Review: Whitelab Mugwort Pore Clarifying Mask | Gin and Glow

Whitelab is an Indonesian local brand that caters towards most Indonesian's skin problems - which are acne, dullness, excess oil and texture irregularities. Whitelab creates products to solve these problems, using premium ingredients and formulated by experts to ensure maximum results.

To be frank, I have known about Whitelab for quite some time but I haven't gave their products a try until recently. I saw this mask on Instagram and I was intrigued. One of my favorite clay masks has a very similar name and I thought to myself "wow this could be a dupe" (ps: the mask I was talking about is from Axis-Y). So I decided to get this product and try it, spoiler alert, I was not disappointed. 

Whitelab Mugwort Pore Clarifying Mask claims to brighten & hydrate the skin, minimize the appearance of pores, helps treat acne and also calm the skin. Suitable for all skin types.

This mask is formulated with some brilliant ingredients like mugwort, niacinamide, green tea leaf, centella asiatica (cica), and bentonite & kaoline clay. Mugwort is a popular ingredient from Korea that is well-known for it's anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and anti-acne properties, meanwhile niacinamide is proven time and time again to help brighten the skin, even out skin tone & balances oil production. It doesn't stop there, this mask also has centella asiatica which is a brilliant soothing ingredient.

The mask comes in a plastic jar, initially it has an aluminium foil seal but I took it off already, it doesn't come with a spatula. When I opened the jar I was surprised because it looks kinda solid, because it didn't fill the jar, but it kinda sits in the middle like a dollop of clay (see picture for reference lol).

But when I touched it I went "ohhh" because it wasn't solid, it felt like whipped cream, or mousse! The mask has this light, airy, whipped-cream texture that makes it easy to spread around the skin. I was also greeted by a distinctive green tea scent, I was expecting mugwort, but green tea's not bad at all, in fact, it smells quite fresh.

This mask, despite having two types of clay in it, doesn't really harden and crack on the skin - which is good because that means it's non-drying. However, it deep cleanses my pores so well that my pores look refined right after a few usages. After using it more and more, I can say that I enjoy this mask.

Despite being a clay mask, it's very gentle but effective, it has green tea leaf powder as scrub particles, but they aren't big or sharp so the physical exfoliation feels gentle as well. It does not dry out my skin and does not strip my skin at all. The texture is extremely enjoyable, it feels light but creamy, easy to apply and it smells pretty nice. To top it off, I find this mask pretty affordable as well since you don't really need much for an even layer (IDR 75,000 for 50g). Oh, and this mask soothes the skin a bit too.

Compared to a similar clay mask I have from Axis-Y, both are great (effective, non-drying, refreshing), but I feel like Axis-Y is a bit more hydrating & soothing. But Whitelab's mask also hydrates and soothes the skin, just not as much.

Overall, it's a decent mask. It deep cleanses the pores well, it also hydrates and soothes the skin, it feels really nice & comfortable, it's non drying and it's affordable. There's nothing to dislike. Give this one a try if you're bored - Whitelab also has a wide range of other products that I haven't explored yet, feel free to drop some suggestions in the comments!