Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off

Today, I want to talk about the best-selling wash off mask from Skinfood: Black Sugar Mask or as my husband calls it The Poop Mask - you'll see why at the 'texture' section.
 I've been using this once a week since September and I have to say that I have mixed feelings about it - more about that later in this review.

Claims
"An exfoliating and hydrating mask wash off with black sugar granules. Black sugar is rich in vitamins and minerals and restores nutrients and moisture to skin. The mask leaves skin
moisturized, soft, and free of dead skin cells."

Ingredients
Sucrose, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Lanolin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Sorbitan Laurate, Bht, Butylparaben, Fragrance, Caramel.

As you can see on the screenshot from www.cosdna.com, some of the ingredients are not good if you look at 'safety'.

 What Skinfood says about the ingredients
"Sugar is a natural exfoliant. With its grainy texture, it’ s the perfect ingredient to heighten the scrubbing action that removes dead skin cells, which can clog pores and make your complexion look dull.
Black sugar would be considered a physical type of exfoliation. Also known as manual or mechanical exfoliation, it relies on a rubbing action (aka friction) and physical contact with a substrate to loosen and remove dead skin cells. On the other hand (pun intended), chemical exfoliants, including acids, retinol, and enzymes, can be harsher on skin, stripping it of its natural sebum or drying it out. Sensitive skin types may find chemical exfoliants irritating, and prefer a milder exfoliant, such as our Black Sugar Mask Wash Off, which is gentle enough for many skin types.


Sugar is also a natural humectant, which means that it draws moisture from the environment into the skin. So when you use our Black Sugar Mask Wash Off Scrub, you’ re hydrating your skin and helping it to retain moisture, two effective ways to treat signs of aging. You’ ll also be helping to save the environment! The primary exfoliating agent in many popular beauty brands involve microbeads, tiny plastic particles which act as the friction substrate. As of 2015, these microbeads, which have been popping up in concerning numbers in water sources, such as the Great Lakes, have been banned."

Packaging

The scrub comes in a plastic jar that, no matter how many times I've dropped it, doesn't break easily. The jar contains 100 g. When you open the container and remove the screw-on lit, there's a white piece of plactic protecting the mask. The packaging is unhygeinic. It doesn't come with a spatula but it is a good idea to use one to avoid spreading bacterias.

On the sides of the jar, there are claims, directions and ingredients list in both Korean and English.

Texture

The mask is brown and when you put it on your face, your face gets brown.
It has a grainy texture because of the sugar. The grainy texture can be a bit harsh on the skin but when mixed with water, it's not so bad.

Smell
This has a smell that you either love or hate. It's a strong and artificial lemon smell that I personally find overwhelming. It's noticeable while the mask is on.


How to use
"After cleansing, massage gently into damp skin, or mix with water/cosmetic water and apply. Avoid skin around the eyes and lips. After 10-15 minutes, rinse with lukewarm water."

How I use it
Because of the grainy texture, this is too harsh for my dry and slightly sensitive skin. I mix it with water in my hands (1:1) to make it more gentle. I carefully massage the mask onto my skin and leave it for about 15 minutes before washing it off.

Due to the fact that it is a bit harsh even when I mix it with water, I never use this when my skin is irritated or sunburned.

Effects
After washing the mask off, my skin feels a bit dry as it always does after exfoliation so I apply some extra moisture. It's no problem since my skin always absorb the rest of my skincare routine much better after I use this.
It always leaves my skin super soft and smooth. My skin looks radiant and glowing the day after using it.

Price
This retails at only $10 on www.theskinfood.us and it lasts a long time so it's cheap.

Pros
- The container doesn't break easily.
- Exfoliates well.
- Leaves skin baby soft, smooth and radiant.

Cons
- The packaging is unhygeinic.
- Doesn't come with a spatula.
- Smell is too strong.
- Harsh on my dry and slightly sensitive skin.

Repurchase?
Even though I love how soft this makes my skin, I will not repurchase it due to the strong smell and the fact that it's a bit harsh. However, I might purchase the strawberry edition.

Rating
If you only look at the results, this is a 5/5 but overall it's 3/5.