polyacrylate gel sheet. Four masks at 9.3 g each, aimed along the jaw and lower face.

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$44.50

Korean-market formula
Ships from California or direct from Korea
Korean barcode and batch code intact

Suited to: Congested skinUneven textureDehydrated skinSensitive skin

Helps with: Shoppers looking for Niacinamide in a sheet maskRoutines that want Niacinamide and Menthyl Lactate in one stepFilling the sheet mask step with a Korean-market formula

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$44.50

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Key benefits

Niacinamide, the active this sheet mask is built around
Menthyl Lactate, Adenosine, Caffeine and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate on the same list, actives
Retinol and Tartaric Acid further down the same list
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 further down the same list
Niacinamide named fifth on the manufacturer list printed on this page

Key actives

5Niacinamideactive

Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. On this sheet mask's own ingredient list it is named fifth.

All products with Niacinamide

20Menthyl Lactateactive

Menthyl Lactate is a menthol derivative that gives a cooling sensation without menthol's sharpness or scent. It is a sensory ingredient rather than an active. It is named twentieth on this sheet mask's list, alongside Niacinamide.

All products with Menthyl Lactate

21Adenosineactive

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. It is named twenty-first on this sheet mask's list, alongside Niacinamide.

All products with Adenosine

25Caffeineactive

Caffeine constricts small blood vessels near the surface, which is why eye products use it for the look of puffiness and shadow. It is water soluble and works only while it is on the skin. The panel names it twenty-fifth on this sheet mask's list, beside Niacinamide.

All products with Caffeine

32Dipotassium Glycyrrhizateactive

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. The panel names it thirty-second on this sheet mask's list, beside Niacinamide.

All products with Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

#22

Fragrance on the list

5Niacinamide20Menthyl Lactate25Caffeine32Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

5Niacinamide
20Menthyl Lactate
25Caffeine
32Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.

1 of 3

61 of 69 explained

Water/Aqua 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.
Sodium Polyacrylate thickener: Sodium Polyacrylate is a polymer that absorbs many times its weight in water. It thickens a formula and holds water in a gel against the skin.
Dipropylene Glycol humectant: Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
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.
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.
Hydroxyacetophenone preservative booster: Hydroxyacetophenone is an antioxidant that also strengthens a preservative system, so a formula needs less traditional preservative. Korean formulas pair it with 1,2-hexanediol constantly.
Butylene Glycol humectant: Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
Hydroxyethyl Urea humectant: Hydroxyethyl Urea is a humectant that holds a lot of water for its size and stays comfortable at high levels. It is used where a formula needs to feel deeply hydrating without oil.
Methylpropanediol humectant: Methylpropanediol is a small glycol used to hydrate and to help water-soluble actives penetrate the outer layer of skin more evenly. It leaves almost no tack, which suits watery textures.
Caprylyl Glycol preservative booster: Caprylyl Glycol is a glycol that conditions skin and, more importantly, strengthens a preservative system so less of the traditional preservative is needed. It appears in most modern formulas built without parabens.
Disodium EDTA chelator: EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.

