I've heard about Skinfood's Black Sesame Hot Mask and read about it in a few blogs years ago, and wanted to see if this mask would work out for me. Bloggers, friends, and their mothers seemed to love this.
So, did it live up to the hype?
Product Information
Skinfood's Black Sesame Hot Mask claims to be a "highly moisturizing heating mask" that deep cleans the skin. It has sesame seeds, roasted salt, and sugar to exfoliate the skin and leave your face soft an smooth. Yes, it does claim that it heats up. In fact, the tub has a warning that says, "Use in environment with moderate temperature; if used in a hot environment such as a bathroom or sauna, mask can overheat.
Appearance and Texture
The product is a grayish, slimy substance that smells just like roasted sesame seeds. Some people who have used this stated that they don't like the scent. I personally didn't mind it, though I can see how it may turn people off if they're not used to smelling/eating foods with black sesame.
The way I use it
I used this once a week for over one month. After I double cleanse, I apply a generous amount of the mask, gently rub the granules around my face, wait 5 minutes, and then rinse it off. I use this while the shower is running hot water.
Results
1. Let's talk about the heating. One of the things that past reviewers have said was that they didn't feel that this heated up enough. From my experience, the only way it heats up is when I use it in the bathroom while the hot water is running in the shower. The heat effect actually does last quite a long time, as long as that hot water is running.
2.I'll be straight up and say that the exfoliating effects are laughable. Sure, it made my skin feel somewhat softer, but the difference wasn't that remarkable. This is definitely not a great exfoliator for someone who wants to clean out blackheads. When I had rough patches on my skin, this did nothing to minimize them at all. I've even tried to leave this on for 10 minutes. Still, I wasn't impressed at all.
3. The claims of providing "deep cleansing to the skin" are ridiculous. I don't see any ingredients in this that would help to clean the skin at all. My skin didn't feel any cleaner.
Verdict: 2 out of 5
This mask made my skin feel soft, but its effects did not seem to last very long. The only thing I enjoyed was its heating effects, but I don't even think these effects were that beneficial to my skin. Overall, I think this is a gimmicky product that does little to exfoliate, deep clean, or soften the skin. There are plenty of other masks from Korea and Japan that are much more effective. I'll finish up this tub, but will only use it as a massage emollient for days when my face feels very cold. I will not be repurchasing this.
Maybe some of you who have used this had a better experience. Do share: Have you tried this mask?
Till later,
Eva,
FTC statement: This is not a sponsored post. The links provided above are not affiliate links. I purchased all the products mentioned above with my own money.
My name is Eva and I'm a skincare addict.
Yes, I'm obsessed with skincare, which is why I decided to post my skincare routine in four parts. This is part 1 of my winter skincare routine series. Here, I will discuss what I do to cleanse my skin. I have sensitive, dehydrated skin. I generally have combination skin; in the winter, however, my cheeks tend to get very dry. My skin concerns include large pores, hyperpigmentation, dehydration, and redness.
Now, on to the products:
1. Almay Longwear and Waterproof Gentle Eye Makeup Remover [NIGHT ONLY]: I wear waterproof mascara, so a highly effective eye makeup remover is a must. This is the first step to my skincare routine at night. I soak up two cotton pads with this product (I use cheap cotton pads from Daiso which work really well), gently place the cotton pads on my closed eyelids for about 1 minute, and wait for this makeup remover to dissolve my eyeshadow, liner, and mascara. You can purchase this from pretty much any drugstore in the U.S., Ulta, and Amazon [affiliate link]
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2. Mizon No. 1 King's Berry Cleansing Oil [NIGHT ONLY]: I've written a review of this, which you can find here. This is my favorite cleansing oil at the moment because it is gentle on the skin yet highly effective at removing all my base makeup. This is rich with antioxidants, too! I got my bottle from Peach & Lily.
3. Shiseido Ibuki Gentle Cleanser [NIGHT & DAY]: I use this foam cleanser every morning and night. I only need a pea sized amount to make it foam and it leaves my skin feeling clean yet not stripped of its moisture. I usually purchase mine from local Shiseido counters. You can purchase this from Shiseido's online website and Sephora.
4. Japanese Konjac Sponge in Green Tea [NIGHT ONLY]: Normally, I wouldn't recommend to exfoliate your skin more than once a week; however, because of my keratosis pilaris, I need to use a gentle exfoliator three times a week; otherwise, my rough patches of "chicken skin" get out of control. My Japanese Konjac Sponge does such a great job at keeping my skin condition at bay. This is extremely soft and gentle on the skin. I personally like the Green Tea sponge because it is much softer than the charcoal one, and is more effective than their pink one. I use apply a small amount of my Shiseido cleanser on this sponge, and gentle rub it all over my face in small circles, focusing around the nose area. You can get this from their official website.
Tips that Work for Me:
1. I double-cleanse every single night, even when I don't wear makeup. I don't like relying on only one cleanser to take everything off because I've found such products to be way too harsh for my skin. In addition, using an oil cleanser and a foaming cleanser will help to clean out both the water-and oil-based gunk that accumulate on my face throughout the day. I've been double-cleansing for almost 10 years now, and I've found this cleansing method to be the most gentle and most effective at keeping my acne at bay.
2. I much prefer using a gentle exfoliation tool like my konjac sponge to exfoliate my skin regularly, rather than using a granulated scrubs. Granualated scrubs are way too abrasive for my skin, and I don't think they're very effective at cleaning out my pores. I also don't like chemical exfoliators that contain hydroxy acids; even at the lowest concentration, these tend to irritate my skin and leave my face red.
3. I avoid using cleansing foams with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which is a very harsh detergent that is often used in many cleansers. This ingredient can dry and irritate the skin.
4. When I'm using my foaming cleanser by itself, I use the pads of my pinky fingers to gently wash hard-to-reach areas (e.g., around the nose) in circular motions.
5. When rinsing off my cleanser, I splash my face with water and avoid any rubbing. I do this to avoid any redness and irritation.
Want more information about my skincare? Click HERE for Part 2, where I talk about my toner and serums!
Please share! What products do you use to cleanse your skin?
Till later,
Eva
FTC statement: This is not a sponsored post. With the exception of the Amazon link, the links provided above are not affiliate links. I purchased all the products mentioned above with my own money.
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