Bio-essence Hydra Tri-Action Aqua Droplet Sleeping Beauty Mask

What is it?
‘An overnight sleeping mask designed to rehydrate and firm.’
or:
an absolute must-have for anyone with dehydration i.e. most of us.

What’s in it?

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

fragrance, methylisothiazolinone (MI)

MI is the new ‘paraben’. Not scientifically, just to give you an idea of the recent press. The EU and the FDA both say it is 100% safe for cosmetic use. Allergies are reportedly higher with MI than other preservatives. However, it is the last ingredient on the list meaning the % will be very low. If you had an issue with MI you would probably already know about it and be unable to use most shampoos, body washes and body lotions. (But you guys always want me to give you as much info as possible so there we are…  🙂

Also – this product is extremely water-heavy and therefore requires a really good preservative….

What’s not in it?
Everything else. Mineral oil, parabens, shea, essential oils

Tested on animals?
No

Who is it for?
Everyone, but especially dehydrated or dry skins. This would also be fine for dehydrated acne skins (most acne sufferers are demonically dehydrated). Like I said: everyone.

How do you use it?
You can either:

  • apply as a mask for overnight use
  • apply as a moisturiser during the day – put this on over your toner and under a heavier moisturiser or spf or on its own for those of you with angry acne
  • apply as a thicker mask for overnight with a double whammy – see below
  • would be amazing for flying
  • would also be brilliant for those nurses, teachers, doctors that work in really drying environments…

What’s good/not so good about it?
OK so I am in love with this mask. My lifestyle, including medication (ugh), continuous travel, the weather.. pick something… means that I am dehydrated a lot of the time. You can use the best products in the world (I do) and suffer from dehydration – it’s a skin condition based on lifestyle and surroundings, not a skin type based on your genes. 

I always use this as a double whammy – I take everything off – makeup-wise – when I get home from the school run or around 6ish depending on my day. I then do my evening routine. On the nights that I use this, I apply a thin layer, leave it to do its thing, then before bed, give a quick spritz of something to ‘reactive’ it, if you will, then apply another layer. 

It works beautifully. The nano technology that this uses is what you pay a fortune for in the creams that cost hundreds, not tens of pounds. I wake up with soft, rehydrated skin. 

When you apply this it literally bursts open, leaving droplets of water (hyaluronic acid) on the surface of the skin, that you then pat in. This is a wipe and then pat product, not a rubbing in product. 

I always describe dehydrated skin as a sponge that is being held underwater with the top exposed. The top immediately dries out. This in essence, fills the holes on the surface level of your dehydrated sponge with hyaluronic acid – something capable of holding 1000 times its own weight in water. 

Similar products?
The most obvious is The Body Shop Bouncy Sleeping Mask which although similar, is not quite as easy to use.

Origins Overnight Drink Up is another dedicated nighttime product, but to my mind this is superior. 

The longest named product in the world is available from CultBeauty.co.uk priced £29 for 80ml.

Also: someone left a comment recently doubting my opinion because I have ‘hardly ever used any of the product in the pictures so how could I possibly tell what its like?’.
I, like nearly all bloggers, try and take pictures of everything that I plan to trial when they are newbefore I use them, otherwise the product wouldn’t look as nice! It doesn’t always happen, sometimes I rip things open and crack on – but in most cases, just like with lipsticks, palettes etc, the picture comes first, then the trial….

*is exhausted and thinks that some people will never be happy*