Are bubble face masks more than just an Instagram-friendly gimmick?

Michelin Man, eat your heart out

Korean beauty is the gift that keeps on giving, with innovations like fruit slice masks and top of the line facial essences to keep your skin glowing. There’s also a few things that can seem a little gimmicky like peel off makeup, where you have a hell of a time experimenting with it and then quietly forget about it. Bubble face masks tread the line between absolute hilarity and skin saviour - here’s everything you need to know about one of the hottest Korean beauty trends.

What do bubble masks do?

Bubble masks come as creams, clay and sheet mask forms, but one thing remains - they all end with a hell of a lot of bubbles. After applying the mask to your face, they begin to gradually foam up with big puffy bubbles until you wind up looking like the most adorable horror movie monster ever.

http://imgur.com/gallery/0GYeWwA

They're essentially deep cleansing face masks that aim to clear out your pesky blackheads, reduce dirt and oil and hydrate using a special oxygenation process (hence the foam). You may have heard of oxygen facials before, where pure oxygen is used to pump antioxidants and other goodness directly into your skin, and bubble masks basically try to emulate that in a much more affordable form. Every brand's is different and some bring other healthy ingredients to the fold, such as detoxifying charcoal and marine-based collagen supplements.

While it all began in Korea, the trend has since crossed the pond with other Western brands bringing the bubbles to their products - we've put together a little list of our favourites below.

Bubble Clay Mask

Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask, iHerb

This is the mask that started it all - the Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask. Made by a popular Korean skincare brand, it’s undoubtedly one of their most popular products and is a combination of a clay and bubble mask - tightening and toning while removing excess sebum and dirt.

Shop now: Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask from iHerb

Bubble Sheet Masks

Oh K! Life Bubble Mask

If you’re not about that clay mask life, this sheet mask from Oh K! works just as well. All you have to do is pop this black sheet mask on and it’ll automatically activate, puffing up with white bubbles for a hilarious experience - our beauty editor Charlotte Clark can vouch for that.

Shop now: Oh K! Life Bubble Mask from Amazon

Sanctuary Spa Purifying Charcoal Sheet Mask, Boots

Another sheet mask on the list, this bubbly offering is available at Boots all over so you can easily snag it on your way home. Infused with charcoal, it deep cleanses your skin and balances out clogging oils for blemish-free skin.

Shop now: Sanctuary Spa Purifying Charcoal Sheet Mask from Boots

Beauty Pro DETOXIFYING Foaming & Cleansing Sheet Mask with Activated Charcoal, Ocado

The Charcoal works to cleanse deep into your skin to any remove dirt and impurities so you can buh-bye to stuffed pores and hello to a fresh face.

Shop now: Beauty Pro DETOXIFYING Foaming & Cleansing Sheet Mask with Activated Charcoal, Ocado

Bubble Cream Mask

Marine Radiant White Brightening Bubble Mask, Janjira

While some bubble masks might be more about the gimmick than the benefits themselves, this pot of goodness from Janjira is a godsend. Drawing on marine-based components such as algowhite to help brighten your dark spots as well as oxygenate your skin through its bubbling effect, it detoxifies and leaves you looking totally refreshed.

Shop now: Marine Radiant White Brightening Bubble Mask, Janjira

Love it or hate it, there's no denying that these face masks are going to make your squad's next pampering night really interesting.

At the very least, you'll get a great Instagram out of it...