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The Regional Series

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This post is part of a series of LuLuLun sheet masks. Check out the previous post here: [Pt One]

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The Regional Series are designed around the idea of using the locally found ingredients in each mask. Some locations Lululun has used so far include: Hokkaido, Okinawa, Kyoto, Tochigi, and even Hawaii! 

Okinawa

Just to make it a little more confusing, Lululun made two versions of their Okinawa edition (pictured above). The red features goya (bitter gourd in Japanese) and acerola, while the yellow has shikuwasa (a citrus fruit native to Okinawa) & hibiscus.

• Ingredients for Red include: water, glycerin, propanediol, glyceryl glucoside, hydroxypropyltrimonium hyaluronate, trueless fruit extract (no idea what this is), acerola fruit extract, okinawa heron seed extract, yuzu fruit extract, dextrin, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum, citric acid, phenoxyethanol, methyl paraben, fragrance, BG
  

• Ingredients for Yellow include: Water, glycerin, propanediol, panthenol, tocopherol acetate, lactobacillus / hibiscus flower fermentation broth, Citrus depressa peel extract, Kudamonoskei peel extract, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum, citric acid, citric acid Na, phenoxyethanol , Methyl paraben, fragrance, BG
  

(Authors note: I bet the yellow one smells great *w*)

Looking for what the masks are intended to do all I can find is a bunch of buzz words: “hydrating”, “sheen”, “moisturize.” What I can derive so far is that the Yellow does the normal moisturizing that you can expect of Lululun masks, but with the addition of the citrus fruit brightens and adds a nice sheen to your face. The Red includes bitter gourd which people say is beneficial for troubled skin and can help slow down the aging process. Both masks have vitamin C in them so take that as you will.

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[UPDATE – Oct.1.15]: Seems they’ve updated the look a bit! I’m seeing people purchasing this edition that looks like this now. Same ingredients however, so it could just be a limited run thing OR they decided to just change their look. I think they both look quite snazzy honestly haha~

[UPDATE – Jun.30.17]: And yet another update on the look!

Same ingredients as before, just a new look. I guess they’re making it so that all the masks look similar to one another, which is a smart move.

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Kyoto

Kyoto, was the imperial capital of Japan for more than a thousand years and is now a bustling city with a rich culture and ten thousand shrines. Well that may be a stretch but Kyoto is known for its vast amounts of shrines and temples. So how fitting is it that the Lululun Kyoto mask variation is made with Uji tea (grown only in Kyoto). I’m not the only one who imagines people drink tea around shrines and temples right? Like any mask with tea in it, this mask is useful to those with troubled skin.

Ingredients include: water, glycerin, propanediol, ascorbyl glucoside, panthenol, hyaluronic acid Na, tea leaf extract, Chahana extract, tea seed oil, silkworm cocoon extract, Japanese Maple leaf extract, Yoshino cherry tree leaf extract, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum , citric acid, citric acid Na, hydroxide K, EDTA-2Na, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, perfume, BG.

[UPDATE- Jan.5.18]: A different color has been spotted!

Appropriately named “Kyoto Fall of 2017” this design is based on the autumn season in Kyoto. Will update this when I learn more about it!

[UPDATE- Apr.13.17]: Another Kyoto mask has been spotted! 

This mask is just too cute for me. From what I gather this mask is made for mature skin and I imagine the packaging was done to reflect that. Where LuLuLun is known for their colorful and youthful packaging this one seems more subdued in comparison. Dare I say? It looks more mature with just a touch of traditional dress as an added bonus. An interesting ingredient used is that of the Binzuke oil. Couldn’t find much information about this oil but it is used to style the hair of sumo wrestlers! The website mentions that this same oil is used to keep Kyoto Maiko’s makeup beautiful (I guess long lasting?). What is a Maiko you might be asking, well when you first saw the packaging I’m sure one thought popped to mind immediately. The face looks a tad similar to a Geisha no? Well Maiko’s happen to be apprentice Geiko’s (which is similar to but not totally the same as Geisha’s. The whole Geisha/Geiko/Geiji culture is very interesting and super in-depth, there’s a lot of history involved but for those interested this tumblr is a good starting point.)

Phew! A lot of history in just one sheet mask packet and it’s still not over haha! The other noted ingredient is Sake Cake Extract. Again, I couldn’t find much on the beauty aspect of Sake Cake Extract but LuLuLun’s website mentions this ingredient leads to “glossy skin with a bright impression.”

Ingredients include: water, glycerin, propanediol, squalane, glyceryl tri (caprylic / capric acid), wolfberry, cabbage extract, sake cake extract, jojoba seed oil, gentian root extract, di (phytosteryl / octyldodecyl) lauroylglutamate, (isostearyl Acid polyglyceryl-2 / dimer linoleic acid) copolymer, xanthan gum, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose stearoxy ether, carbomer, (acrylates / alkyl (C10-30)) crosspolymer, PEG-20 hydrogenated castor oil triisostearate, tocopherol , EDTA – 2 Na, hydroxide K, phenoxyethanol, methyl paraben, BG.

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Hokkaido

An island I’ve actually wanted to travel to for a long time now. Hokkaido is known for its cool temperatures all year round and even when I picture Hokkaido, all I can envision is blankets of snow (but also vast fields of green during the summer months). The design of these masks emphasizes the winter months and the all encompassing whiteness that can be found.

Ingredients include: water, glycerol, propanediol, polyquaternium -51, betaine, Lonicera frogs rare juice, hydrolyzed pearl barley seeds, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum, citric acid, citric acid Na, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, perfume, BG.

