3%
Polyglutamic acid
Holds 5,000× its weight in water — 4× the capacity of hyaluronic acid.
Rituals · Hydrogel Mask
20-minute hydrogel · 3% polyglutamic acid + 2% ectoin + heartleaf
A 20-minute leave-on hydrogel designed as a once-a-week barrier reset. Polyglutamic acid holds 5,000 times its weight in water — four times the capacity of hyaluronic acid. Ectoin calms reactive skin. Heartleaf supports the redness piece.
Free US shipping over $50 · 60-day risk-free returns · Same-day if ordered by 2pm PT
A hydrogel mask is a gel-network of water and humectants that sets into a soft film on the skin. The film keeps the actives in contact with the surface long enough for them to do their work, then re-emulsifies into a residual essence that you press in without rinsing.
We chose polyglutamic acid over hyaluronic for the headline humectant because it holds 5,000 times its weight in water versus hyaluronic acid’s 1,000–1,500. The difference is visible in twenty minutes.
Ectoin is our quiet workhorse — an extremophile-derived stress molecule that calms reactive skin in the way a bowl of chamomile tea is supposed to but never quite does.
Apply a teaspoon-sized layer to clean, dry skin. Set a twenty-minute timer (or two episodes of something good). Read a book. Drink a glass of water. The mask will set into a soft film, then re-emulsify into a residual essence.
Press the essence into the skin with the pads of your fingers — do not rinse. Follow with serum and moisturizer, or use as the only step before bed.
Most users see best results with weekly use. Twice a week is safe through retinoid season or winter dryness.
Aqua, Polyglutamic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Ectoin, Houttuynia Cordata (Heartleaf) Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate (Multi-MW), Beta-Glucan, Allantoin, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.
Free US shipping on orders over $50. Carbon-offset delivery. 60-day risk-free returns: email hello@vellumbeauty.co for a full refund — even if the jar is empty.
The hydration stack
We measure mask formulas by the residual essence and the calm of the skin underneath. This is the stack we settled on after two years and six iterations.
3%
Holds 5,000× its weight in water — 4× the capacity of hyaluronic acid.
2%
Extremophile-derived stress molecule; calms reactive skin.
5%
Korean botanical; supports the redness piece.
2%
Madecassoside-rich; barrier repair extract.
The twenty minutes
The mask is what the package promises. The twenty minutes around it are the rest of the product.
Marble Cleansing Balm to lift the day, Milk Jelly Cleanser to follow. Pat the skin dry — not damp.
A clean, even layer across forehead, cheeks, nose, chin. Use the wooden spatula or your fingers — both are fine. The mask will set into a soft, slightly tacky film in 90 seconds.
Set a timer. Read, watch, or do nothing — that’s the point. Around the fifteen-minute mark the film will start to re-emulsify back into an essence.
Press the residual essence into the skin with the pads of your fingers. Follow with Cushion Cream Light or go straight to bed. By morning the skin will read visibly dewier.
Four-week consumer study, 100 participants
+62%
measured skin hydration immediately after first use (corneometer)
96%
reported visibly plumper skin at 4 weeks
91%
reported calmer-looking skin after one use
0%
reported stinging, irritation, or breakout
Independent four-week study, 100 participants, all skin types, Fitzpatrick I–VI. Corneometer measurement at baseline and post-use. Consumer self-grading at weeks 1, 2, and 4.
264 verified reviews
97% would recommend to a friend
Sunday nights, the Glass Skin Mask, and an actual book. Twenty minutes later I have visibly plumper, dewier skin and I’ve calmed down. It is the only mask I have ever fully used up the jar of. Five for five.
Cassia O.
Verified buyer · 75 mL · 12 weeks of use
I went too hard on a retinol last winter and my barrier was wrecked for months. This mask was the first thing that calmed the flush without breaking me out. I use it twice a week through the winter now and weekly otherwise.
Theo S.
Verified buyer · 75 mL · 14 weeks of use
I’ve tried every variation of this mask from Korean to French and this is the formulation that actually leaves my skin looking like the lighting from a perfume ad. Heartleaf in particular makes a visible difference on my redness.
Mei W.
Verified buyer · 75 mL · 8 weeks of use
From the formulation lab
“We went through six iterations of this mask. The first three felt nice in the jar but didn’t move the corneometer reading. The fourth moved the reading but stung on reactive skin. The fifth was the one — and the sixth was the one we shipped.”
Maya ReyesHead of Formulation · Vellum Lab, Echo Park
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