Organic Skin Care Blog – Product Reviews & Healthy Skin

Recently, I've been seeing a lot of press about peel-off masks, and how awesome they are. I've blogged about somewhat dubious skincare and beauty product trends when I think the hype gets out of hand (I've always been kind of terrible as a shill that way, LOL), but this is probably one of the more egregious ones I've seen lately, so I'll get to the point - I'm really NOT a fan of peel-off masks at all, regardless of brand, and I highly discourage anyone from using them.


Unfortunately, they're really popular, and seem to be receiving a lot of mainstream press as of late. A quick google search turns up the following:


Why are these masks so popular? In a word, it's novelty. Prior to peel-off masks becoming popular, most masks have been clay or gel masks that you leave on and wash off, and can often get messy and drippy. By comparison, peel-off masks seem so much more fun and easier to use - the mask doesn't drip, and instead of washing off the mask, you get the satisfaction of peeling off the mask like this:


And, now brands are adding to the fun and entertainment factor of peeling masks by doing things like adding glitter to them, which while fun, doesn't really enhance the skincare value of the product in anyway. But, damn if it doesn't look like the most fun to apply and peel off though!


But as I've mentioned (right in the title, too), I'm not a huge fan of peel-off masks. I personally find them really bad for skin, and the general formula of these peel-off masks is such that by their nature, they're rather drying and sensitizing to the skin, and it's hard to escape that fact, no matter how much glitter you throw into them. We'll take a look at the general formula of such masks, and see how the masks work, and then check out the ingredients lists of some of the more popular peel-off masks, to see how much they adhere to the general formula. It's lots of ingredients reading. But it's fun! And worth it for better skin!
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The Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask was launched a couple of months back, and I'm finally getting round to reviewing it! I really wanted to review this mask because it seems to tick off all the right, trendy boxes at the moment - the website for the Japanese Matcha Tea Mask claims that the mask is "100% vegan" (which I interpreted to mean that it doesn't contain any animal-derived ingredients), and that it "purifies, gently exfoliates and liberates your skin from the weekly build-up of city pollutants and everyday impurities". For those of us (including myself) who live in highly urbanized, city environments, doesn't this sound great?


As is typical of The Body Shop products, the Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask also boasts a few plant-derived ingredients, as you might expect from a "vegan" mask. There's "matcha green tea from Kakegawa, Japan, dandelion extract and soul-soothing Community Trade aloe vera from Mexico". Also, you can't tell from a first glance at the advertising material, but this mask actually has little scrubby bits - in this case, they are again derived from two plants, Luffa Cylindrica and Apricot Seed Powder. But the exfoliation offered by this mask is advertised as being gentle - this isn't one of those harsh masks.


The Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask: In line with recent trends, it also claims to remove pollutants and impurities from skin
How is The Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask as a clay mask? As an exfoliating product? Would it work for sensitive skin? And which ingredients are in there making the product work? We'll find out!
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This is my epic empties post part 2 (part 1 was written a few weeks back), and yes, we're going to do a quick-hits rundown of what I liked, what I didn't like, and why! And yes, there are some products I didn't like in part 2, unlike in part 1 where everything I did actually like. Which ones? You'll find out!


Today's post will focus on sunscreens, serums and essences, masks, sleeping masks, and exfoliating products, as well as the lone eye cream. Basically we continue from part 1 and cover all the product categories part 1 did not.


Well, we've got a lot of products to cover today, so if you're ready, let's get started!
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Kiehl's Calendula and Aloe Soothing Hydration Masque was just launched earlier in April, and I fully expect this mask to be popular for one big reason - calendula. If you're familiar with the Kiehl's brand, then you'll know that one of the bestselling flagship products is the Kiehl's Calendula Toner, as a gentle and hydrating toner (which I'm also using right now - I need to get around to reviewing this one day!). Of course, the product line also includes a Calendula Foaming Face Wash. Now, the Calendula line of products has been extended further with the introduction of the Calendula & Aloe Masque, which is a pretty smart move given the popularity of the Calendula range.


