Note: If you’re even 10% interested in using this product, please read the FULL review–start to finish. You’ll thank me later.
Last week THE coolest product caught my eye. It was a face mask that could be removed WITH A MAGNET.
That’s right.
No washing required. Just use a magnet, and it comes off.
Yep, I had to buy and try this. So here it is: My Review of the Dr. Brandt Magnetite Age-Defier Skin Recharging Mask.
#ActToAttract
I saw this product on a TV segment that made its way to Instagram.. then also on the “Fall Beauty Picks” at Sephora. So naturally, a few clicks later it was on the way to my house.
But.. Megan!
You just bought it..? Where’s your logic?! What about the science?! Does it work? What are the claims, even?!
I DON’T KNOW BUT LET’S DO THIS.
First Thoughts: Magnetight Age-Defier Face Mask
This is hands down the coolest beauty experiment I’ve done in a while. It was actually fun… I was laughing and giddy throughout the entire experience. More fun than clay masks, sheet masks, or any skincare experiments I’ve done in a while (definitely more fun than the bee venom experiment!)
Forget the gorgeous packaging, the first thing I had to do was test the magnet (because who reads the instructions first?!). I wanted to see how strong it was. So I opened it and held the magnet to the lid, where a little excess mask was waiting. Sure enough, it came off onto the magnet. It reminded me of an experiment in elementary school, where we passed a magnet over a few different cereals, and they drew towards it in different patterns and strengths, depending on the iron content of the cereal.
Sure enough, once I read the insert, it is iron that makes this magnetic mask work!
#ActToAttract in action:
Hmm… not sure how I feel about that. Iron is one of those supplements that is pretty heavily regulated by the FDA when it comes to packaging requirements and that’s usually for a good reason (yes, I had a brief stint in the supplement realm and know a lot more than I should). I’ll have to loop back on this.
And WOW.. I could NOT get the mask off of the magnet for the LIFE of me! Because soap and water are not going to magically make the force of magnetism go away. Ahh.. yes the instructions agree. So glad I read those first.
So now I have a dirty magnet that may never recover, but the unboxing experience was fun. I felt like a 2nd grader at the science fair again, and that was a really cool emotional replay.
First Thoughts: Magnetight Age-Defier Face Mask
To be honest, I was so ready to do this that I didn’t even read the instructions or ingredient list. I did notice ONE thing.. but I’ll tackle that first in the next section.
This was me about 60 seconds later:
I was seriously laughing like a little kid the whole time. I was so excited to use this mask. It smelled good, felt good, and I only needed to apply a little bit to cover my face! Awesome. The jar was kind of small, which was a downer, but again – since I only needed a little, I figured that this jar could last a good 5-6 applications.
One of my favorite things about this mask was that you only need to leave it on for 5-10 minutes.
As much as I like the idea of a DIY-at-home face mask, it’s not like the spa. I forget it’s there and end up touching it after 10 minutes, then I get gunk everywhere. So the idea of a quickie mask sounded great to me.
Sure enough, 5 minutes later – after a few selfies, of course – I was ready to take it off. I grabbed the magnet, wrapped it in a tissue (yes the 5 minutes gave me enough time to read the instructions) and held it a few millimeters from my face. The mask was instantly attracted to the magnet. In fact, this felt like the gentlest “wiping” off ever, because I wasn’t even really touching my face.
This sounds crazy, I know, and it felt crazy. It was magical.
My skin was looking seriously hydrated, almost glowing after all the black gunk was off. And believe me – it came off all the way. No weird strange patched of black to discover later (or, with my luck, be pointed out by a friend/family member/barista..). It really all came off, easy as pie.
But what was the point of all of this (and the $75 I spent on the jar!?)
Second Thoughts: Magnetight Age-Defier Face Mask
I promised I would circle back.. so about that magnet again. Before I first tried (and failed) to wash the mask off the magnet, I let the mask sit on the magnet for a while. This is what I noticed:
The iron began to separate from the mask ingredients.
Why is that important?
Because that’s what’s supposed to happen on your face.
Okay, noted. The magnet is not an important part of the anti-aging benefits at all, despite what the packaging may say. There’s no “lifting” action going on here, just some very serious hydration.
Ahh… making more sense.
Onto more logic..
Ingredient Check: Magnetight Age-Defier Face Mask
Let’s double check with the ingredient list:
Iron Powder, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Nylon-12, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Silica, Tribehenin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Polysorbate 40, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Ceramide Ng, Peg-10 Phytosterol, Tourmaline, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Isohexadecane, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Flower Oil, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol.
After the obvious (Iron Powder), the ingredients are Dimethicone, Polysilicone and again later another Dimethicone, a ceramide.. alright. The Geraniol is cool but the last ingredient, so it might as well not exist. The Linalool and Limonene may be good or may be sensitizing; lavender oil is the same, depending on who you’re talking to.