49 more explained

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate emollient: Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is a synthetic ester used as a dry-feeling emollient. It spreads easily, leaves a silky rather than oily finish, and helps disperse pigments and UV filters evenly.
Tartaric Acid exfoliant: Tartaric Acid is the fruit acid of grapes and tamarind. It is an AHA, but it is used more often to adjust pH and bind metal ions than as the main exfoliant.
Propanediol humectant: Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
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.
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside surfactant: Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside is a sugar-derived cleansing surfactant. It foams modestly and is mild enough for low-pH cleansers built for reactive skin.
Menthyl Lactate active: Menthyl Lactate is a menthol derivative that gives a cooling sensation without menthol's sharpness or scent. It is a sensory ingredient rather than an active.
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.
Fragrance/Parfum fragrance: Fragrance, or Parfum, is a single declaration standing for a whole scent blend, which can be dozens of materials. Regulators allow it as a trade secret, so a list showing only this word does not say what the scent is made of. It is the most common trigger named by people with reactive skin.
Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract plant extract: Onion Bulb Extract carries quercetin and sulphur compounds. Korean formulas use it for the look of blemish marks and uneven tone, and it is the namesake ingredient of the onion skincare line.
Caffeine active: Caffeine constricts small blood vessels near the surface, which is why eye products use it for the look of puffiness and shadow. It is water soluble and works only while it is on the skin.
Carnitine amino acid: Carnitine is an amino acid derivative the body uses to move fatty acids inside cells. In a formula it is a conditioning, water-holding ingredient.
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.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene emollient: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is a stabilised synthetic hydrocarbon used in place of mineral oil. It is an emollient that leaves a smooth, cushioned film.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract plant extract: Aloe Leaf Extract is mostly water with polysaccharides, amino acids and mild plant acids. It hydrates and leaves a light, cooling film, which is why it is the default after-sun ingredient.
Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract plant extract: Kiwi fruit extract, high in vitamin C and fruit acids. It is used as a conditioning antioxidant extract.
Lactobacillus Ferment ferment: Lactobacillus Ferment is the liquid left after lactobacillus bacteria have fermented a plant or milk substrate. It carries the small molecules the fermentation produced, including lactic acid and amino acids, and is used for the look of dull, uneven skin.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate active: Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. It is the licorice fraction Korean formulas use for the look of redness, and it is far more stable in water than the whole extract.
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.
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.
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract plant extract: Apple fruit extract, carrying malic acid, sugars and polyphenols. It is used as a conditioning extract with a mild acid character.
Bioflavonoids antioxidant: Bioflavonoids is a collective declaration for the flavonoid fraction of a plant extract, usually citrus. It names a class of plant antioxidants rather than one compound.
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract plant extract: Lemon fruit extract, carrying citric acid, sugars and flavonoids. It is the water-based fruit extract rather than the peel oil, so it brings the fruit acids without the aromatic terpenes.
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract plant extract: Kale leaf extract, carrying carotenoids, vitamin C and glucosinolates. It is used as a plant antioxidant.
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.
Potassium Hyaluronate humectant: Potassium Hyaluronate is another salt of hyaluronic acid, used for the same reason as the sodium form: it dissolves easily and holds a large amount of water in the outer layer of skin.
Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract plant extract: Broccoli extract, carrying sulforaphane and vitamin C. It is used as a plant antioxidant.
Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Fruit Extract plant extract: Pumpkin fruit extract, carrying carotenoids, sugars and enzymes. It is used as a conditioning extract.
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.
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract plant extract: Prickly pear cactus stem extract, from the pad rather than the fruit. The pad is full of mucilage, so the extract hydrates and leaves a cushioned feel.
Apium Graveolens (Celery) Extract plant extract: Celery extract, carrying flavonoids, minerals and plant acids. It is used as a light conditioning extract.
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.
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.
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate 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.
Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols emollient: The sterol fraction of soybean oil. Plant sterols are structurally close to the cholesterol in skin's own lipid layer, so they soften and help the oil phase hold together.
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.
Retinol active: Retinol is the alcohol form of vitamin A and the strongest retinoid available without a prescription. Skin converts it in two steps to retinoic acid, and it is used at night, at low percentages, for the look of fine lines and rough texture. It can leave skin flaking while it acclimatises.
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.
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate humectant: Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid modified to be part oil-loving, so it clings to skin instead of rinsing away. Formulators call it the one that stays put.
Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract plant extract: Anemarrhena Asphodeloides is a root used in Korean traditional practice. Its extract is used as a conditioning plant extract.
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.
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 peptide: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 is the five-amino-acid peptide originally sold as Matrixyl. It is used for the look of fine lines and is one of the longest-standing cosmetic peptides.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 peptide: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a short peptide with a fatty tail added so it can travel through the oily outer layer of skin. It is used for the look of firmness and is almost always paired with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7.
Hexapeptide-9 peptide: Hexapeptide-9 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of firmness and elasticity. It is water soluble and appears in peptide blends rather than alone.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 peptide: Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of expression lines, particularly around the eyes. It is the peptide sold under the name Argireline and is water soluble and stable.
Tripeptide-1 peptide: Tripeptide-1 is the copper-free version of the classic three-amino-acid peptide. It is used for the look of firmness in formulas that avoid copper's blue tint.
Copper Tripeptide-1 peptide: Copper Tripeptide-1 is three amino acids bound to a copper ion, and the classic firming peptide in cosmetic chemistry. It is blue in solution, which is often why a serum carrying it is tinted, and it is used for the look of firmness and fine lines.
*Citronellol fragrance component: Citronellol is a rose-geranium aromatic and one of the 26 fragrance components EU labelling names individually.
**Eugenol fragrance component: Eugenol is the aromatic molecule clove oil is mostly made of, also present in basil and cinnamon. It is one of the fragrance components EU labelling requires to be named separately.
*Hexyl Cinnamal fragrance component: Hexyl Cinnamal is a jasmine-like aromatic. It is one of the 26 fragrance components EU labelling requires to be named individually.

How it works

The Cactox Cooling V-UP Mask is a sheet mask, used after toner, in place of your serum step, in the evening. The active it is built around is Niacinamide, named fifth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Menthyl Lactate, Adenosine and Caffeine, so the active is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Niacinamide stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the sheet mask format rather than by the list alone. Dr. Melaxin sells this Niacinamide sheet mask in Korea, and this is that version.

How to use

Use it by unfolding it over clean skin and leaving it on for the stated time, working it into the skin in the position this sheet mask occupies in a full routine, and following up with the next step once it has settled.

Worth knowing

Patch test this sheet mask on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Niacinamide on the list.
This list names Citronellol, Eugenol and Fragrance, so skip it if fragrance components are something you avoid.
Retinol is on this list, so keep this sheet mask to the evening and build the nights up slowly rather than starting nightly.
Tartaric Acid on this list makes this sheet mask an exfoliating step, so do not stack it with another one on the same night.

Complete the routine

This itemDr. Melaxin Cactox Cooling V-UP Mask 9.3g x 4ea$44.50
Seal the routine in as the last stepDr.Melaxin Cactox Pore Relief Dual Capsule Cream 65g$75.00
From the same Korean-market lineDr.Melaxin Cactox 3-Step Nose Pore Pack 3P$32.50

Total for 3 items$152.00

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Dr.Melaxin Cactox Cooling V-UP Mask 9.3g x 4ea

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Dr. Melaxin, Korean-market original

The Original Korean Formula sheet mask from Dr. Melaxin, formulated with Niacinamide and Menthyl Lactate, shipped from California or direct from Korea.

Verify your unit when it arrives

Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.

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 skin-care professionals say about the key actives in this formula, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.

It has also been proven that caffeine stimulates lipolysis, which Lupo et al postulated may contribute to improvements in lower eyelid sagging and puffiness.
Stacey J. PilkingtonDO, Azeal Dermatology Institute, The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology
It contains liquiritin, an active compound that helps to disperse and remove existing melanin in the skin.
Jennifer Chwalek, MDDermatologist, Byrdie

1 more professional perspective

Niacinamide helps reduce the appearance of pores in a few ways. By strengthening the skin barrier and improving elasticity, pores appear less noticeable and more even.
Ashlyn YankeAesthetician, Cleveland Clinic