According to Kiehl's, the Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Masque has "hand-picked Calendula flower petals and Aloe Vera, [and] bursts into a refreshing surge of cooling hydration upon application to instantly achieve hydrated and soothed skin". Kiehl's also claims that you only need to leave this mask on for 5 minutes to get the hydrating and soothing effects, although you can leave it on longer if you wish. The product is suitable for both day and night use, but night use is preferable.


Kiehl’s Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Masque: Kiehl's claims a 5 minute application is sufficient
So, does the Calendula & Aloe Masque live up to its claims? Can it really soothe the skin? Well, we'll find out by looking at the ingredients inside the mask!
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Biotherm's Skin Best Wonder Mud is a mud mask, and was launched earlier this year. I've had this for awhile, and finally got around to reviewing it, after a few months! Well I guess better late than never right? (Ignore the crickets chirping, will you, LOL.) Anyway, Biotherm's Skin Best Wonder Mud claims to have the antioxidant Astaxanthin to combat dullness, as well as Ghassoul mineral clay to absorb oil and impurities. As the website eloquently puts it, "antioxidant superpower (Astaxannthin) has 100X more antioxidant than Vitamin E and Ghassoul clay are combined to form a mask that truly combats city toxins, grime and free radicals that attack our skin every day". Sounds exciting, right?


What's interesting about the Skin Best Wonder Mud is also its application method. Unlike traditional masks where you leave it on for anywhere from 15-30 minutes, the Wonder Mud mask is designed to be a quick fixer-upper for your skin that can be used in a few minutes - in fact, Biotherm recommends 3 minutes, so that you can use it even if you are in a rush. Basically, you apply the mask to your skin, let it sit on your skin for 3 minutes, and then you rinse it off, massaging the mask as you do so to get the exfoliating effect of the "crushed apricot stones". Biotherm recommends using the mask twice a week.


Biotherm Skin Best Wonder Mud: Advertised as having Ghassoul mineral clay and Astaxanthin
So, we do have a pretty interesting product to look at today, and we'll also look closer at the Astaxanthin in the product. So, let's begin with my favourite thing - a look at the ingredients list. I didn't have a copy of the ingredients list with me, but fortunately a bit of googling turned up the ingredients list, so here we go!
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As some of you may know, I do feature reader questions on my blog from time to time, especially when they provide inspiration for science-y posts, like this post on parabens and safety, and this other post on talc and safety. Recently I received a reader question on the Elizavecca Bubble Clay Mask, and it's an ingredients analysis type of question - exactly the sort of questions I love to take a stab at!

Elizabeth asks:
Do you think you could evaluate the "Elizavecca Bubble Clay Mask"? I bought it but I'm not sure if it actually works...it does make my skin feel smooth and soft right after but I'm not sure about any long term effects. I'm afraid this product might be mostly skintertainment because of the bubbles.

The Elizavecca Bubble Clay Mask is something of a niche cult product that has gained popularity among some kbeauty fans over the past couple of years or so, along with other bubble masks. Elizavecca is a fairly niche Korean beauty brand, and their Bubble Clay Mask seems to have gotten popular in part due to the novelty factor. Basically, the Bubble Clay Mask goes on like a normal clay mask, but once applied, quickly foams up with lots of little bubbles when you apply it, like so:


I'm pretty sure a part of the reason why they're so popular is because the foam gives rise to all sorts of really cute, funny, or weird (sometimes all at once!) selfies, like this. I mean, imagine applying a mask and then having it foam and bubble up right on your face! That's pretty fun, isn't it?


That said, bubble masks, despite the novelty value, aren't actually anything super groundbreaking, and masks of this format have existed for awhile. In fact, waaaay back in 2011, I reviewed just one such bubble mask from another Kbeauty brand, The Nature Lab Oxygen Shield Bubble Mask. And more recently in 2014, I reviewed a sort-of-similar product from a Western brand, the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial, a 2-part skincare product where the first part also consists of a foaming mask. So while the Elizavecca one is more popular, it certainly isn't the first of its kind.

