I’ve had a soft spot for Boscia’s products ever since I learned that this company makes preservative-free products that are free of fragrances and dyes. So when I spotted the Boscia Matcha Magic Super Antioxidant Mask at my local TJ Maxx, I thought it would be fun to give it a try. I’ve also been trying to be more mindful of plastic packaging lately, so a jarred mask seems like a slightly greener alternative to individually packaged sheet masks. This product is also literally green—surprisingly, perhaps not so much from the “matcha” mentioned in its name, but from the chromium oxide greens included in the formula (more on that below).

Boscia Matcha Magic Super Antioxidant Mask ingredients (on box)

Strangely, the ingredient list on the Boscia website looks slightly different.

Boscia Matcha Magic Super Antioxidant Mask ingredients (on website)

I’m not sure if I received an older version or newer version of the mask, because the ingredient list on the website was shuffled around compared to the one I saw on my box. I will assume that the one at TJ Maxx was outdated, since that’s what I tend to assume with all the products I find at this discount chain. Otherwise, why would it be discounted? :) It still contains all the same ingredients as the version listed on the website, just in a different order.

The ingredients are all the same, just listed in a different order. Argan oil was much earlier in my ingredient list, whereas camellia sinensis (white tea) leaf extract moved up quite a bit in the new ingredient list. The website version also removes the “white tea” part of that key ingredient, and just lists it as camellia sinensis leaf extract. White tea is even higher in antioxidants than regular green tea because it is the least processed. The ingredient list on my box didn’t mention matcha, just “white tea extract.” It might be referring to what’s known as “white matcha” tea, though. White matcha tea has even more antioxidants than regular (green) matcha tea.

In the new list, you see it listed just as “camellia sinensis leaf extract” (no mention of white tea). It’s possible that this product includes white matcha extract, but adds green color via the “chromium oxide greens” since consumers are more familiar with the distinctive green color of regular green matcha tea. I didn’t even know that white matcha existed until this I was researching this post. At the same time, the website update (removal of the mention of “white tea”) may indicate that this product is just made with regular green tea or green matcha extract now, even though it still highlights matcha as a key ingredient.

Other ingredients it highlights are: willow bark extract (known to deliver antioxidant properties) and bakuchiol, a plant-derived compound that may deliver anti-aging benefits similar to retinol.

Boscia Matcha Magic Super Antioxidant Mask preservative-free formula

I was also curious to see how Boscia managed to make its mask preservative-free, so I asked my dad. The website mentions that the company tries to select ingredients work together to remove the need for conventional preservatives. Here’s what my dad thought about this preservative-free formula.

My Dad the Chemist’s review of Boscia Matcha Magic Super Antioxidant Mask

My dad notes that even if the company says that it doesn’t contain conventional preservatives, some of the ingredients can help function as preservatives nonetheless. The ingredient with the strongest preservative-like function is caprylyl glycol, followed by glycerin and butylene glycol. He notes that these ingredients can have the most success at guarding against bacteria and fungi, but may be less effective at fighting mold, which is what the strongest preservatives are designed for.

I would recommend storing this mask somewhere away from humidity, in a cool, dry place, just in case its built-in preservatives aren’t quite strong enough to ward against mold. This mask came packaged in a plastic jar with a plastic spatula, similar to the one in the Jeju:en Hyaluronic Acid Sleeping Mask (another TJ Maxx purchase). Since this formula doesn’t contain strong preservatives, I tried to be extra careful about washing off the spatula after each use.

Boscia Matcha Magic Super Antioxidant Mask review

I found this Boscia Matcha Magic Super Antioxidant Mask at TJ Maxx, for quite a deal. I used it twice while I was in Vegas over the holidays. I don’t know if it was the dry winter climate or this mask, but my face broke out in a terrible red blotchy rash. I stopped using the mask and whittled my skincare routine to just two steps: washing with Kiehl’s Ultra Face Cleanser slathering on a thick layer of CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. After a few days, my face recovered.

This Boscia Matcha Magic Super Antioxidant Mask contains very drying ingredients like kaolin and montmorillonite (two types of clay), but I usually don’t have a problem with clay masks. I chalked it up to being in a desert climate, in the dead of winter. So I strongly recommend patch testing this product before using it, even if your skin usually tolerates clay masks. Even though Boscia products are designed for sensitive skin (free of fragrances, preservatives, and dyes), this one is particularly drying and may cause irritation and overly strip your skin barrier of its natural defenses. Lesson learned: Don’t be led into a false sense of assurance that this product will be OK for your just because it’s marketed to sensitive skin.

It’s definitely not suitable for anyone who has dry skin and/or lives in a dry climate like the desert. I like that it contains antioxidant-rich and beneficial ingredients like tea extract, willow bark extract, and bakuchiol (my first brush with this particular ingredient), so I wouldn’t mind giving this mask another try now that I’m back in NYC, since it’s much less dry here. I will probably try using just a thin layer of it and wash it off after 10 or 15 minutes instead of leaving it on for the full 20 minutes.

Related reading

• Boscia green tea blotting linens review
• Boscia cactus water moisturizer review
• Sand and Sky Australian Pink Clay Mask Review: A godsend for oily skin