Review: Mamonde - Rose Water Toner

Packaging: The product comes in a plastic pink bottle (250ml) with a white cap that comes up. While the cap itself is fine as it is, I prefer switching it out with a misting spray so I can easily mist it onto my face without using too much of the product.

Price: This will depend on what size you would like to get it in; the one pictured above (150ml) goes for about $15 USD on Jolse, whereas the bigger version (500ml) goes for about $25 USD on Jolse. Considering the availability of sizes you can buy, I would say that these prices are rather reasonable, especially since it can last a long time if you choose to switch the cap with a misting spray one instead. I have personally had mine since December 2016 (approx. seven months now) using it once or twice a day.

Consistency: It feels a lot like water as it can be really runny if you choose to apply this product with your hands rather than a cotton ball/pad or misting spray. It feels really refreshing on my skin.

Scent: As one might expect from the name of this product alone, it smells like straight up roses. If you are a fan of roses, you will be extremely pleased with the scent since it smells strongly of real roses instead of perfumed. It smells like absolute heaven. (Note that I did say “strong,” so people who dislike strong fragrances in their products should approach with caution.)

Ingredients: CosDNA shows that its ingredient list is, simply put, quite lovely. The only trigger for acne is butylene glycol (solvent + moisturizer) while the only possible irritant is carbomer (viscosity control), both of which scored a 1 and are commonly used in skincare products.

The beauty of this product is that it contains a whopping 90.89% of damask rose (also known as R. damascena) water straight from Bulgaria. To those who love the scent of roses, you may be surprised to know that it does a lot in terms of its neuropharmacology effects. In fact, a 2011 study revealed that:

The effects of this plant on CNS (Central Nervous System) are extensive… R. damascena has been shown to possess a potent depressant activity on CNS in mice. Some of these effects evaluated are hypnotic, anticonvulsant, anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, analgesic effects, and nerve growth.

These are some significant effects! So much so, I felt the need to devolve exactly what this study meant by including more detailed quotes involving sleep, pain, brain function, seizures, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and so forth. Feel free to skip this section and go straight to the topical effects of rose water.

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Clinically Significant Effects of R. Damascena Not Involved in Topical Application:

The ethanolic and aqueous extracts [from R. damascena] in doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg significantly increased the pentobarbital induced sleeping time in mice which was comparable to diazepam [a type of benzodiazepine which treats anxiety and is used short term for insomnia]. 

Hydroalcoholic extract [from R. damascena] has a potent analgesic effect in acetic acid and formalin tests.

R. damascena has beneficial effects on the brain function such as treatment of dementia. Awale et al (2009)… found that the chloroformic extract of the R. damascena significantly induced the neurite outgrowth activity and inhibited the amyloid β (Aβ). Aβ is thought to be a major pathological cause of Alzheimer. 

The essential oil of R. damascena… delays the start of epileptic seizures and decrease the duration of tonic-clonic seizures (stage 4) […]  The effects of the essential oil of R. damascena as an adjunct in treatment of children with refractory seizures were also studied and showed a significant reduction in the mean frequency of seizures in patients using essential oil of the plant. Therefore, the essential oil of R. damascena has beneficial antiepileptic effect in children with refractory seizures.

[R]esults showed a potent relaxant effect of extract and essential oil that was comparable to that of theophylline [which treats asthma and bronchospasm].

It has been shown that R. damascena has wide spectrum antimicrobial activities.

The R. damascena similar to many aromatic and medicinal plants exhibits antioxidant properties. Sources of natural antioxidant are primarily phenolics compound that are found in all parts of plants such as the fruits, vegetables, seeds, leaves, roots and barks… The results showed a potent antioxidant and lipid peroxidation inhibitory effects comparable to -tocopherol and suggest that the plant can be considered as a medical source for the treatment and prevention of many free radical diseases.

Side note: This is not an exhaustive list of the full beneficial effects of R. damascena. I highly recommend reading the full study if you are curious to know what else it does.
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Clinically Significant Effects of R. Damascena in Topical Application:

If the overwhelming amount of effects that R. damascena did not already convince you of its many benefits, it turns out that:

R. damascena contains vitamin C which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

This is important to note because as we discussed in an earlier post, vitamin C is a well known ingredient in skincare that fades post-acne scars, controls sebum (oil) production, smooths the skin, reduces the redness and severity of acne, and fades fine lines. Due to its antioxidant effects, it also helps with oxidative damage from the sun, such as sunspots. But we must remember that since vitamin C is also a mild exfoliant, you must still wear sunscreen during the day!