Anyway, since this is a reader question, let's get back to the question, and then we'll talk a bit more about bubble masks in general. What's inside the Elizavecca Bubble Mask, and what makes it bubble? Does this bubbling really help skin? Do bubble masks in general really bring any skincare benefit beyond being novel or entertaining? Let's take a look, starting with the ingredients list!
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This is a pretty major empties post, because the last time I blogged about my empties was half a year ago in December last year (it was also a pretty large post, that I split into two parts, part 1 and part 2). This time around, I have even more stuff!


The nice thing about empties is that, for me, using a product up comes with a sense of accomplishment (as in, hey, I actually stuck to something long enough to use it up!) and also a sense of permission (as in, hey, I've used up a lipstick, now I can buy another lipstick)! So for a beauty junkie like me, it's both gratifying and enabling!



Obviously, there's a lot to go through, so without further ado, let's jump right in!
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Origins' Original Skin Retexturizng Mask and Renewal Serum aren't new products - they were actually launched end of last year - but since I'm catching up on some old reviews at the moment, I figured, better late than never! And I suppose as far as skincare reviews are concerned, it's always a bit better to wait til you've tried the product more before reviewing it, because then you really get a better sense of how the product works.


From some of the promotional material I've seen, the Original Skin range is meant to target ladies with a "quarter-life crisis", so unlike traditional anti-aging lines it has a younger target audience. The Original Skin Retexturizing Mask is supposed to be a "two-in-one purifying mask and skin refiner", while the Renewal Serum is billed as a "renewal serum (duh, I guess) designed to restore the glow of younger skin". As with most Origins products, these have a slew of natural plant-based extracts and ingredients.


Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask: One of the products in the range
As with all my reviews, we start with the ingredients list, so we get to see what's in the products, and how the products work! So, without further ado, let's begin!
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Kiehl's Tumeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque and Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque are two new face masks that the brand has launched for the new year. As you probably know, I've reviewed quite a few Kiehl's products over the years and am a fairly huge Kiehl's fan, so I was pretty excited about these. I've actually recently used up a (pretty large) tube of their Rare Earth Masque, which was featuerd in my latest empties post, so I'm pretty excited to see how these masks (is it masques or masks? I'm just going to use them interchangeably, because other than the more French-looking spelling of "masques" I can't really discern any difference in meaning between the two) fare.


The two masques each come with different claims: the Tumeric and Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque claims to "recharge your skin's youthful glow" and "brightens dull, fatigued skin", while the Cilanro and Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque claims to "replenish essential nutrients to depleted cells" so that "lines are minimized, rough texture is smoothed and dullness is diminished". So depending on your skin type, you might prefer one or the other - or you could even be happy with both masks!

In line with the new trend of multi-masking, I was also told that you can use more than one mask at a time. so for example, if your T-zone is oily but the rest of your face is dry, you can use one mask on your cheeks, another on your forehead and T-zone area, and so on. You can either layer masks on top of each other, or apply different masks to different parts of the face. The possibilities are endless!


The Tumeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque and Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque are the first launches of 2016
So, let's take a closer look at both masques, and we'll start right at the ingredients lists! From there, we'll be able to see what's in the masques, and how they work, and better help us decide whether these are the right masques for your skin.
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The Face Shop's Holiday 2015 Collection is called Around The World, and I've already reviewed the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam and Real Nature Face Mask Rice set, and I'll be reviewing the rest of their Holiday products today! While I wasn't a fan of the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam and Real Nature Face Mask Rice set, I have to say, the rest of their Christmas collection has been pretty great so far!


In addition to the Rice Water Cleansing Foam and Real Nature Face Mask set, there are also super-cute Character Masks with special Christmas designs, as well the Protect Me! Hand Cream set, with 3 little cute adorable tubs of hand cream. So clearly the focus of these sets is on skin and bodycare.


