Almost three years ago, I tried my very first biocellulose mask when Taiwanese brand For Beloved One made their Canadian debut in select T&T supermarkets. Sheet masks were just starting to catch on in the North American market (of course nothing is REALLY cool until Sephora starts doing it right?), but biocellulose is like NOTHING else. First developed in Taiwan by For Beloved One, the actual mask itself is made of what we all keep referring to as "biocellulose fibers", but do YOU know where those fibers come from? Our lovely friends - bacteria! Specific strains of bacteria are able to ferment glucose and produce cellulose which is then purified and made into a mask! So, essentially bacterial poop! Don't let this freak you out though because biocellulose masks are not only biodegradeable, but have long been used in the medical industry for burn victims or very dry skin to seal in and enhance moisture uptake in the skin as biocellulose fibers exhibit very low toxicity. Whether you love the science behind biocellulose masks or not, once you wear one, there is no comparison to a cotton sheet mask!
PR sample
For Beloved One (FBO) has a number of biocellulose masks each targeting different skin needs, but after trying more biocellulose masks over the years, I have never forgotten this brand and how their masks compare. The only other one that has come close is the Mary Kay Timewise Repair, but now that I have had a chance to try both again in a closer span of time, the FBO mask might be a little better and I will tell you why!
The most obvious thing to me is the mask is thicker and weightier, but not to the point where it doesn't feel like skin anymore. All of my curves are still hugged and the mask stays adhered to my face because according to FBO, compared to other brands, their bacterial fermentation process is 10-15 days instead of 2-3 days resulting in multi-layer fibers. This provides a dense 3D structure of cellulose fibers that uses its own weight to "push" essence into the skin instead of having it sit on the surface. This part doesn't seem to make sense to me since once something is on your skin, physical pressure wouldn't change whether it goes "in" or not, BUT a more dense structure would definitely allow less moisture to escape! This extra blast of moisture is why the FBO masks are best used once every 7-10 days as opposed to "other" masks that need to be used 1-3 days to maintain those moisture levels.
I was reading just one study on biocellulose masks made from one of the favourite cellulose-producing bacteria Acetobacter xylinum (Amnuaikit et al, December 2018) which was actually quite interesting because it concluded that YES, skin moisture levels directly after application were much higher when using a biocellulose mask vs a wet towel, but no other skin characteristics were affected at least with a single application. Though this is one study, it does make sense in that masking is generally about moisture and because our skin is a two-way street, water will eventually leave the skin and we will need to replenish our internal reservoirs!
Since the bulk of the "skincare tech" is the actual biocellulose mask itself, ingredients that DO something almost seem like a bonus. The featured ingredients of this mask are ceramide and squalane with the latter sitting close to the 50% half of the ingredients list and the ceramide and peptide sitting closer to the end of the list. Whether they would do more at the top of this list, I really don't know, but ingredients are generally better than what you would find in your average under $10 sheet mask just with the two featured ingredients alone.
Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Propanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Squalane, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Chlorphenesin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Peg-8, Totarol (antibacterial), Tourmaline, Maltodextrin, Carbomer, Fragrance, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Rhamnose, Polysorbate 20, Ceramide 2, Glucose, Glucuronic Acid, Mirabilis Jalapa Extract, Lithospermum Officinale Root Extract, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide 7
The mask itself can be tricky to take out of the package as the material is so flexible and skin-like that removing the outer layers and applying the mask to the skin can be a challenge especially if you have long nails! There are pieces for the eyes should you choose to take FULL advantage of every centimeter of this mask and lie back and relax for 15-20 minutes.
Mask Summary:
Scent: None
Thickness: Thicker than other biocellulose masks I have tried
Mask Fit: Perfect with no chin goatee
Tackiness: None
Hydration: Just right! Skin felt lifted, hydrated and bright.
Final verdict: I love biocellulose masks because of their skin-like fit and of course the moisture boost my skin gets with it. I honestly don't notice a significant difference in hydration if I use biocellulose vs. regular cotton sheet masks, but my experience while wearing a biocellulose mask is much nicer and I like the fact that they are biodegradeable with the fibers being made from a renewable source. I do like having them around and for travelling, it is nice to just bring one/week for a treatment instead of bulking up on 7 cotton sheet masks. I think if you love skincare, sheet masks and trying new things, you will want to try a high quality biocellulose mask like this one just for the experience. If you are happy with your skin and just sheet masking on the daily, that's fine too!
You can find For Beloved One Biocellulose Masks at T&T Supermarkets across Canada. Masks come in boxes of 3 for $63 CDN.
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