Product Review: Face Masks by Naunau, MIRI, and Vedette
Face masks are a staple in skincare, and in Asia, there are plenty. You can find lots of K-beauty and J-beauty masks in Vietnam. I visited stores with rows and rows of options, it took a bit of searching to find masks from Vietnam. I read up on the brands I wanted to try and worked to decipher and translate the ingredients. Many packages have some English, and I checked the website for more info. I’ll be sharing the locations for where to shop to find these and more in my Vietnam Beauty Travel Shop & Buy List. Check out these fragrance-free face masks from Vietnam. They use plant extracts or clay minerals.
Naunau
My favorite sheet mask from Vietnam was the Naunau line. It was super hydrating, and my skin felt nourished after each one. The matte packaging has beautiful artwork, with a different image for each blend. I tried three fragrance-free face masks from Naunau. Two were simple formulas, and one was a more extensive serum, the Naunau Anh Dao Skin Care Mask. The founder is passionate about educating the next generation of clean beauty makers.
Noteworthy Ingredients: Anh Dao Mask (Cherry Coconut)
- Glycerin
- Aloe leaf extract
- Beta-Glucan
- Panthenol (vitamin B5)
- Sodium hyaluronate
- Galactomyces ferment filtrate
- Pomegranate seed extract
- Snow flower/leaf extract (tea tree)
- Ginkgo biloba leaf extract
THE PROMISES
The Cherry Coconut mask features a pro-aging skin serum high in antioxidants that help combat free radicals and prevent and improve wrinkles. This anti-inflammatory serum increases skin elasticity by enhancing collagen production. The humectants like sodium hyaluronate help moisturize deep into skin layers and prevent loss of water, so the skin appears smoother.
MIRI
MIRI has a scientific approach with its formulas. I tried their plant-based, fragrance-free face masks. I noticed my skin was brighter after the MIRI Collagen Mask. MIRI has both vegetable fiber cellulose sheets and bio-cellulose sheets. The bio-sheet is fermented from coconut water and contains probiotics. I was excited to try both types, but the store forgot to put the bio-cellulose one in my bag!
They grabbed me at the door, but I had already bought several masks, so I decided to skip it. We had an interesting interaction because I bought so much; I got a free gift. The free gift was a lotion; it happened to be a whitening lotion. And it was a large bottle. I didn’t notice until I got to the door what type of lotion it was. At the register, I gave it a quick look over, and they assured me it was a fragrance-free blend. But when I got to the door, I saw the other options from the same line and noticed it was the whitening formula I had received. I asked if I could swap it for a non-whitening option, but the whitening version was the free offer. I gave it back to them and told them I didn’t need it. The clerk had a hard time understanding why I would refuse the gift. I told her I liked the brown in my skin.
There are definitely uses for lightening creams. Scaring, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and uneven skin tone, to name a few. No judgment from me on anyone who wants to use them. But I felt a full-body whitening lotion wasn’t the right product for me. The MIRI face mask line also offers whitening masks. In Asia, the marketing for whitening effects is as strong as the push for weight-loss products in the U.S.
Noteworthy Ingredients: Collagen Mask
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 (collagen peptide)
- Sodium hyaluronate
- Soy protein extract
- Chamomile flower extract
- Mallow flower/leaf/stem extract
- Lady’s mantle extract
- Melissa leaf extract
- Peppermint leaf extract
- Veronica flower/leaf/stem extract
- Yarrow extract
- Cowslip extract
- Grape seed extract
- Red pine extract
THE PROMISES
The collagen mask is a pro-aging mask designed to firm the skin and prevent acne. The plant extracts, soy protein, and peptides are rich in nutrients and antioxidants. They work to tighten and smooth the skin and prevent wrinkles.
Vedette
Vedette has many different herb, fruit, and veggie-themed masks. But for the most part, that does come along with a fragrance. If you don’t mind, then there are tons of fun cream options to choose from with a clay or yogurt base. I opted for the one fragrance-free blend I could find, which was the Vedette Mud Clay Mask. This mask is for brightening skin, or làm sáng da. They labeled it as Cocoa, but that is only in reference to the color of the clays. Clay is a great option if you are looking for fragrance-free face masks. I noticed a direction I had not seen on clay masks before. It says not to let it dry on the skin because “the skin becomes dry when the moisture is sucked back into the clay.” Now I know I’ve been doing clay masks wrong my whole life, letting them completely crackle and dry out! A clay mask should clarify pores but shouldn’t dry out your skin in the process. Apply for 10-15 minutes max.
Noteworthy Ingredients: Mud Clay Mask
- Kaolin
- Glycerin
- Bentonite
- Illite
THE PROMISES
This mask decongests pores by pulling out dirt and sebum. This clay combination is good for oily and combination skin. The minerals can absorb oil, cleanse, tone, and exfoliate, leading to brighter skin.
Mask Tips
Both sheet masks I tried included the ingredient sodium hyaluronate, a salt form of hyaluronic acid (HA). Hyaluronic acid is a macromolecule that coats the skin, keeping water in. Sodium Hyaluronate is often a micromolecule able to penetrate through the skin’s layers.
- When choosing a mask, pay attention to the condition of your skin. Is it dry? Is it oily?
- Select a mask specific to what your skin needs in that moment.
- Before using any sheet or cream mask, wash your face.
- Tone your skin with a hydrating (water-based) toner or hydrosol.
- Don’t forget to apply a moisturizer afterward.
- Apply sunscreen if you are going outside.
- Pay attention to the actives in each of your products. (This will help you avoid using strong ingredients too often.)
- Save the leftover serum in the packaging in the fridge for another application!
