I am so fascinated by the world of Korean skincare and beauty – there are just so many different products on the market that seem to be so incredibly innovative. It is such an incredibly competitive industry whereby Korean consumers drive companies for higher performing products and also to create products that push beauty norms. This is one of the key reasons why I love to see what Korean brands are doing and what they are creating because these are probably the type of products that we will see in mass production in the Western market in the not to distant future.
I have also loved seeing Korean skincare being embraced by a Western audience as of late and consumers from countries such as the US, UK and Australia are not afraid to try new and different things. A few months ago, I received Maslow & Co’s Korean Beauty Box which was filled with amazing Korean skincare ranging from sheet masks, modelling masks and some fantastic products from May Coop and Cremorlab (thanks to the Australian Korean experts at Aniqa) . I have really been enjoying the majority of the box and was really looking forward to trying a few products – in particular the Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask. However, after such high expectations of this product, I was actually a little disappointed in how it performed as mask – I have had to use it for a completely different purpose instead!
*** Please note that the Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask was gifted to me by Maslow & Co and in no way was a review expected. However, in saying that, I do enjoy writing reviews and sharing my honest experiences with you all and this is just another case of that!
What Is It?
This is supposed to be a mask but I have seen this being used as a foaming cleanser (this is where I personally get confused) that is to be used around twice a week.
What Does It Do?
This liquid to bubble mask/cleanser is supposed to act to deeply clean the pores as it contains bubbling oxygenated water, which forms an oxygen cap on the surface of the skin. The oxygen cleanses the skin by removing waste and aids in normalising the skin turnover cycle and the fine bubbles cleanse deep inside the pores.
Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Mineral water, Oxygen, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Onsen-Sui, Euterpe Oleracea Pulp Powder, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Malpighia Punicifolia (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, PEG-8, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Rose Flower Oil
My Thoughts:
The Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask is a product that I really wanted to like as I am absolutely fascinated by the concept of a ‘bubble mask’ and I really loved the Cremorlab White Bloom Floral Toner that I had received in my Maslow & Co Korean Beauty Box. I did have high expectations for this cleanser/mask but in the end I was actually quite confused with the product itself – was it a cleanser or a mask? I wasn’t 100% sure myself and after trialling for both, I was left a little disappointed and underwhelmed with the results.
As mentioned, I was very excited to use this product as I had seen many videos exploring the use of a ‘bubble mask’. For those that do not know what a bubble or oxygenating mask is, it is basically a mask that dispenses as a liquid gel but then starts to bubble on the skin as it has been exposed to the oxygen in the air. How these bubble masks work and its ‘benefits’ has been explained in this fantastic article by Lab Muffin and in summary these masks are specially formulated to react to oxygen in the air using a chemical called perflurocarbons. The science behind oxygenating masks is that the amount of oxygen found in the skin decreases with age and oxygen is vital to the skin in producing collagen which helps with skin elasticity. The bubbling effect of the mask is supposed to also aid in giving the skin a ‘deeper’ cleanse as it helps to loosen debris within the pores. It really is such an interesting concept don’t you think?
In terms of ingredients, the Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask is not one for the green or clean beauty junkie as there are quite a few synthetics in the ingredients listing. Whilst most these ingredients do not raise any significant alarm bells (most have a rating below 5 on the EWG website), this is in no way a ‘natural’ product and nor is it marketed to be. It does contain Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (a cleansing agent) which was a concern for me at first (my skin hates SLSs), I did do some further research to find that ammonium lauryl sulfate was considered to be a much a gentler surfactant and also found to be less irritating to the skin.
I initially used the Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask as a mask – as it is after all, called a mask. The product was relatively easy to apply and I loved the fact that it came in an airless pump. I followed the instructions and applied this on to the skin and watched excitedly little bubbles starting to appear on my skin. I let the product bubble for about 5-10 minutes (as per the instructions) and washed the mask off, excited to see what it would reveal after the little bubbles had disappeared. I was so disappointed as I felt there was no real difference made to my skin. My skin most definitely felt cleaner but there was no ‘glow’ and my skin did not look any brighter. It looked the same as after I had cleansed – it just felt a bit cleaner and my skin a little tighter. I was quite underwhelmed with this result and re-read instructions on how to use this thinking I had missed something. I discovered I had done everything correctly and tried this once again at a later date only to find that again, I had not achieved the desired effect. I was determined to make this product work for me that I did read somewhere that this was better used as a cleanser.
When using this as a cleanser, I again used the mask a similar way but used this as a second cleanse in the evening or as a morning cleanser. Whilst this does leave my skin feeling relatively clean, I do feel that my skin does feel a little stripped of its natural oils and a feels a little tight. I don’t find that my skin necessarily responds to this in a negative way in terms of breaking out, reacting or drying out the skin significantly though. The Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask isn’t in anyway a terrible cleanser, it does give the skin a really lovely clean and fresh feeling but I do find it a little drying. I guess, the product and my skin just do not work so well together. It is not a cleanser that I would personally use in the cooler months. Due to this, I find that it is better used after a really hot evening or if my skin feels a little oilier than normal.
The Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask has confused me slightly because it is supposed to be a mask, but I am using this and treating this more as a cleanser due to the fact it really didn’t work for me as a mask. The results I got from using this as a mask was quite underwhelming as I do expect to mask to instantly have some form of result and I unfortunately did not see any significant change. As a cleanser, this does work relatively well, but again the product didn’t ‘wow’ me due to the fact it did feel a little drying and there was no really difference made to my skin. I found the novelty factor of this mask to be quite fun though, as I did enjoy the entertainment of seeing little bubbles begin to appear on my face but at the end of the day the novelty factor only can take you so far.
Overall, I didn’t really love the Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask – it just didn’t work for my skin like it may have for others (if you Google this product it does have some great reviews). My skin personally did not see any significant changes when used as a mask and as a cleanser, it works and cleans the skin for sure but it really didn’t blow me away. I rather use other cleansers in my collection that will give me similar or better results and work to truly nourish the skin as they are filled with beautiful and nourishing ingredients. It’s such a shame because I really did love the Cremorlab White Bloom Floral Toner and I expected to love this product just as much.
Repurchase YAY or NAY:
I unfortunately will not be repurchasing after I finish using this. It was a product that I had really high hopes for but it left me a little disappointed. For a mask, it didn’t produce the most amazing results (or any results for that matter) and I do expect a mask to show some effect after it being washed off. As a cleanser, this performs relatively well but I do think there are better cleansers out there that don’t feel tight or too drying on the skin. Whilst, this has had some great reviews by others, I feel that it just didn’t quite work for me, as much as I wanted it to!
The Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask comes in a 100ml airless pump and can be purchased from Aniqa Australia for AUD$59 and USD$52 from Peach and Lily
Have you used the Cremorlab O2 Bubble Energising Mask before? What did you think of it? Have you used any bubble or oxygenating masks before? What ones do you recommend? I would love to hear from you in my comments section below!
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