by Mary Lou |
Last Updated: May 13, 2019 When you buy something using the links on our posts, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more.
Hello, beauties! If you spotted a Dr. Morita facial mask in the beauty store and you’re not sure whether it’s a good brand to try, check out this review I made of the Dr. Morita Hyaluronic Black Face Mask.
I’ve had this mask in my over-large stash for a while so when I was packing for my trip, I decided to take it along and finally give it some love.
Last time, I traveled across Europe and tried the Mediheal Tea Tree Face mask along the way. This time, it’s different states in the US and two Dr. Morita face masks.
Story Time
I’ll just show my arm to spare you the sight of my sunburnt face.
I’ll try to keep it short, I promise but basically, I went to Las Vegas and as expected, the casinos were very polluted with cigarette smoke. I went to LA and while it was cold at night, it was hot during the day. I had to line up all day for something and ended up with a REALLY bad sunburn.
The week after that, I was in Chicago where it was unseasonably cold, the locals told me. They had just had snow so the temperatures were still low. This time, I lined up amidst rain showers and freezing cold.
So as you can see, my face has been through a tough time. It is burnt from the sun and dry from the extreme cold. It’s the perfect time for a face mask!
About Dr. Morita’s Hyaluronic Black Face Mask
I always thought Dr. Morita was a Korean brand because it was always placed in the display cases alongside the Mediheals and Innisfrees. In actual fact though, it’s a Taiwanese brand. The Taiwanese are very similar to Koreans in this aspect. They value clear, radiant, and porcelain-like skin and are big on skin care. I checked all the other Taiwanese brands and Dr. Morita is one of the most popular.
There are several variants but today, I chose this particular one. It’s a Dr. Morita black facial mask with Hyaluronic Acid (HA) and Tranexamic Acid (TA).
I’m a big fan of HA and it’s one of the supplements I take orally for my arthritic health issues. As an ingredient in topical beauty products though, HA hydrates skin and makes it look smoother. It’s especially great for aging skin because it helps lessen the appearance of fine lines and gives it that moisture boost.
Tranexamic acid, on the other hand, is new to me. After a bit of digging, I found out that essentially, TA lightens discolorations and pigmentations. This ingredient accounts for the “whitening” claims on the package.
I am personally not so hot on whitening because I am already fair-skinned but I do have blotchiness and discolored patches on bad days. (And this state-hopping is definitely bad days.) Hearing how tranexamic acid is effective for melasma (hyper-pigmentation) got me excited to try this variant out.
PROS
The packaging is very luxurious
I’ll admit. The first thing that grabs your attention with these masks is the visual. A lot of face mask brands nowadays tend to be bright with bold colors as they cater to a younger demographic. The Dr. Morita face masks stood out because of their classy gold and silver packaging. It looked like a ritzy lady standing amidst a gaggle of youthful teens.
As a woman in her forties, I was drawn in by the packaging and the promise of HA.
It actually works
With my badly sunburnt skin (my skin was turning blackish and peeling at this stage; the skin above my eyebrows was pink from newly peeled skin) I didn’t really expect much out of this face mask. But let me clarify further.
After I had used and discarded the face mask, I checked my skin and saw no noticeable differences. In fact, my face wasn’t even super moisturized. I was a bit disappointed but attributed it to my facial skin just being severely damaged. Beyond redemption, you might say.
On the next day though when I woke up, I checked the mirror and I was quite surprised to see my skin looking almost normal. The discoloration and burnt look didn’t look as bad. It’s like I had fast forwarded several days and healed.
And then I remembered all the other reviews I’d read. The other ladies shared how they saw the results the next day. It sounded weird at the time so I shoved it at the back of my mind but it seems there’s some truth to it.
I’ll do another test and update on here just to make sure that it’s not my imagination. I still have my New York trip up next and a 17 hour flight to Asia so I’ll do another test after that gruelling trip.
CONS
The black mask was disconcerting
Somehow, I missed (or managed to ignore) all the signs that I was buying a literal black mask. There was a photo on the packaging and the word “black mask” came up in my searches when I was trying to find this product’s name. Still, I was plenty surprised (and kinda grossed out) when I took out the black sheet mask from the pack.
It was black and slimy but I put it on anyways. As any person knows, sacrifices need to be made for beauty sometimes. ð
I scared the bejeezus out of my Uncle when he turned around and came face to face with me in my black sheet mask. I can’t blame him honestly.
There’s actually a reason for the black sheet. The sheet used for this face mask is black because of the small bamboo charcoal particles in it. As we know by now, bamboo and charcoal are an excellent combo for purifying and cleansing.
So, it might look a bit scary but it’s all for a good cause.
Not fun
Most of the face masks I’ve used since have been Korean or Japan-made. They have fun and bright packaging, the sheets are white or have cute prints, and the scents are pleasing and refreshing.
So, I was a bit disappointed with my Dr. Morita face mask session. The sheet was black and slimy (for reasons we know now), I didn’t get immediately moisturized after the session, and it had a slightly weird scent. I believe it should be unscented but I picked up on a very faint smell anyways, most likely from the materials of the sheet or the packaging.
Because of the luxe packaging, I think I expected at least a subtle scent of something equally luxurious. On the one hand though, unscented is also good if it means no added scents were added. At times, the chemicals used for scented products are not good for the body.
Final Word
If you’re looking for face masks for your slumber party with friends, I’d say these Dr. Morita masks are not for you. There are Korean face masks that come in different variants that you and your crew will have fun choosing from. There are also some brands that come with cute prints like animal faces or flower designs.
If you have discoloration issues though or need some repair done on your skin, then Dr. Morita’s Hyaluronic Black Facial Mask is a good one to try. It’s not as cheap as other brands but you should see some results 24 hours after use.
- â€Effective Pore Cleansing and Minimizing --The added saccharomyces cerevisiae absorbs oil and dirt in the pores, purifying and firming the...
- â€Super Skin Hydration -- The high-density hyaluronic acid is effective in moisturizing. Hydrating is the key of preventing dry skin and...
- â€Ideal for Skin Renewal -- Added collagen provides skin with elasticity, firmness and smoothness. Small bamboo charcoal particles in the...
Last update on 2023-12-11 at 00:34 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising APIÂ / More info
Author: Mary Lou
In the Before Times, Maru spent vacations traveling and making stops at showrooms to test the latest massage chair models. Nowadays, she’s hunkered down in her small sunlit home dotted with her ever-growing collection of fiddle fig trees, indoor plants, and Himalayan salt lamps. Find her at LinkedIn.