REVIEW | Dr Morita Nanopeptide Whitening Essence Facial Mask

Touted as a skin care brand established in Taiwan since 1934, Dr. Morita is one of the more popular Taiwanese brands locally when it comes to sheet masks. Backed by an emphasis on science-based ingredients and stressing the importance of hydrated skin for a glowing complexion, will this humble packet of sheet mask lure me into trying more from the brand? Let’s find out!

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION / NOTABLE INGREDIENTS:

Nanopeptide prevents the formation of melanin, thus reducing the production of dark pigmentation. It conditions skin and balances skin moisture level, making skin supple and moisturized. This mask also includes a special European organic herb plant that contains flavonoids, phenolic acids and tannins ingredients, which are good for soothing sensitive skin and have repairing efficacy.

Featured Ingredients:

Nanopeptide – works to prevent the formation of melanin, thus reducing the production of dark pigmentation.
Barley extract – skin conditioning, moisturizing, whitening effect.
Organic Chamomile – well known for its whitening properties.
Organic Elderberry – a special European organic herb plant that contains flavonoids, phenolic acids and tannins ingredients, which are good for soothing sensitive skin and has repair efficacy.

Source: Hermo

FULL INGREDIENTS:

Water/Aqua, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium PCA, PPG-28-Buteth-35, Niacinamide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Polyglycerin-3, Glycosyl Trehalose, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Carbomer, Acrylates/Vinyl Isodecanoate Crosspolymer, Allantoin, Mannitol, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Triethylhexanoin, Glycerin, Caffeine, Zinc Gluconate, Fragrance, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alpha-Arbutin, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, Chamomilla Recuitta (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Mulberry Bark Extract, Hyrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Coix Lacryma-Jobi (Job’s Tears) Seed Extract, Ubiquinone, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Dithiaoctanediol, Gluconic Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sutilains, β-Carotene.

(Extracted and typed manually from the product packaging)

VOLUME:

25g x 1 sheet

PACKAGING:

Smooth, thin plastic packet with a red and white colour scheme. Product details written in the back are mostly in Taiwanese (I assume, as it is a Taiwanese product) but the full ingredients are listed in English. Pretty basic.

HOW TO USE:

Apply mask on face after cleansing.
Leave it on for 10-15 minutes.
Remove and gently massage around the face area for the essence to be fully absorbed by the skin. Not necessary to rinse off.

SCENT:

Very mild cosmetic scent, if any. Does not contain artificial nor natural fragrance (eg. essential oils. Great for sensitive noses!

ESSENCE TEXTURE/FINISH:

Clear, watery consistency. Absorbs easily into the skin (just drinks it all up!). A little extra left in packet after use, but most of it is absorbed by the mask.

MASK TEXTURE/FIT/ADHERENCE:

Thin, white material with a plastic perforated backing so that it is easier to unfold when taking out of the packet. Very smooth to the touch, comfortable while wearing. Fit is good, covers my face well – even my fivehead.

MY SKIN TYPE:

Sensitive (prone to redness and irritation), combination-dry, acne-prone and dehydrated.

OVERALL THOUGHTS & EXPERIENCE:

First off, I must say that I love how cooling the mask feels on my skin, and I didn’t even store it in the fridge beforehand! So, for fellow sensitive skin people in need of some soothing with an instant hydration kick, this might just be for you! Bonus points that there’s practically no scent, so it’s great if you need an unscented sheet mask either based on preference or sensitivity.

Now, pre-masking, my skin looked quite dull and felt very dehydrated, with an obvious appearance of enlarged pores. So, with its claims, I expected my skin to look more refreshed and brightened to a certain degree (as I’m used to with Taiwanese masks in general). However, while it ended up hydrating my skin very well (legit felt like my face drank a tall glass of water!) I didn’t notice much brightening effects. At most, my skin ended up more even-toned with minimized redness, with no changes to existing hyperpigmentation and enlarged pores. Though, such effects might be more apparent if you use this mask consistently!

MY RATING:

4/5

Overall, I did enjoy the experience of this mask, but the effects are a bit underwhelming. Again, this is only my first try at it, so daily masking to see visible results might be needed! I do like how well it layers under other skincare like sunscreen great. It’s a good option for daytime masking!