The Hanacure All-In-One Facial Made My 70-Year-Old Parents' Skin Look Like Glass

Hanacure's All-In-One Facial mask is virtually legendary within the beauty, and more specifically, the skincare industry. In fact, at one point, the cult-status mask was completely sold out and near impossible to get your hands on—it's that coveted. However, thanks to the magical fairies at Violet Grey, I was able to obtain the treatment's signature white box and proceeded to try it on not only my own complexion but my parents' 70-year-old complexions as well. And to be completely honest, the results were pretty astounding. (Which says a lot coming from three perpetual skincare skeptics).

Beloved by celebrities (both Drew Barrymore and January Jones are known fans), the Hanacure philosophy is inspired by the lotus flower, which according to the brand, freshly blooms each and every morning. The premise for the mask is this: Your skin will mirror the lotus flower in that it will be "reborn" with each and every use.

Enriched with a powerful and patented CO2 OctoLift component, the treatment mask is designed to emulate the high-reaching results of a professional facial and designed to defy the outward signs of aging. There is a laundry list of benefits like contouring, clarifying, detoxifying, brightening, pore-tightening, lifting, firming… Need I go on? Hence, I invited my (actually mature-skinned) parents into the experiential mix.

Of course, I try skincare products that boast anti-aging on a daily basis, but if we're being straightforward, I lack the lines and folds, albeit beautiful, that truly mature skin inevitably has. So can I authentically speak to these products' efficacy? Perhaps slightly, but not in the truly transparent way we strive to here at Byrdie. Therefore, I looked to my 70-year-old parents (who have said wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and damage) to serve as my co–guinea pigs for this Hanacure masking experience. Keep scrolling for the process; the before, during, and after photos; and my family's completely honest thoughts about the experience.

The Hanacure All-In-One Facial mask might be slightly uncomfortable to wear, but the results are worth it. Expect brighter, firmer, and more glowy skin with just one use.

About My Skin: Fair and sensitive

Interestingly, my skin didn't quite agree with this mask—at least initially. Since my skin type is on the fair and sensitive side, my complexion turned a bright shade of red, which was still noticeable and a bit blotchy the following morning. (The brand does say this can be expected).

The Ingredients: Science and botanicals

The Hanacure All-In-One Facial mask is formulated with the brand's trademarked CO2 Octolift. It's a unique ingredient that reacts with the CO2 in the air that creates that tight and tingly feeling while getting rid of impurities in the skin. There's also a variety of botanical extracts, including lotus leaf extract, green tea leaf extract, honeysuckle flower extract, and Ginkgo Biloba, which combine to improve your skin's elasticity, dullness, and hydration levels. The blend of peptides in the mask fades scars, brightens your complexion, and diminishes the appearance of wrinkles.

The Feel: Tingly and tightening

After taking our "before" photos, we began the Hanacure ritual, which starts with a unique mixing experience per the directions, which you're advised to follow to a T. Essentially, you strategically mix the lifting serum with the gelling solution and then shake the combo for about 20 seconds to ensure it forms into a thick, thoroughly mixed gel. Then, it's time to apply.

Normally, one starter kit like mine is a single-use application, so it's worth pointing out that my parents and I wore thinner coats than we normally would have in order to stretch what we had. That being said, post-application, we immediately noticed the mask's trademark tightening and tingling sensation. Although we all agreed that it was less intense than expected in both appearance and feeling—again, this could have been due to our thin application.

The Process

To make this experience as official as possible, my parents and I started off with the exact same skin prep. (And as a disclaimer, this was my dad's first foray into any kind of "skin prep," period—my mom and I being the only true skincare enthusiasts of the family). To stay on a level playing field, and because Hanacure advises you to start the experience with a freshly cleansed and then thoroughly dried complexion, all three of us used CeraVe Hydrating Face Cleanser ($13) to ensure squeaky-clean slates.

The treatment is supposed to sit on the face for about 30 minutes, so my parents and I sat down to an episode of Queer Eye to make the time (and increased tightening) fly by faster. This was the first time my dad has ever had a mask on his face, and I was surprised by how unphased he was. (He later told me the initial application, which does feel cold and slimy—as masks do—was the most uncomfortable part for him). My mom was warier of the tightening (see her expression above), but all in all, we agreed it wasn't as bad as we had anticipated due to all of the exaggerated folklore. Many claim you can't even talk or move your mouth after you've applied the mask, but again, I'd love to give the mask another go with a heartier application.

The Results: Firm, bright, and glowing skin

My Dad, Steve

As I said, my dad doesn't have a skincare routine, and the only thing he's probably ever applied to his face is soap in the shower (I cringe) and sunscreen (which he hasn't been the best about). That being said, he was pretty astounded by the results he noticed after washing the mask off with warm water. His lines and wrinkles on his forehead and cheeks were significantly smoother, his complexion brighter, and his face "cleaner feeling." In fact, the rest of the night he kept getting up from the couch to look at his reflection in the mirror—adorable. He even asked if I had more so he could keep using it. (Though he would never admit it, he's grown warier of his wrinkles, bags, and pigmentation as he's gotten older, and I know it's a point of insecurity for him). It was such a cool experience to see a product actually reap results and to notice his obvious uptick in self-confidence.

My Mom, Elise

Next up: my beautiful mom, Elise, who does have a pretty epic skincare routine and the skin of a porcelain doll. However, even though she doesn't have the pigmentation and sun damage that my dad does, she does express worry over sagging, lines/wrinkles, and dullness.

Interestingly, my mom was the most taken aback by the tightening sensation we all experienced while wearing the mask, and at first she said she didn't notice that much of a difference post-wash-off. But I did. Almost immediately, I commented on how much brighter, tighter, and smoother her skin looked in the light (it was about 11:30 p.m. when we performed the experiment, so finding good lighting was a challenge), and it was almost as if a light bulb went off. Suddenly, my mom couldn't stop inspecting and praising the results. She agreed with me that her skin felt insanely smooth and soft, and her newfound glow was virtually glass-like in appearance. Both of us were obsessed with her results. (I mean, look at that after!).

Erin

Last but not least—moi. As I said, I don't have a lot of the "issues" this mask is designed to target, which is why I asked my parents to try the mask to truly get an honest gauge on its efficacy.

That being said, the texture of my skin did a complete 180. I'm not sure if it's ever felt so smooth and soft, and I also felt like my skin looked more taut and toned—a perk my mom had also mentioned. We agreed we wouldn't say the mask achieved face-lift results but did yield a more "toned" look in general. (A benefit I'm not mad at). After almost 24 hours, the redness completely died down, and my skin wasn't broken out or seemed irritated by the intensity of the formula in any other way. Although my results weren't as drastic as my parents', one day out, I'm definitely a still a fan.

All in all, my parents and I were blown away by the results and agreed that the cult-loved Korean Hanacure mask does, indeed, live up to all the hype.

The Value: Good for special occasions

The Hancure mask costs $29 for up to two uses, and $110 for four to five uses. Yes, that price tag is pretty steep, but it's totally worth it for special occasions or a treat to yourself.

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Skin 1004 Zombie Pack: For $20, the Skin 1004 Zombie Pack is another tightening mask designed to improve skin texture and appearance. It's formulated with adenosine for an instant skin-tightening effect and egg white extract to rid the skin of white and blackheads.