When moving from one season to the next, or indeed with the Great British weather, one day to the next, my skin can often decide it is having one of those off days where it can be greasy, dry, flaky and just look generally dull and grey. It is at this point that I know my skin need a good exfoliation and a lot of hydration. When the Bamboo Waterlock Mask from Erborian landed on my doorstep, I couldn't wait to give it a try and given the colour of the packaging, it isn't a product that you are going to miss spotting within your stash!
I am a huge fan of Erborian skincare, anything that is a French/Korean hybrid is always going to wow me and something that promises to instantly and deeply hydrate, give an instant plumping effect and a feeling of freshness upon application is just something I need right now.
The tube within which The Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask sits is sturdy enough and designed so you can put it down on any surface, once the lid is off, you can scoop out a little of the gel mask and apply without dropping it, dripping it or knocking it over. The mask is referred to as a hydro-gel mask, put simply, that means it is water based facial product that has a gel crossed with a jelly like texture, something quite a few brands are now using, so it isn't overly runny, but it isn't too thick either, it is sort of bouncy under your fingertips when you prod it. Once applied to the skin, there is an instant cooling feeling which I find quite refreshing, more so if it has been in the fridge and it is so incredibly lightweight, you cannot even feel it as it absorbs. The main ingredient used is the Bamboo both in sap which contain minerals and amino acids to help hydrate the skin, while the Bamboo fibers contain proteins and lipids to help maintain skin's natural moisture retention, something you need when your skin just feels in need of hydration. There is also Disospyros kaki, which you might know better as Sharon Fruit, is also an ingredient which is known for its astringent and illuminating properties, helping to keep skin supple and toned with its pore tightening effect.
This Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask can be used two ways. If you are wanted a quick fix then you simply apply a light layer to clean cleansed skin and leave for up to 10 minutes and rinse off or you can apply a layer and leave for as long as it takes for your skin to fully absorb the mask, which depending on how dry and thirsty your skin is, could be anything from ten minutes to half an hour. Whenever I use this mask, my skin literally sucks it up almost immediately and I am currently using it twice a week - once over the weekend and once mid-week.
The Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask retails at £44 for a 100ml and as far as I am concerned, it is well worth investing in, particularly right now when the weather is hard to predict and your skin is in need of some extra TLC