I’ve long loved a face mask. For Halloween in elementary school, I went as a “spa girl,” painting my face green and stepping out to collect candy in a robe with my hair wrapped in a towel. But despite having a soft spot for them, I found most did little to nothing for my skin — I applied face masks for the experience, not the results. But then this year, as I’ve tested my way through a number of different clay, sheet, and every mask in between, I was surprised to find a few holy grails, including one that makes me think I may never need a facial again.

Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial Mask came highly recommended from a friend who described the experience as “intense but worth it,” explaining that when her skin acts up, this is her go-to cure. For context, this is a resurfacing mask that uses a 25 percent AHA blend and 2 percent BHA to exfoliate skin, unclogs pores, and turns over dead skin cells. And by adding chickpea flour to the formulation, skin doesn’t just appear “new,” it’s also brighter. 

Shop now: $80; ulta.com and sephora.com

I’ve never been someone who believes beauty is pain, but every once in a while, I make an exception. I’ll allow it when an esthetician wants to do extractions or when a stray eyebrow hair has to be plucked, and now, once a week as I apply the Babyfacial mask. “Intense” was a correct description — this stings. For the first minute or two, you will feel this at work (uncomfortable, not unbearable), something I put up with because within just 24 hours, the results are evident. When I wake up the next morning, my skin is noticeably smoother, less dull, and the pimples I could feel wanting to sprout up are no longer teasing a return. I use this two times a week, at most, and have found that I now experience far fewer breakouts and significantly smoother skin along my chin, which before had its fair share of bumps.

I’m not alone in this obsession either, with over 2,000 five-star ratings between Ulta and Sephora. One shopper called it “the perfect product,” explaining that they “used to have big, clogged pores” and bumps, but “all of that went away…fast” with this mask. And many were happy with how this revived their dull skin, with one writing, “My skin is soft and [it] glows,” and another noting that the brightening results lasted “for days.”

If your skin is in need of a pick me up, Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial Mask offers instant brightness and a fresh-faced glow at home, giving me results I’d only ever seen after a facial.