{"idTell your doctor right away if you get sunburned or have skin blisters/redness. Can I Buy Tretinoin 5 tubes (Avita) Without a Prescription I started out with adapalene 0.1, but recently moved on to tretinoin. While topically applying products with vitamin A is obviously absorbeddifferently than ingesting it, a recent study by the Food and Drug Administrationpoints out that topical cosmetics can still put users at risk for hair loss, especially if used in excessive amounts. Where to buy Tretinoin 20g/0.05% (Renova) Without Prescription However, recurrence is common.":5251,"date":"2014-07-09T21:45:39","date_gmt":"2014-07-10T01:45:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skinandtonics.com\/?p=5251"},"modified":"2014-12-20T01:02:45","modified_gmt":"2014-12-20T06:02:45","slug":"skinfood-black-sugar-strawberry-wash-mask-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skinandtonics.com\/skinfood-black-sugar-strawberry-wash-mask-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash-Off Mask Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re a regular S&T reader and the mention of Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash-Off Mask is giving you d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, you\u2019re not losing your mind. I first gushed about this mask a few weeks ago in Part 3 of my skincare routine breakdown<\/a>, describing it thusly:<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I fought the urge to run into a public place with it, like the mall or a major airport, and hold it up to people\u2019s faces as I shook them by the collar and screamed, \u201cMY GOD, HAVE YOU SMELLED THIS? IT SMELLS JUST LIKE STRAWBERRY PRESERVES! IT\u2019S LIKE EXFOLIATING WITH STRAWBERRY PRESERVES!\u201d<\/p>\n

Today I\u2019ll be giving it a proper review, starting with my appreciation for the product name. I often wish there was a better word for manual exfoliators than \u201cscrub.\u201d Scrubs are for toilets and kitchen sinks as far as I\u2019m concerned. I like to think that Skinfood is on the same page with me here, since they\u2019ve left the word \u201cscrub\u201d out of this product\u2019s name entirely, even though that\u2019s essentially what this mask is. Instead, they\u2019ve opted for the much less chore-centric name, \u201cSkinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash-Off Mask,\u201d (or \u201cBlack Sugar Mask Wash-Off\u201d if you want to get picky, but I prefer my adjectives in front<\/em> of my nouns).<\/p>\n

\"Skinfood<\/a><\/p>\n

What is it?<\/h2>\n

The Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash-Off Mask is an exfoliating mask, which boasts Brazilian black sugar and strawberry seed oil as its \u201cstar\u201d ingredients. It promises to clean, soften, and smooth skin.<\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/h4>\n

Caprylic\/Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Lanolin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Seed, Sorbitan Laurate, Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Seed Oil, Water, BHT, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Caramel, CI 17290, CI 17986, Parfum<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Skinfood<\/a><\/p>\n

Overall, this formula is a balanced mixture of physical exfoliating ingredients, emulsifiers, as well as humectant and emollient moisturizers, many of which possess antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and anti-inflammatory properties. Here are some of the standouts:<\/p>\n

Sucrose<\/h4>\n

Sucrose, better known as sugar, is the primary exfoliating component of this mask. Though I prefer chemical exfoliation methods, there are many occasions when I\u2019m unable to resist the call of a satisfying, indulgent facial scrub<\/s> polish. It\u2019s important to note that when I do reach for a product like this, sugar is definitely my preferred scrubbing agent. Unlike the sharp, unyielding shards of walnut shell found in common facial scrubs like St.Ives Apricot Scrub, sugar melts into wet skin, and is very effective at removing dry skin flakes without the risk of abrading to the point of irritation.<\/p>\n

Glycerin<\/h4>\n

Glycerin is an odorless, colorless, viscous sugar alcohol compound. Its humectant properties make it a popular cosmetic ingredient. Pure glycerin is able to absorb it\u2019s own weight in water over a period of 3 days, and has been shown in numerous studies to improve skin elasticity, moisture, and barrier function.<\/p>\n

Glycerol accelerates recovery of barrier function in vivo<\/a>
\nFluhr JW1, Gloor M, Lehmann L, Lazzerini S, Distante F, Berardesca E.
\nActa Dermato Venereologica, November 1999<\/p>\n

Glycerol replacement corrects defective skin hydration, elasticity, and barrier function in aquaporin-3-deficient mice<\/a>
\nMariko Hara, A. S. Verkman.
\nProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, May\/June 2003<\/p>\n

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter<\/h4>\n

This classic skincare ingredient is one of my all time favorites. It\u2019s anti-inflammatory, full of moisturizing essential fatty acids, and contains antioxidants in the form of Vitamins A, D, and E.<\/p>\n

Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Seed Oil<\/h4>\n

Strawberry seed oil is just one of three antioxidant and fatty acid rich oils in this formula. Strawberry seed oil is high in linoleic acid (great for acne prone skin) as well as vitamins A & C. It\u2019s a light, fast absorbing oil that also possesses antibacterial and astringent properties.<\/p>\n

\"Skinfood<\/a><\/p>\n

According to CosDNA<\/a>, there are no major red flags in terms of potential acne triggers or irritants.<\/p>\n

Performance<\/h2>\n

Appearance<\/h3>\n

Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash-Off Mask comes packaged in a sturdy little plastic bucket. For the most part, I appreciate the old-timey-brown-label aesthetic the brand was aiming for when they designed this packaging, but I do have one complaint: I cannot abide Comic Sans in any context, except for maybe an actual comic, and this label is not an exception. The font isn\u2019t a dealbreaker by any stretch of the imagination, but man \u2013 couldn\u2019t they have classed it up a little? Good, old-fashioned Helvetica would have gotten the job done with better style.<\/p>\n

Also, though the bucket is sturdy and perfectly functional, I think I would have a much easier time dispensing this product from a tube than scooping it out with my fingers \u2013 not just for hygienic reasons, but because the consistency of the product makes it a little messy to deal with at times.<\/p>\n

The product itself is berry red, and with its visible strawberry seeds and granules of sugar, it looks exactly like a bucket of extra-sugary strawberry preserves.<\/p>\n

\"Skinfood<\/a><\/p>\n

pH<\/h3>\n

The pH for Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash-Off Mask is ~7.0, which is considered neutral (distilled water is also 7.0). I prefer most of my facial treatments to have a pH slightly lower than that (if you\u2019d like to know why, I talk more about that here<\/a>), but a neutral pH isn\u2019t bad, especially for a product I\u2019m not using daily.<\/p>\n

\"ph\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Smell<\/h3>\n

If there is a heaven, and if heaven has an elevator, that elevator is made out of gold, sparkling, clouds, plays nothing but your favorite songs (or possibly The Number One Song in Heaven<\/a>), and smells exactly like this product. Skinfood Black Sugar Strawberry Wash-Off Mask smells like sweet, juicy, strawberry preserves.<\/p>\n