The MaskerAide Facemasks were gifted to the writer, with no promise of a positive review in exchange.

DECADES BEFORE I’D ever heard of ASMR, I was a devotee. Humming noises, repetitive pen-tapping, uninterrupted whispering; I’ll take it all.

Shutterstock / Albina Glisic Shutterstock / Albina Glisic / Albina Glisic

So, when I heard that ASMR facemasks existed, I obviously wanted in on the action.

Yes, it sounds vaguely absurd and I didn’t really expect much, but I was more than willing to slather my face in a mask and wait for the scalp tingles that I’ve experienced for years when it came to certain sounds.

So, first off, who is behind this lark?

Well, that’d be MaskerAide, who say their products are a two-in-one experience which allows you to ‘treat your skin and treat your senses’. 

Sure, what’s not to love?

I was sent four, which included a charcoal mask, peel-off mask, and mini sheet masks.

So, what exactly are we working with?

Well, let’s start with MaskerAide’s Rosé All Day Rose Gold Peel Off Mask.

I was advised to wait 15 minutes for the mask to dry, and after peeling it off slowly, I would hear ‘the most satisfying sound’, before revealing a ‘smoother, more youthful me’.

What else have I got, says you?

Well, the Bubble Bubble Pop Charcoal Sheet mask purported to make the ‘coolest ear-tingling sound’, and sure look, who’s going to turn that down?

When the sheet mask is applied, it activates with oxygen, and a bubbly foam begins to form. And apparently, when you listen carefully, you can hear the mask foaming up and bubbles crackling. 

And then we had Sweet Retreat and Crystal Clear, but as I was more instantly drawn to the first two, I decided to go with them as a start.

So, what happened?

I tried the Rosé All Day first, and it was probably one of the least relaxing face mask sessions I have ever experienced.

In fact, I think it’s fair to say it may have been among the worst; and yes, I followed the instructions to the letter.

You may not be surprised to hear that there was absolutely no ASMR element that I could detect anyway, but maybe that was because I had drowned out any sounds with my own strangled whimpers as I attempted to peel off the mask.

My skin stretched, my eyes watered and I questioned how I ever thought an ASMR facemask might actually exist.

Once I had finally removed the mask – albeit with some bits still stuck to my face but I was too shook to deal with them – my face felt excessively hot and tight for the next 30 minutes.
 
My face then remained bright red and blotchy for the next two to three hours and I feared I’d be in for a world of humiliation the following day.

Thankfully, by morning my face was back to normal with no suggestion – good or bad – that I had used a facemask the night before.

Overall verdict

I would rather use any number of the face masks I already owned while simultaneously listening to any number of the ASMR videos on YouTube than endure that again.

Naturally, the plan had been to try out all four products, but based on my first experience, I decided I wasn’t going back in for an encore; I genuinely didn’t want to put my skin (or pain threshold) through it.

For all I know, the other three may actually contain the elusive ASMR element, but I’m happy to stay in the dark about it.

And yes I know; I’m sure you could have told me that.

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