Part of the Around The World collection includes seasonal Character Masks and the Protect Me! Hand Cream set
Without further ado, let's get around to reviewing all these sets! Of course, it's a given that they make cute gifts (for yourself too, not just for others), but what's in those products? We'll take a look!
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The Face Shop's Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam and Real Nature Mask Rice are some fairly popular products from the brand, and this year, they are banded together as a set for The Face Shop's Christmas 2015 Around The World collection! I have a few items from the Around The World collection, but I thought that I'd split my review of the collection into 2 parts, so that the post wouldn't be too long. In particular, I've noticed that the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam seems to be quite widely used, so I thought that this set deserved a little more attention on its own!


Although both products are rice-themed, and thus actually quite compatibly packaged together, they don't actually come from the same skincare range. The Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam is one of several Rice Water-themed skincare items, including a cleansing oil and a cleansing milk. The Real Nature Face Mask Rice, meanwhile, comes from a range of Real Nature Face Masks - in addition to Rice, you have Real Nature Mask Aloe, Real Nature Mask Green Tea, Real Nature Mask Kelp, and quite a bunch more. In the Around The World gift set, you get one cleanser together with two of the sheet masks.


The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam and Real Nature Face Mask Rice: Comes in a set as part of the Around The World Holiday 2015 Collection
Anyway, without further ado, let's start our look at both the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam and Real Nature Face Mask! Of course these are super cute and very gift-able as a set, but let's look at the ingredients in the product, and see how they work!
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Etude House's Wonder Pore skincare range is a pretty popular one, targeting the concerns of oily skin and enlarged pores which are common among young women. Now, Etude House's Wonder Pore range has expanded to include two new products - the Wonder Pore Tightening Essence, and the Wonder Pore Black Sheet Mask. I had previously reviewed the Wonder Pore Freshner, which is one of the key products of the Wonder Pore range, so I decided I had to follow up and review the new additions too!


Etude House makes some interesting claims about its Wonder Pore Tightening Essence and Black Mask Sheet. It claims that the Tightening Essence "tightens pores for smooth and firm pores", while it claims that the Black Mask Sheet "controls sebum and cleans pores with its black sheet containing oak tree charcoal cooked in a kiln with temperature over 1,000 degrees". So just like the rest of the range,


Etude House Wonder Pore Tightening Essence and Black Mask Sheet: New additions to the Wonder Pore skincare range for oily skin
I decided to review both products, and while I don't quite have the young, oily skin these products are geared for (I do have some oiliness, but a lot of oil-control skincare is too harsh for me), I figured I could still break down the products and see how they worked, in addition to just sharing my experiences with the products. So, of course to do that, we start at the ingredients list!
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The Face Shop's Character Mask is a new launch from the Kbeauty brand, and it is a sheet mask with cute animal face designs printed onto it. As the name indicates, when you wear the sheet mask, you are also wearing a "character mask" of sorts, and The Face Shop has 5 masks for you to choose from - panda, fox, sheep, dragon, and tiger.


Of course, the benefit is more aesthetic than functional. After all, a sheet mask is a sheet mask, whether it has a cute animal face printed on it or not, and the fact that it has a panda face printed on it doesn't change its function. Still though, in the vein of "skincarentainment" (a term I've seen thrown around with respect to Asian beauty, particularly Kbeauty products), this is pretty novel to use - you put on the sheet mask, and boom! instant panda face! It does inject some fun into your skincare routine, which I guess is the concept behind "skincarentainment": it's not just about the product, but also the experience, fun, and novelty of using it.


The Face Shop Character Mask: A new launch from the Kbeauty brand, with cute animal designs on the mask
That does sound pretty cool, right? And The Face Shop is certainly not the only brand catching on - there are a few other Japanese and Korean brands having such sheet masks too. Nevertheless, as an old fogey of a beauty blogger (more than 5 years, which is sort of like forever in internetz time), I'm really more concerned with how the product works, than whether it entertains me or not. I mean, I go to the movies to be entertained, but when I choose my skincare, I'm not looking to have a good time, I just want to know if it works, and if it's within my budget. If it does happen to be fun to use, then that's a bonus, but evidently I'm a cranky old grandma who doesn't bother too much about whether my mask looks cute or not. And does The Face Shop Character Mask work? The only way to find out is to start by looking at what exactly is in the product, and take a trip to the ingredient list!
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