I’ve been seeing a lot about bamboo lately – from the health benefits of drinking bamboo water, to the skincare benefits of bamboo sheet masks. So, of course, I had to try some bamboo sheet masks myself to see what all the fuss is about.
The main reason skincare brands are going crazy for bamboo is because of the high levels of silica it contains. Silica is a mineral that is used by cells throughout our bodies. In skin terms, it is one of the biggest components of the fibrous protein collagen, which helps keep skin firm, plump and without wrinkles. When collagen levels are depleting with age or when collagen is damaged by the environment, silica helps to rebuild it and promote production. Bamboo extract happens to be the richest source of silica. Bamboo water/extract also softens and moisturises the skin by acting as a humectant to draw moisture into the skin, and soothes skin conditions such as acne and excema, as well as being a rich antioxident to help protect our skin from environmental damage.
The two bamboo sheet masks I’ve been trying are the Earth Kiss Miracle Clay Facial Hydrate Bamboo Sheet Mask (Β£1.99 from Holland & Barrett) and the Missha 3D Bamboo Sheet Mask (Β£6.25 for 7 from eBay). The Earth Kiss mask also contains Argile clay (a French green clay that contains silica and is antibacterial and an anti-inflammatory) and Baobab (to moisturise and also keep skin healthy with Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids) as well as bamboo extract. You can see that this mask is soaked in clay as it dries on your fingers as soon as you touch it. It feels really luxurious on the skin – like a proper facial – and leaves your skin incredibly soft and plump afterwards. You do need to wash your face after this mask rather than just massage the remaining serum in like regular sheet masks. I really enjoyed the process of using this budget mask and the results afterwards – I’ll definitely be picking up some more.
The Missha mask was very interesting as it was sewn up like a mask to fit over your face rather than just a flat sheet like with regular masks. This helped it to stay in place much better. The results from this mask weren’t as obvious as with the Earth Kiss mask (as I think the clay did most of the work there), but my skin did feel softer and more hydrated. If you have dry skin, I think this would be a good mask to use regularly to improve your skin on a longer term basis.
Have you tried any bamboo face masks?
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