Who doesn’t love doing a deep-cleansing mud mask, right? I mean, mud masks are generally awesome for deep cleansing, reducing excessive oil secretion, normalizing oil/water balance to even aiding the recovering and prevention of pimples and congested pores. However, as awesome as a mud mask can be, there are some which are a total pain in the a** to rinse away. For a period of time, i stayed away from purchasing a mud mask until i met the Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack from Banila Co. With my confidence in mud mask up again, i went out on a limb and purchased my next mud mask. I am so glad i purchased this.
Introducing the…. Lotus Micro Mud Mask from Korean brand, Mamonde!
Before we go on to my roaring review, let’s take a look at the official blurb (my apologies, i’ve searched everywhere but it is only available in Korean) from the brand:
If you looked closely, this mud mask contains a patented ingredient (PCT-KR2011-000010) that has been filed for its ability to combat oxidation and alleviating detrimental effects on the skin caused by Asian dust (source).
The present invention contains Melia azedarach (White Cedar) bark and Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus) leaf extracts, and entails: detoxification and expulsion of toxins by increasing the expression of NQO1 which is an enzyme that detoxifies toxins and of GSTT1 which is an enzyme that expels toxins; protection of the skin by increasing the expression of the skin antimicrobial peptide hBD3 which is a natural immune factor; and suppression of the production of active oxygen by increasing expression of the antioxidant proteins GPX1, catalase, Trx1 and Prdx1. Consequently, the invention has the advantages of skin protection and ageing suppression. (Excerpt from the patent documents)
There you go. Now you see why the brand (and many others) featured Lotus Flower as one of its primary ingredient.
The label on the mud mask is printed in Korean, therefore i am unable to read/decipher the ingredient recipe. However, after some googling (thanks Google!), someone actually uploaded the ingredient recipe onto COSDNA (see the page here). For convenience, I have extracted the ingredients and listed them below:
Water, Kaolin, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/CapricTriglycerides, Titanium Dioxide, Sea Silt, Bentonite, Silica, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated c6-14 olefin polymers, Stearyl Alcohol, Nelumbium Speciosum (Lotus) Flower Extract, Moringa Pterygosperma (Moringa) Seed Extract, Gelidium Cartilagineum (Red Algae) Extract, Sea Salt, Melia Azadirachta (White Cedar) Extract, Vitis vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Lactic Acid (AHA), Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium pyrophosphate, Polysorbate 60, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides (extracted from the listing on COSDNA).
As you can see from the ingredient recipe, there are a few that stands out:
- Kaolin – Detoxifying & deep-cleansing
- Sea Silt – Anti-inflammatory
- Bentonite – Detoxifying & deep-cleansing
- Moringa Seed – Healing, anti-aging, acne-fighting, anti-inflammatory
- Red Algae – Skin boosting & protecting
- Sea Salt – Exfoliating & mineral-rich
- Grape seed – Normalize sebum secretion, antioxidant & moisturizing
- Lactic Acid (AHA) – Exfoliating, refining skin texture, promotes skin turnover & hydrating (and more)
Ahhhh….i have a beauty-gasm just looking at the ingredients line-up! 😛
Let’s look at the texture of the mask up-close~
Now let’s look at my roaring view for [Mamonde Lotus Micro Mud Mask] :
| Product’s packaging | : | Short, plastic tub with a screw-top plastic cap |
| Product’s texture | : | Thick, rich, creamy, dense and totally a DREAM to spread |
| Product’s scent | : | Subtle to no discerning scent at all |
| Price point | : | ₩15,000 (aprox. SGD$18.60, US$13.70, €12, £8.90) |
| Available via online retailers (Roseroseshop, Qoo10 Singapore, Gmarket and more) | ||
| Try-out period | : | 1 week (2 times) |
| Personal take | : | I love it! First thing first, this Lotus Micro Mud Mask spreads like a dream! The texture is so creamy and so smooth, i really enjoyed spreading it on my face! I feel like i am smoothing a cream cheese frosting evenly around a naked cake that has just been taken out of the oven. Ahhhh….AND the color of the mask is really beautiful! It is a light grey (see the embedded picture above) paste with just a tiny tinge of blue. Like i said, very beautiful. 🙂
This mask does not dry completely within the recommended 10-15 mins, and when it’s time to wash away, the mask rinses off so easily. No rubbing, tubbing, scrubbing, mopping, sponging or complaining involved, unlike a certain volcanic one. The first time you use, you can expect to see that your pores are cleaner, your skin feels cleaner. Towards the third time of use, i believe, you can actually see that your complexion is ‘healthier’ and clearer. During my first two usage, i actually had a lonesome cystic pimple right smack on my forehead. It was red, sore, raised and annoying like my neighbor upstairs. However, the morning after i double-masked (the Lotus Micro Mud Mask plus another anti-acne sheet mask which i will reviewing later), the redness and the overall size of the cystic acne has reduced significantly – i am really really happy! I can totally see why this mask has been awarded as an Allure Editor’s Pick 2014 in Korea. Woohoo~ |
| Will i recommend it? | : | Yes, i definitely recommend this. If you are one to prefer an easy-to-remove, gentle and calming mud mask, this is one to look out for. |
Do you have a go-to mud mask? Share with me in the comment box below 🙂
Ryanraroar 
I’m suffering (yes, suffering, not being hyperbole here haha) from a very oily t-zone! Did this mask help reduce the oiliness? Thank you!
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Hi hi! This mask didn’t do much for oil control as much as the Charcoal Bamboo Mud Pack from Natural Republic have for me. Try the Nature Republic one!
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