Sparkling or still, Madam? Raise a toast to one of the oddest skincare fad yet: Cleansing with carbonated water masks.
This trendy thingamajig – from the barmy beauty world of Japan and Korea, natch – claims to work using carbonic acid, which is the source of that familiar fizziness of a chilled can of soda pop.
Essentially, the energetic effervescence of the carbonated water is said to drive oxygen and peeling acids into your pores for a deep cleanse, with the “micro-massage” of the bubbles amping up blood circulation for beautifully rosy skin.
Intrigued and raring to give it a go? There are a fair few you can source from shops off hipsterville Garosu-gil, but for those of us without Krisflyer miles to burn, try K-Beauty brand Brilliant’s Loveheart Sparkling Powder.
Happily available for international shipping, this mask is skincare sorcery at its most magical. What you do is tear open the sachets, toss the powders into a basin of warm water, then clap your hands in child-like glee as your caldron hisses and kisses into something resembling nothing so much as your favourite isotonic sports drink.
All that’s left to do is to hold your breath and dunk your face into the bubbly brew of skin boosters the likes of vitamin C and arbutin, surfacing as and when you need to breathe, of course. If all goes as planned, two minutes of this water “torture” ought to reward you with a noticeably brighter and bouncier complexion.
Not prepared to splash out on bizarre beauty novelties? Easy: DIY by stirring together H20 from the tap and your swankiest sparkling mineral water in a one-to-one ratio. Saturate cotton pads with this solution, then plaster pieces all over your face as a quick and dirty mask.
The best thing about this quirky little trend? The sudsy treat is unbelievably comforting at the end of an exhausting day of work – slap it on and you’re reminded of the well, unfailing beauty of science. But that’s quite enough froth from us!