Among the many beauty trends that popped up in the last few months, probiotic skincare is the one that didn't fade out. It comes in many forms: probiotic creams, masks, gel moisturisers, face cleansers, and even mists. Out of all the promising probiotic skincare products, the GlamGlow BerryGlow Probiotic Mask is the one caught my fancy.
Despite having inconclusive data about the effect of topical probiotics on the skin's health and appearance, some skincare experts and enthusiasts recommend and swear by it, claiming that it can fortify skin barrier, calm breakouts and alleviate other skin concerns like sun damage. How does it work? Probiotic skincare products help balance the good and bad bacteria in our skin which, in theory, will keep our complexion free from inflammation — making it ever radiant. These skin benefits are like music to my ears, so I was eager to try a probiotic product to see if it lives up to the hype.
The GlamGlow BerryGlow Probiotic Recovery Mask
The GlamGlow BerryGlow Probiotic Recovery Mask is marketed as a "moisturising mask packed with super berries and probiotics". To me, it's a cross between a moisturiser and a sleeping mask — not a bad place to be. Curious to know how it fared?
Packaging
Unlike other GlamGlow products, the packaging of BerryGlow Probiotic Recovery Mask is pretty straightforward. It's a no-fuss, plastic jar with a simple cap; none of that vault-like heavy-duty seal. It's very convenient to use and keeps the product fresh. Because of its cute, pink colour, you can easily repurpose it to become a scrunchie holder or an adorable spare change holder.
Scent and texture
Its scent and texture are best described by GlamGlow ambassador Morgan of TheBeautyBreakdown. "You'll want to eat it, but don't," she says in one of BerryGlow's promotional videos. Seriously, the scent and texture very closely resemble that of a strawberry smoothie's. You can put this in a cup and serve it to me and I would only realise that it's not a smoothie after taking a sip.
It's very aromatic and sweet-smelling, but not in an intoxicating way; it's airy-sweet and will remind you of beach vacations and morning brunches. If you're familiar with the Fruittella candy, the smell of the strawberry variant is the same as the smell of this one.
As you can see, the texture is very creamy.
As for the texture, it's very creamy and dense. At a closer look, you'll be able to see tidbits of hibiscus which are great for some light, gentle exfoliation.
It's creamy and dense yet when applied on the skin, it comes out as very light and almost gel-like in texture. You won't feel like you're putting sludge on your face and it's very easy to even out.
Formulation and application
Looking closely at the ingredients list, you can see that GlamGlow packed it with antioxidants and hydrators. Jojoba oil and shea butter are high on the list. Followed by blueberry, cranberry, and goji fruit extracts. Of course, there's lactobacillus ferment probiotic — the star ingredient and the main selling point of this product. Another thing to note is that it's free of controversial ingredients like SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, mineral oil, and triclosan. Overall, I would say that it's a very well-formulated mask that's designed to boost the skin's health through antioxidants, moisturising ingredients and probiotic factors.
Results
So what's the final review for GlamGlow BerryGlow Probiotic Recovery Mask? First, let's talk about how I used it. The recommended way is to apply an even layer to skin, leave for ten minutes, rinse and pat dry. I did this the first few times and the result I got was not so amazing. It did moisturise my skin well, but I didn't notice a boost in radiance. I sleuth around the internet and found in threads that some people leave this on for hours by just scraping off the excess hibiscus and putting sunscreen and makeup on top.
Now, before trying this I did a patch test first on my skin and when it didn't have an adverse reaction, I went ahead and tried the technique on my whole face. After doing it for one day, I already saw a difference in my complexion. It was brighter and plumper. I also noticed a decrease in whiteheads which is just amazing.
Some also recommended to leave it overnight and I tried that. I got the same results — bright and plump skin. However, it made a mess on my pillow and stung my eyes in the morning so I won't attempt that again.
The GlamGlow BerryGlow Probiotic Recovery Mask is worth the hype.
All in all, I had a really good experience with the GlamGlow BerryGlow Probiotic Recovery Mask. I love how it's fun to use because of the texture and smell and that it delivers good results. Definitely getting another jar! Because I had a good experience with this one, I'll continue to try other probiotic skincare to see how it compares.
*The product was sent as a press gift. The views and opinion of the reviewer are independent and purely editorial.
Check out more of our skincare reviews here.
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected].
