What Self-Heating “Sauna” Face Masks Actually Are And Why You Should Try Them ASAP

When I got an email asking if I’d like to try a sample of something called a “Sauna Face Mask,” I was a bit skeptical. I have only previously used a handful of face masks but only ones that had a cooling effect. I didn’t know what it would be like to have a self-heating mask on my face, but hell yeah, I wanted to try it.

If you’re not used to the feeling of something self-heating on your skin (I’ve been pretty accustomed to it for the years that I basically bathed in Icy Hot during college softball season), it’s an incredibly surprising sensation. The Montagne Jeunesse Red, Hot Earth Sauna Face Masque from 7th Heave immediately warms up and feels like you’re spreading warm goo all over your face, but also, it’s kind of cool at the same time. It only takes a second to heat up on the skin, and let me tell you; it feels awesome. 7th Heaven skincare actually has tons of great masks that I really want to try out, including a hot chocolate one.

The mask, which contains red clay, aromatherapy oils, and plant extracts, was made to open your pores and de-stress your skin. The heating element of it reacts to your skin, and honestly, it is really like an at-home sauna; you can feel your skin and pores being deep cleaned. Though, since the mask I used was a pinkish-red color, I kind of looked like I had a sunburn and/or that my face was melting off, but who doesn’t look nuts when they have a face mask on? Here’s a lovely photo of me and my boyfriend’s face masking together.

The only downside was that as the heat got more intense (not to the point of burning, but I definitely understand “sauna”), the mask kind of got drippy. You need to be a bit diligent, or you’ll end up eating it. Other than that, after I washed off the mask like I normally would post-treatment, my skin was incredibly soft and smooth. I literally couldn’t stop touching it. I made my boyfriend touch it. I rubbed my face on his dog’s face to make him touch it. I was in love.

My skin truly felt cleaner and brighter than using any other face mask (charcoal included), and that is a big deal. I always hate when I use masks, and I don’t notice anything afterwards, chalk it up to my millennial sense of immediate gratification, but this time it was different. You don’t feel like you just sweat through a skincare regimen, which is kind of the unfortunate point of IRL saunas. I recommend trying them ASAP.

Here are a few masks you should try out if you’re interested:

Montagne Jeunesse Red, Hot Earth Sauna Face Masque

This is the mask I tried, and I honestly recommend it if you want noticeably softer skin. It also smells really, really good (even though the packaging is kind of terrifying).

Bioré Self Heating One Minute Mask

I’m a big fan of charcoal masks, and this one has really good ratings. I’ll most likely be trying this one out once I finish all my 7th Heaven masks.

Montagne Jeynesse Hot Spring Sauna

Here’s the other sauna mask I was given. I haven’t tried it yet, but it seems to have an exfoliating element to it, and it’s definitely intriguing as well.

Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed Self-Heating Deep Pore Detox Mask

Another self-heating mask with amazing reviews that I really want to try. English skincare brand Soap & Glory is already known for its great serums, so I’m sure this mask wouldn’t be any different.