So! It’s been quite a controversial month for beauty boxes, as we’ve had high levels of complaints and disappointment regarding overlapping brands (one brand featured in several boxes whilst another brand featured in the same box for several months), lack of quality samples (as much as I loved my Illamasqua Freak, enough with the perfume samples!) and an issue with a particular mask featured in Boudoir Prive’s most recent box.
The mask in question is Vinies Veda Mask which many have reported having strong and fairly severe sensitivity issues with. A lot of people have said that it has left their skin feeling burnt, sore and red and many have complained that they should have been forewarned, which I agree with.
Boudoir Prive responded to complaints with this statement released through their Facebook page here:
Please read this email response from *Vinie Sukhmanee, Founder and CEO Vinies Veda*:
‘Thank you for the opportunity to respond to comments regarding Vinies Luminous Skin Mask. Yes, it is true that for some people, the Luminous Skin Mask will initially make the skin red. Should redness appear, this however goes away within fifteen minutes of having removed the mask provided that COLD water, as directed, is used for its removal.
Ayurveda is an ancient tradition, practiced for centuries. One of the core concepts of Ayurveda is that the individual Ayurvedic herbs within an Auyrvedic formulation work together in synergy to produce its intended result. The line of Vinies products are created to do exactly that. We harvest only the finest, natural Ayurvedic herbs selected for their purity and potency.
In some cases, it is your body’s normal response to the pure Ayurvedic herbs to experience redness and heat. Redness of the skin is not cause for panic. The redness and heat are an indication that the herbs are activated and working.
In using our face masks, we recommend the following:The directions for use require that all of our masks be rinsed off with cold water, so please remove using only cold water; andShould redness appear, do not apply other products to the skin until all redness has dissipated.
Applying another product to the skin may result in irritation. We at Vinies Veda stand by our products and we have faith in the traditions of Ayurveda. Any further concerns may be addressed to me directly via email(info@viniesveda.com)’.
Thank you and regards,Vinie Sukhmanee (Founder and CEO Vinies Veda)
It would be a bit pointless to vilify BP since they can’t possibly predict the results and effects of the products in their boxes, so hopefully this will be a learning curve to all Beauty Box suppliers that ingredients lists, directions and clear information regarding possible side effects need to be included to ensure that anyone with sensitive skin or those who like to keep things gentle know to avoid anything too harsh and OTT.
I personally quite like the idea of products where I can ‘feel the burn’ as nine times out of ten, the results are usually smooth and polished skin after the initial bit of mild discomfort. However, I realise this is a bit odd and I appreciate that not everyone feels the same, so the point is that we need to be informed to ensure that we can choose whether to try such products, rather than going in blind and hoping for the best.
Have you tried this mask? How do you feel about the idea of not knowing possible adverse effects of a product?
I haven’t tried this yet but my skin can be very sensitive and I personally feel very uncomfotable and worried when I feel any stinging or tingling having had bad experiences in the past.
Thanks for your comment, Victoria and you’re a perfect example of exactly why we need to have explicit information included in the beauty boxes. I’m lucky as I can get away with putting most things on my skin, but there are many who, like you, have very sensitive skin and a mask like this could cause real problems xx
Sounds like a lot of people are experiencing irritant contact dermatitis to me: http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/contact-irritant.html
This mask is clearly irritating to many people and going by the official statement from Vinies Veda it’s is actually designed to be that way: “In some cases, it is your body’s normal response to the pure Ayurvedic herbs to experience redness and heat. Redness of the skin is not cause for panic. The redness and heat are an indication that the herbs are activated and working.”
It is your body’s natural response to an IRRITANT to produce redness and heat. It IS cause for panic, as your skin’s protective barrier has been breached. The redness and heat is caused immune system components rushing to defend the area in case of infection. Don’t get me started on the Ayurvedic stuff… /angry biologist
Boudoir Prive should have researched this mask and disclosed its ingredients and potential for irritation. Especially since Vinies Veda make no secret of the fact that it’s designed to be irritating.
I feel a ranty blog post coming on…
Hi Kat, thanks very much for your comment and you raised some really good points! I noticed you’ve extended your thoughts on this post so if anyone’s interested in reading more, have a look here:
http://www.dollyrouge.ie/2011/11/boudoir-prive-vinies-veda-mask-irritation/
I agree to a certain extent about BP, but I also think that it’s expected for them to have a certain amount of faith in the brands they work with and such brands should be reasonably expected to supply information if any of their products can irritate. Really interesting debate it’s created! xx