Can’t Eat This: Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Mask Wash-Off Review

Scrubbing time!

Trust me, don’t eat this. It’s clearly food for your skin, not your stomach. I got the Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Mask Wash-Off for my sister’s birthday a couple of months ago. (Excuse the bad word order; that’s just what it’s named.) She has oily skin like me, so after her own positive review, I wanted to give it a try!

The Claims

From the jar label:

“A facial mask that contains mineral-rich Brazilian black sugar along with strawberry seeds and strawberry seed oil. Applies smoothly on skin and leaves skin fresh, clean and fragrant with a strawberry scent.”

Ingredients List:

See Cosdna for more details. Those with 1 or higher “Acne” or “Irritant” value, as well as a red “Safety” value, are bolded*:

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Stearalkonium hectorite, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Lanolin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Fragaria Vesca Seed, Sorbitan laurate, Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil, Water, BHT, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxylethanol, Caramel, CI 17290, CI 17986

*Note that these values do not indicate universal truths. The amount of ingredient actually in the product, as well as the product’s overall formulation, greatly affect the potential for irritation. Not everyone will be sensitive to these bolded ingredients, and you may be sensitive to ingredients that are not bolded. Every individual’s skin may react differently. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).

It’s practically strawberry jam. Or smashed preserves, if you’d like to get pedantic.

The Evidence

Performance:

This makes my face so. damn. smooth. Using this mask is like scrubbing your face with a god-tier konjac sponge. Gentle and kind, but puts its foot down with the impurities on your face when it needs to. Just remember not to over-exfoliate!

You can use as thick or thin of a layer as you wish (I tend to go quite thinly), but you really just need enough to lightly cover your whole face and gently scrub all over. No sponge, cloth, or scrubbing pad is necessary, of course; the little black sugar granules and strawberry seed bits got your back. As instructed, I scrubbed my face in gentle circles for a couple of minutes, waited about 15 minutes, and rinsed off with lukewarm~cold water. I must say this is a refreshing change from the clay masks I usually use for weekly exfoliation.

It also feels nicely rejuvenating and moisture-friendly—dare I say hydrating? I use this in my PM routine after cleansers and before actives; after the mask, I feel like I’m already halfway to a hydrating toner or something. I’ll credit the many helpful oils in the ingredients list up there.

Dat strawberry seed.

That’s just how my face looks.
Plus some strawberry bits and my favorite Skinfood hair pad.

The black sugar melts as you scrub. I’d only be a little concerned about the potential abrasiveness of the little seed bits, similar to the infamous St. Ives Apricot Scrub’s walnut bits making tiny cuts all over your face. However, I have no method or equipment to prove that. I also can’t find any evidence or reviews that suggest it’s a legitimate concern. Probably just my own paranoid self.

All in all, as long as you apply your typical gentle pressure when using this mask, there should be nothing to worry about.

Fragrance:

What scent do you get when you cross a just-ripe, waiting-to-be-eaten strawberry dipped in a heap of sugar? Yeah, that’s exactly what this smells like. The scent’s intensity is about the same as an actual strawberry jam. Mind you, it smells very, very appetizing if you like strawberries or have a sweet tooth.

Seriously, don’t even think about eating it. It tastes horrible

Value:

Part of my first TesterKorea haul. It was ₩7,040/~US$6.10 for 100 grams of product. Any more than $10, and you’re paying more than you should. This jar can last you several months if used 1-2 times weekly. For the size and performance (heh…), it’s a pretty darn amaze-balls deal.

Sontaran for scale.

The Verdict

It’s gentle and fragrant, yet an extremely effective physical exfoliating mask. I might try this with a thicker layer in the future, just for poops and giggles. I’d definitely repurchase this either for myself or others. I’m almost sad I didn’t buy it for myself! It’s perfect for practically any skin type, and leaves you feeling deliciously clean and fresh.

Just keep this out of the kitchen and out of reach of pets/small children, and you should be just fine.

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Rating system:
5 / 5: HOLY GRAIL STATUS. I dare you to pry this from my cold, dead, kpop-glowy hands.
4 / 5: I really liked this! Would repurchase until I find a better alternative.
3 / 5: So-so. Unimpressive results, but may work better for others with different conditions.
2 / 5: Would not repurchase. Possibly caused some issues for me, but may work for others.
1 / 5: This lied to me. It did nothing that it said it would, and caused some issues.
0 / 5: Do not buy this. No one should have to suffer the way I did.

What are your favorite wash-off masks? Any gifts you almost wish you didn’t give away? ☺

美容护肤