On the subject of it being a mild exfoliant, by the way, do not be mislead into believing that this toner will necessarily moisturize or hydrate the skin, as the Jolse site seems to imply; when I first bought this product, I spent one day spritzing it all over my face like I would with my holy grail Chia Seed Soothing Mist Toner by TheFaceShop and it turned my face into an oily and tight-feeling mess at the same time. When you over-exfoliate the skin, you strip it from its natural oils, causing the skin to feel tight and produce an excess amount of oil to account for the lack of natural oils.

Overall Review: If used correctly, one will find that this toner is a very mild astringent and exfoliating toner that does not lead to any skin irritation, only the benefits: it makes your skin feel smooth, helps fade sunspots and acne, and dissolves the gunk in your pores. And of course, it smells amazing. It is ideal for daily usage just after washing one’s face (before any hydrating toners, serums, etc.) provided that the user remembers to wear sunscreen. And since it is so mild, it can be the perfect product to use for those who are sensitive to other daily formulations with lower percentage AHA/BHA toners. The scent is on the stronger side, but I love it. 5/5.

First Impressions: OST - C20 Original Pure Vitamin C Serum

You may have noticed something different about these photos. It’s evident that I took them in a poorly lit, sunlight-free room, but why? This is because vitamin C, the main ingredient in this product, is rather unstable. It is highly recommended that you keep this product away from light, heat, and oxygen. So, where do I keep mine? In the refrigerator, of course! That takes care of the sunlight and heat issue, but what of the air one? The trick is to expose it to as least air as possible. You will know when your vitamin C serum goes bad, because the color will go from the clear/champagne-like color that you see in the above photos to a dark, orange color. The more it oxidizes, the least effective it becomes. Many reviews on this product in particular claim that it lasts about three or more months, depending on how you store it. I am about two weeks in and it is still holding strong.

Packaging: It comes in an amber glass bottle (30ml) equipped with a glass dropper for a cap. (Note: Before first opening the fresh packaging, the dropper will come in a sealed plastic bag and the bottle will have a twistable cap; this is to keep the product from melting through the rubber part of the dropper. Vitamin C is a mild exfoliant!) The dropper makes it easy to control the amount of product that you use. I personally use four drops for my entire face, but some people may find that it works better with more, or even less, product. This will all depend on your skin’s needs!

Price: ~$17 USD from Jolse. This is pretty cheap considering the percentage of vitamin C in this product (20% – the ideal percentage to actually have any effect on the skin). The vitamin C is also the second item listed in the ingredient list.

Consistency: A thick water-like viscosity, this product is easy to spread on the face, though this is probably due in part to the third ingredient on the list – ethanol (a type of alcohol). As it takes time to absorb (you should allow for at least 20-30 minutes to pass before continuing your skincare routine), it feels very sticky on the skin. The first time I tried it, I thought I was going to hate it. Thankfully, the finish is rather matte with no residue left behind or any subsequent shine.

Scent: Slightly citrus and the alcohol scent is rather apparent to me, but the scent is not overwhelming and it fades quickly.

Ingredients: I must note that having alcohol in a product isn’t always a bad thing; the reason we find many products with alcohol near the tops of ingredient lists is because it helps boost absorption of the product and it results in a more matte finish. This is definitely the case with this product, which I do wish was at least lower down on the ingredient list, but at the same time, I decided to deal with it because the claims of vitamin C serums sound promising for someone like me – someone with acne scars and an uneven skin tone. Another ingredient that surprised me was the zinc PCA, which can be found right around the center of the list. All forms of zinc can be beneficial to those suffering with acne (particularly zinc oxide) due to its ability to reduce sebum (oil), but this form of zinc is a humectant. In other words, it helps retain moisture, and for this reason, that also makes zinc PCA an effective skin conditioner. This is especially useful to have in a product such as this because since vitamin C is a mild exfoliant and there is alcohol present at a high amount, you’re going to want to hold onto as much moisture as possible to avoid drying out.

First Impressions/Overall Review: Vitamin C in general is said to have an array of positive effects on the skin when applied topically. It can even skin tone, fade scars, smooth out bumpy or rough skin texture, and reduce sebum (the waxy oil that comes out of your pores). I have experienced some slight peeling around my nose and on my chin, but nothing drastic. I use this product every other night to counter its drying effects. In the short amount that I’ve been able to use this product (almost two weeks), I have already noticed an improvement in my skin – most notably, in my skin’s texture and its clarity. After more time has passed, I will have progress pictures to show for its ability to fade my acne scars. So far, I am really liking this product and can easily see myself repurchasing it in the future. 4/5.