By now you might have already seen this pink mask appearing in your instagram feed a number of times. What is it? Does it work?
Earlier this year I was invited by my regular beauty therapist at Ella Baché West Lindfield to try this new product.
Claims
"The ultimate pre-event booster, this bio-cellulose sheet mask is infused with Hyaluronic Acid for a surge of instant hydration and Rose Hydrosol, the advanced big sister to Rose Water, for instant radiance and a spa-worthy aromatherapeutic rose scent.
The super-thin bio-cellulose mask infuses the supercharged formula of active ingredients into the skin to rebalance and fast track your skin to plump, dewy hydration."
What is rose hydrosol
Rose hydrosol: Because of my science and legal training I am always skeptic to unusual claims - does this make sense? Is this misleading? So when I read the description "Rose Hydrosol, the advanced big sister to Rose Water" I had to understand what was it referring to. To my surprise, what I thought was a 3-minute google search turned into an hour because there is a real difference between "rose hydrosol" and "rose water", and it wasn't straight forward to understand at first.
During essential oil extraction by distillation, the rose plant is distilled and the upper layer (oil-soluble part) is the essential oil (rose otto); the aqueous (bottom) layer that is left behind is the hydrosol. In other words, hydrosol is the by-product of essential oil extraction. Rose hydrosol has a milder scent, but contains water-soluble essence of the roses.
Rose water, on the other hand, commonly refers water that is scented or infused with rose essential oil. Although rose essential oil is one of the most expensive essential oils, a dilution of essential oil in water means that the "nutritional value" for the skin is also diluted. Rose water that is made this way is often used for scent rather than skin benefits.
However, rose water can sometimes mean the hydrosol (confusing not?), so if possible it is best to check with the manufacturer whether the "rose water" was made from essential oil or was it the hydrosol fraction.
The mask
The description states that the mask is made of "bio-cellulose". I had in mind a texture like the charcoal foaming mask (a tissue mask) which is made of "cellulose pulp", so I wasn't prepared to pull out a hydrogel mask from the packet.. that was before I did more searches and learned that most hydrogel masks are actually made of bio-cellulose!
Above: a white gauze on the hydrogel mask
I must admit it was disappointing (on a personal level) that it was a hydrogel mask. Others seem to love hydrogel masks. One of the advantages of hydrogel masks is that the gel doesn't dry up like traditional tissue masks, so that the hydrogel mask would not completely dry up at the end of the application and would not draw water back from the skin (which is why we should never, never leave the tissue mask on and go to sleep). However, precisely because of the fact that hydrogel retains water, I feel like the hydrogel itself is competing with my skin for the serum, so that the serum does not transfer effectively onto my skin. For this reason, I always prefer a tissue mask if given a choice.
Application + results
I like that the mask is big enough to cover my whole face (including jaw lines). Generally hydrogel masks tend to slide off my face, but this one stuck on pretty well for the whole 10 or 15 minutes. The scent is pleasant but the rose note is very subtle. The pink colour though gave my daughter a real shock and she made me promise never use a mask unless she is napping.
After taking off the mask, my skin felt hydrated (like after I applied a serum) but I really can't say that I have noticed any visible difference in my skin. This was consistent with my previous hydrogel experiences. The mask was still pretty wet when I pulled it off so I wasn't sure how much rose hydrosol was transferred to my skin. It would be interesting to know if the mask would have worked any better for me if it was a traditional tissue mask.
Ingredient list
CELLULOSE, WATER, GLYCERIN, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, POLYSORBATE 20, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER WATER, SODIUM HYALURONATE, SOPHORA JAPONICA FLOWER EXTRACT, PROPANEDIOL, ETRASODIUM GLUTAMATE DIACETATE, CITRIC ACID, BENZYL ALCOHOL, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, 3-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID, HYDROXYACETOPHENONE, LEVULINIC ACID, p-ANISIC ACID, SODIUM SULFATE, FRAGRANCE
The mask was provided by the salon as a sample on a complimentary basis. My opinion is honest. Referral link to receive $10 off any Ella Baché purchase: http://ellabache.refr.cc/stellal
About me
Makeup artist and hair stylist based in Sydney. Founder of the well-known award-winning bridal specialist team Faces Makeup & Hair. Beauty junkie with an obsession for skincare.