These ingredients are pretty similar to a very, very potent moisturizer that I purchased last fall when my skin was going through some ISSUES.. like severe acne, followed by severe driness (another reason why I’m switching off my derm-prescribed products), followed by patches of severe oiliness and severe driness. That moisturizer was the Peter Thomas Roth Laser-Free Resurfacer (here). It was more expensive before (? I remember it being $110), but mostly uses different forms of silicone and dimethicone to moisturize very damaged, dry or aging skin. It was like a gelée consistency and lasted forever on the skin. It felt slick like silicone .. almost a thick, oily gel.
Don’t get me wrong, it was perfect for the situation, but I wasn’t under any illusions that it was reversing signs of aging on my skin.
So after all the magnetic shenanigans, this should be a pretty potent moisturizer for very dry and aging skin.
What else?
I don’t see anything close to an anti-ager until ingredient #13 Tourmaline (source).. followed by Lavender oil and later by some other potential anti-inflammatories and anti-agers (which again: whether these ingredients are sensitizing or anti-inflammatory depends on who you’re talking to).
While I think that the science behind lavender oil as an anti-inflammatory is pretty good (source), and the science behind Tourmaline is a little iffy (source), the maximum concentration of these ingredients is about 7% (mathematically, given that they are the 13th and 14th ingredients in the list, which needs to be in order), and more likely about 1-2%. Not enough to do much damage.. or rather, damage-reversal ?
Claim Check: Magnetight Age-Defier Face Mask
Here’s what the Dr. Brandt says on Sephora.com:
MAGNETIGHT Age-Defier™ is a powerful age-defying facial mask that dramatically transforms the look of your skin by harnessing the power of attraction. The magnetic properties of the iron based formula and magnet help to reduce signs of aging skin and reduce the appearance of stressed skin. Skin is left looking magnetically youthful and energized.”
Attraction??
Hmm they’re not wrong per se, but the wording definitely led my brain a different way the first time I read the claims than the second time.
This is another case of “consumer confusion,” like I referred to in the full guide to choosing a lash enhancer–sans scams (here). I am wagging my finger at you right now, Dr. Brandt. You’re not wrong but you are in some super grey area right now with your stellar marketing language and I don’t take kindly to it.
Let’s just say based on the ingredient list, that this magnetic mask will probably be a good moisturizer, but not much else. The moisturizers used are mostly occlusive agents, so it really will help you retain the moisture in your skin and those benefits may last beyond the day that you apply the mask.
Plus, the fact that you’re not wiping off the mask, but the iron is pulling off everything BUT the key ingredients means that your skin is more likely to retain what was put there with this mask than if you were to use a traditional mask.
It’s almost as if you were rubbing an expensive moisturizer all over your face and that’s it.. hmmm..
Health Check: Magnetight Age-Defier Face Mask
Now I know that the iron is only sitting on your skin for 5-10 minutes, but remember that I said iron is pretty heavily regulated by the FDA?
That worries me.
Actually, it should. Excess iron acts as a catalyst in the production of free radicals-which are responsible for the fine lines, wrinkles and other signs of skin aging.
In fact, studies have been conducted to show that treating the skin with synthetic iron chelators will actually delay the onset of wrinkles and redness. In other words, if you get rid of some of the excess iron on the skin, you can prevent signs of aging.
So yes! My gut reaction was right. You should not be putting more iron on your skin.
Final Thoughts: Magnetight Age-Defier Face Mask
Will putting excess iron on your skin for 5-10 minute make a difference and put your skin at risk for further damage? Probably not. You’re putting it on and taking it off.
But just… why?
WHY, DR. BRANDT?!
Why make a product whose #1 ingredient is something that actually does the OPPOSITE of what you want to achieve?
So, honestly, overall:
- + This product was super fun to use – the most fun beauty experiment ever.
- + YES the magnet part is totally legit and works as advertised.. as a mask-remover
- + This mask is a serious hydrator
- + Easily a spa service replacement – it’s THAT good-feeling
BUT….
- – This mask’s #1 ingredient is something that causes additional skin aging/damage (via free radical production)
- – It’s expensive (~$15/application)
- – There’s not enough powerful anti-agers inside to make it a worthwhile purchase
- – The magnet isn’t doing ANYTHING in terms of “lifting”…It’s just a mask remover.
Conclusion?
If you want to buy it and try it, don’t let me stop you! It was a fun experience.
Despite what some skincare gurus might say about the ingredients further down on the list, this mask was nowhere near sensitizing. It was very gentle and seriously moisturizing.
As for me? Next time I’ll just stick a Korean sheet mask on my face, and let it work in peace while I work on my computer (omg I’m actually doing that now as I edit this blog).
No mess, no problems, and $1-$2 a piece.
As for potent anti-agers?
I’ll stick to SHINE, REWIND (from our Farm to Face collection), and some other collagen boosters. To learn more about which ingredients and products naturally boost collagen production in the skin, read our full run-down on Collagen here.
Gentle Reminder: If you liked this content and want to continue seeing stuff like this, scroll to the top of the page, enter your email in the right hand column and click “subscribe.” If you super-like it, share it with your friends by using the social sharing buttons below this post ?
This blog contains affiliate links.
