G9 Skin Color Clay Carbonated Bubble Mask | Charcoal That’s Gentle?
G9 is a K-Beauty brand dedicated to clean, gentle beauty – using clean, effective products to produce fun and fabulous skincare. Launched in 2016, every one of their products contains 9 natural extracts to nurture and boost skin health. I’m a massive fan of a good charcoal, clay mask – especially as an individual with oily skin. And G9Skin’s charcoal mask is one of their most famous products! This gentle formula is said to be perfect for oily skin types; with a light bubbling effect designed to clear sebum and refresh pores. Advertised with premium French mud, charcoal powder and carbonated water – it’s supposedly the perfect, light treatment for excess sebum and acne.
Balanced with a variety of brightening botanical extracts (such as sesame, blackberry, blueberry and eucalyptus); this clay mask stands out from traditional drying charcoal masks with a more holistic and gentle care. Does it deliver? How does it stand up to other charcoal masks? It’s time for a bath!
What's In The Bottle?
Bentonite Clay: absorbs excess oils and impurities from the skin, whilst providing a cooling and balancing effect to skin. Perfect for oily and acne-prone skin.
Kaolin Clay: absorbs excess oils and sebum from the skin, to refresh and improve skin texture. Great to deeply cleanse pores and remove impurities for clearer texture.
Carbonated Water: improves skin circulation and helps accelerate skin healing, whilst reducing irritation and improving skin temperature.
Charcoal Powder: highly absorptive material that helps draw impurities and oils from deep within skin pores to refresh and improve healing of acne spots.
Illite clay: reduces bacteria on skin surface and cools redness on the surface of the skin. Improves skin texture and appearance for smoother, clearer skin.
Japanese Plum extract: rich in antioxidants to boost fine lines, aging and improve collagen production for plumper and more refreshed skin.
Soybean extract: rich in proteins to boost skin healing as well as providing enhanced hydration of the skin barrier.
Sesame seed extract: rich in natural vitamins to help boost skin protection, help holistically repair the barrier for improved strength. Great to reduce skin stress and protect against UV irritation.
Rice extract: brightening extract that helps reduce dark spots and enhances natural, soft skin texture.
Blueberry/Blackberry/Black Current extract: rich in a variety of antioxidants, each berry helps improve skin health, moisturizes skin and enhances natural radiance.
Eggplant extract: rich in hydrating molecules that help reduce fine lines, refresh skin and helps support skin cell health holistically for more refreshed and cooler skin.
Lotus Flower water: gentle and nourishing extract that helps hydrate and plump skin, to soothe and refresh the skin barrier.
Eucalyptus extract: cools inflammation and irritation, whilst stimulating natural ceramide production to strengthen and seal the skin barrier to maintain moisture.
Ivy Leaf extract: anti-inflammatory and soothing extract that helps boost skin healing and protect skin barrier for stronger, balanced microbiome.
Green tea extract: deeply soothing extract that helps reduce redness, balance oily skin and improve immune function for more improved skin texture.
Pine tree extract: rich in healing molecules, whilst also reducing acne-causing bacteria for balanced and calmer skin.
Bergamot Peel oil: helps boost immune function and improve skin cycle to refresh and produce more radiant, healed texture.
Who Should Avoid?
This clay mask does contain fragrance, which should not be used in individuals who are sensitive to added fragrances. This mixture of clay and botanical extracts however is good for a variety of skin types, from oily to dry. It’s best to help treat acne-prone skin, but can be used in any individual after a light bathtime refresh.
The Results
When opening the mask pack, which was carefully sealed, I was confused to find it more dry and crumbly. Adding water to it helped re-balance the texture to a creamy, light clay mask. It comes with a little spatula, but it wasn't very effective at applying the mask (but my hands worked just fine!) The mask didn't bubble aggressively (most bubble masks are quite ticklish), instead it was gently brewing and was a really comfortable wear.
After 30 minutes, I washed it with warm water and was shocked at how moisturized and soft my skin felt. Where most clay masks are drying and leave a tighter feel, my skin felt like I had used a hydrating mask instead and was refreshed and brighter.
This is an immediate before and after; after cleansing and drying skin. It immediately reduced redness and even helped nip a whitehead in the bud. My skin felt soft, gentle and it was the kindest clay mask I've used to date. I would almost recommend it for sensitive skin (although it does contain fragrance, so beware) and was so feather light to apply.
It did start off that strange dry and crumbly texture, but I'm not sure if that was just my jar or if that's a standard problem with this clay mask. Adding a bit of water fixed this issue however and it's a brightening and gentle face mask for oily and acne-prone skin.
Final Thoughts
This face mask is a delightful, gentle and refreshing skin treatment. If you are looking for a more holistic and gentle clay mask, I'd highly recommend this one. The extra botanical and berry extracts creates a deep brightness and balance to skin that doesn't appear in other clay masks I've used prior. And even if you don't see any changes, clay masks are a favourite for deep relaxation and giving yourself a little moment of calm (so highly recommend some fun masks just in general).
Looking for more fun reads to learn about skincare? If you like acne and oily skin treatments, check out our blog on Mugwort. Or check out our other favourite clay mask from Some By Mi.
