Review: Whamisa by Glow Studio Green Tea Clay Mask
We recently launched our first ever collaboration, Whamisa By Glow Studio, and there’s been a lot of love for the oil-busting Green Tea Clay Mask in particular, which happens to be one of our favorites as well! Clay masks are lasting beauty favorite, loved for their ability to help extract all the gunk out clogged pores, leaving skin clearer and smoother. Normally they’re beloved by combo/oily/acne-prone types because clay masks can be wonderful clarifiers. That said, they can be quite stripping for drier skin types. The Green Tea Clay Mask is specially formulated to be gentle, soothing, and clarifying with a light, whipped texture that doesn’t dry to a hard, crackly mess or strip the skin. We gathered two GR staff, Katie (who has classic acne-prone, combination skin) and Roz (who has very dry skin), to share their thoughts on this brand new mask – read on for their reactions!
What is your history with clay masks? Do you reach for them often? How does your skin normally react with clay masks?
Roz: When I say I have dry skin, I don’t just mean dry–I mean like Sahara Desert dry, even in summer. I normally have to layer tons of product morning and night, on top of drinking lots of water, in order for my skin to not get patchy and irritated. I’ve tried quite a few clay masks back in high school, when I mistakenly thought my acne was caused by having oily skin, but after coming to understand that my skin was actually severely dehydrated, I haven’t reached for one since, as they tend to be too stripping for me. When I use a clay mask, my skin will initially look fine–nice and tight as promised by the clay–but after a few seconds I tend to feel a lot of discomfort and dryness, as if my skin has been sucked of all its moisture.
Katie: Weirdly, even though I have acne-prone skin, clay masks never really excited me. When I was a teenager, I’d use a clay mask once in awhile – I remember single-serve packets from the drugstore that seemed slightly suspect – but I definitely couldn’t have told you if they did anything to help my acne or skin in general. I basically used to scrub my face with a harsh scrubbing sponge that looked like a straight-up Brillo and then, if I was feeling fancy, I’d use some moisturizer.
When I got into skincare for real through K-Beauty, I used a few clay masks, but never really kept one in solid rotation in my routine, because I still wasn’t convinced they really did anything and the time investment tends to be real with wash off masks.
How does the Green Tea Clay Mask differ from typical clay masks?
R: The texture is definitely creamier that some of the other clay masks I’ve tried. It’s not runny either though. Whipped is definitely a good word for it.
K: It is soft and airy and actually spreads like a cream mask. I’ve always especially disliked thick, hard-to-spread clay masks that immediately dry out when in contact with skin, so the creamy, non-drying Green Tea Clay Mask almost instantly won me over just by texture alone. (Watch our most recent Facebook Live to see Cathy and I oohing and ahh-ing over the seemingly impossible to dry texture).
That creamy, dreamy Green Tea Clay Mask texture
What ingredients in the mask are you most excited about and why?
R: I’m really excited about the fact that there are multiple forms of green tea in here–first off, the base ingredient itself is green tea water, which is pretty incredible. Then there’s Green Tea powder, green tea seed oil, and even little bits of dried green tea leaves mixed throughout the mask mixture itself for a bit of gentle exfoliation. I’ve never seen a mask THIS concentrated in its namesake key ingredient.
K: I’m most excited about the serious percentage of hydrators in this formula – Green Tea Water and Green Tea Oil, specifically. I’d prefer to use a clay mask that won’t dry my skin out or rob it of oil (which can just exacerbate acne and irritation and keep it from healing). When I used this formula, I was impressed by how it struck a delicate balance between hydrating and clarifying – filling a much-needed gap for me! Other clay masks have left my skin feeling unbearably stripped and tight.
How was your experience using the mask?
R: I was a bit cautious, because as much as I love Green Tea and the other wonderful botanicals in the mask, I wasn’t sure if the White Clay would be too strong for my extremely dry skin. I applied a decently thick layer and left it on for only 15 minutes. Even in such a short period of time, however, I could see that my skin absorbed a significant amount of the hydrating ingredients in the mask! Areas that were covered in an opaque layer had significantly thinned out to the point where I could see my skin underneath! After rinsing, my skin didn’t feel stripped in any way. Rather, my skin felt soft and refreshed.
K: Two words: super soft. I’ve never ever used a clay mask that left my skin THAT soft – like next level smooth, with my more visible pores looking clarified and slightly diminished. I love that the Green Tea Clay Mask doesn’t burn, dehydrate, or irritate my skin, and it’s easy to wash off without tons of scrubbing and scraping. Clay masks that won’t easily rinse away are a no-go for me.
What was the most significant benefit you experienced from using the mask?
R: I think softness. My skin absorbed a lot of the moisture from the mask so my skin felt a lot softer and plumper afterwards. I did see a lot of gunk being extracted from my nose too, which was great because it’s my number one problem area. I’m excited to continue using this especially on my nose to help keep my pores free of any gross buildup.
K: My skin felt softer and smoother. My pores looked more refined. Overall, I love the experience of using this mask – spreading on the surprisingly creamy formula, knowing my skin is being clarified and hydrated at the same time. I finally found a clay mask I can commit to using weekly!
If you’ve never had much luck with clay masks because they were too drying, or are looking to add a new clarifying treatment into your routine…. take a look at the Green Tea Clay Mask, and let us know what you think!
Get your glow on!
The GR Team ❤️