It seems this mask also has vitamin C in it and as thus is good for brightening the skin. On top of that it also apparently has a nice lavender scent. Appropriate considering this is a mask based on Hokkaido. Some stores claim that this mask also helps as a makeup base, so when you want to apply makeup, this mask helps for that purpose.

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[UPDATE- Apr.13.17]: Another version of Hokkaido has been spotted and posted on their website!

Man, isn’t that just so comforting to look at? Supposedly it’s reminiscent of Summer in Hokkaido so the design on this is just perfect. A little straw hat and bright clouds paint the picture of a breezy Summer time romp. The product page for this one mentions that it can be purchased at the airport souvenir shop? The ingredients differ in this one so look out! The big differences seems to be the inclusion of honey and corn!

Ingredients include: water, glycerin, propanediol, ascorbyl glucoside, tocopherol, honey, Saccharomyces / day lily flower fermentation, Laminaria japonica extract, corn extract, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum, citric acid, citric acid Na, K hydroxide , EDTA-2Na, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, fragrance, BG. 

If anyone has been able to try this let me know in the comments how it is! I’m very interested in this one!

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Hawaii

Last but not least we have the only non-Japanese island on the list (so far!) Hawaii. As a native New Yorker, I have no idea what the Hawaii Islands are like. But I can guess it’s a lot less drunken subway riders at 3am and a little more beach going. Perhaps just a tad bit different from the New York lifestyle. Alas, the only information I can find from this particular mask is on their Facebook page.

[UPDATE- Apr.13.17]: The website has more information! According to Google Translate, this mask was jointly developed with Hawaii’s Abhasa Spa. I don’t know if that’s true or a mis-translation but the main idea here is that this mask is not just a Japanese brand trying to get into the Hawaiin market but they are actively incorporating parts of Hawaii’s culture in this mask.

The standout ingredient is Kukui Nut Oil, fitting for a mask based in Hawaii! This oil is commonly used as a massage oil but it’s great for the skin as well. The oil soothes and softens the skin and has been used to treat minor wounds and burns, some even using it to treat symptoms of eczema and psoriasis.

Ingredients include: [Thanks to kind redditor Jennykay] water, glycerin, propanediol, sea water, betaine, sodium pca, sorbitol, serine, glycine, glutamic acid, alanine, lysine, arginine, threonine, proline, aleurites moluccana seed oil, ananas sativus (pineapple) fruit extract, citrus aurantifolia (lime) juice, cocos nucifera (coconut) extract, actinidia chinensis (kiwi) fruit extract, sodium hyaluronate, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum, citric acid, sodium citrate, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, fragrance, butylene glycol, pentylene glycol.

Something to take note of is the packaging of this mask is in English! All the other masks are in Japanese, so maybe it’s true that this will only be available to those in Hawaii, and if that’s true… anyone there wanna send me a care package? Hehe~

[UPDATE- Apr.13.17] They did it again. These beautiful monsters at Lululun just know how to get at your wallet. I mean, really: 

REALLY? You’re just going to casually release a unicorn-themed mask set and walk away? Okay so it’s not unicorn-themed (it totally is) but the packaging for this set has me going heart-eyes. This set is based in Hawaii again and still has the Kukui Nut Oil as an ingredient but they also included the power fruit Acai and cocktail-mix fruit Passion Fruit into the mix. I will say this only once, I have a mighty need.

You can purchase this set in Don Quijote & Supermarkets in Hawaii, the Abhasa Spa mentioned above (in Royal Hawaiian), ABC Stores (Waikiki) and Lawson Station (Waikiki). Seems a trip to Hawaii is long overdue.

Ingredients include: water, glycerin, propanediol, kukui nut oil, macademia seed oil, fruit extract of Asahiya, lactobacillus / hibiscus flower fermentation solution, mandarin orange peel extract, Kudamonosesutissu fruit extract, sunflower bud extract, (glycerylamidoethyl methacrylate / methacrylate Acid stearyl) copolymer, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum, citric acid, Na citrate, phenoxyethanol, methyl paraben, perfume, BG.

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[UPDATE- July.18.16]: They’ve added a new location to the “Regional Series!”

Tochigi

This time the mask is based off the Tochigi Prefecture in Japan! I don’t know much about this particular prefecture but that’s what I love about this mask series. It allows me to look a bit further into where these masks are based from. Some light googling shows that Tochigi is the name of a city and a prefecture, so one could very well book a flight to Tochigi, Tochigi! (I love saying this word in my head, I want to say it a million times over now.)

As you can see they really emphasize the strawberries in this particular mask. Google “Tochigi Strawberry” and it’s not hard to see why! From December to May some farms have strawberry pickings that families can enjoy. On the Tochigi website however, they’re quick to mention that that’s not the only fruit available to pick from!

Another ingredient listed is konjac ceramide which is contained in the konjac potato! You may have heard of konjac before, and you may first have pictured it as something similar to this:

And I would be right there with ya, but now try to picture konjac as something like this:

Yupp, that’s the potato you rub all over your face! (Haha, totally just kidding. Obviously they peel it first. ;D) Both these ingredients together leave me to believe the mask will be best suited to those looking to brighten and control melanin pigmentation.

Ingredients include: water, glycerin, propanediol, PPG-10 methyl glucose, polyquaternium -51, strawberry fruit water, strawberry seed extract, konjac root extract, ectoine, dextrin, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, xanthan gum, citric acid, citric acid Na, phenoxyethanol, methyl paraben, perfume, BG.

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Next on the Lululun Mask series will be the Scented Limited Editions! 

Resources used: Lululun official website, Lululuns official Facebook, imomoko.com, beautemart.ca, amazon.com, samplestore.com,  beautychamber.net, and google translate (my best friend).