Review: Royal Honey Mask (peeling mask)

This was an unexpected find. I got this sample along with my Skinfood purchases back in Korea. I have tried the Skinfood Royal Honey Eye Cream from the same Royal Honey line and I wasn't too impressed so I didn't expect much from this either. But it's the weekend and I like to try out samples during the weekend because if all goes wrong and my face becomes a swollen potato, I can just hide away at home :)

When I first read "Royal Honey Mask," I thought it was just going to be a nourishing moisturizing mask for people with dry skin. Then I read that it was an exfoliating peeling mask! Ever since trying Missha Super Aqua Detox Peeling Gel and getting unsatisfactory results, I've been wanting to try out other peeling gels. The Saem Dr. Beauty Micro-Peel Soft Gel was more effective, but this brand is still quite new so it's impossible to find it on eBay. For those who may not know, peeling gels are basically exfoliators without the beads. I used to use the Origins Modern Friction but I found the beads were too rough for my skin and didn't really get rid of all my blackheads or anything despite the roughness.

Description (taken from eng.theskinfood.com):

• An exfoliating mask with royal black honey and royal jelly extracts that sloughs away dead skin cells and transforms rough skin into a nice honey-glazed complexion.
• Royal Black Honey is natural raw black honey from South Asian forests, one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Royal Black Honey enriches with a myriad of nutrients that are amazingly good for the skin. 
• 1. Apply a quarter-sized amount evenly to the face and massage gently. 2. Leave on for 10 minutes until the texture turns watery. Massage in gentle circular motions until clumps of cellulose granules and impurities appear. Wipe off and cleanse with a foaming cleanser.

My impression:

Unlike most skinfood samples where it only allows for one usage, this one actually allows for two! I was so surprised I almost thought I put in the wrong amount, but I double checked and it does say quarter-sized. The consistency of this mask is similar to honey (though I don't think that means they put a lot of honey in there or anything).

The smell though..ugh. I'm not one who is picky about smell. If you've read all my other posts, I don't think I've mentioned fragrance on any of my posts because it's not a big deal to me. But this one smelled pretty bad. It smelled like.. roads that have been urinated on the day before? But maybe that's what honey is supposed to smell like if it's smothered on my face? I don't know if I'm going crazy but that really was what I smelled as I put it on my face.

Regardless, I left it on for 10 minutes. It didn't really become watery..more like oily. But not to the point where it would run down my face or anything. As I massaged my face, some small micro-beads started coming out, which I assume are from the mask. Then as I kept massaging, I started to see these beads turn into bigger clumps of dead skin coming out and dropping into the sink.

Smell aside, I really like this mask. In general I like chemical peels that feel like liquid and don't have any micro-dermabrasion beads or fruit extracts that I can feel with my fingers. This is because when I massage my face I can feel the dead skin that I rub out (the satisfaction of knowing that something's working?) And that way I also know when to stop before I do too much and hurt my skin. This one does have small micro-beads, but they were so small I could tell the difference in the size once the dead skin started rubbing out. With Missha Super Aqua Detox Peeling Gel, it contained fruit extracts and they were the same size as my clumps of dead skin so I could never tell what was what.

Second, this mask makes me face really smooth! I'm not sure if that's because this mask is really effective at rubbing my dead skin or that its oily texture stays on my skin even after I wash my face. I have a feeling it's both. But it leaves my skin smoother than Missha Super Aqua Detox Peeling Gel. Also, this is the first peeling gel and/or exfoliator I've used that leaves my skin so moisturized.

The only thing I really don't like about this is the fact that I want to wait 10 minutes before I start rubbing the dead skin off. A mask takes 10-15 minutes already, if I exfoliate with this before I put a mask on, now I have to wait another 10 minutes before I can exfoliate. It makes me wonder if I will use this regularly due to the time factor. And if I don't use it ...then there is no point no matter how effective a product is.

Summary:

A peeling gel that always moisturizes
Effective peeling and moisturizing capability leaves my skin very smooth
$15 for 150ml on eBay

Quality: 3.5/5 because it peels and moisturizes leaving my skin smooth and not dry, I took off 0.5 points because I have to put it on for 10 minutes before I can exfoliate

Value: 4/5 because you only need a quarter-sized amount each time so 150ml should last you awhile

Repurchase? Yes. Unless I encounter something better in the future, I'll be buying this one after I finish my Missha Super Aqua Detox Peeling Gel