I love wash-off face masks. I don’t love them so much for the improvements they bring to the skin, although that is a big plus too. What I’m actually after is that nice, tightening sensation when it dries and hardens. When I was in high school, I used to apply wash-off face masks religiously. I can’t remember the brand or the name of the face mask I used to buy, but I actually haven’t bought one since – and high school was a long time ago for me.
Because I started to miss that tight, I’ve-got-a-face-mask-on-and-can’t-talk feeling, I grabbed a tiny 10g car of Holystics’ The Mud Facial Mask from The Good Earth. Aside from my Clinique facial wash, I pretty much only use organic skin care products on my face these days, and this one looked safe enough to try. The Mud is made out of living clay (doesn’t specify exactly what kind of clay), glycerin, and essential oil. When applied regularly, it’s supposed to suck out toxins and balance skin levels, but I don’t actually care about that so much. I just want the sensation of a clay mask drying on my face!
DO LIKE
* Feels excellent when it dries. I got exactly what I wanted out of The Mud – it dried up in no time and I got that tightening sensation I was craving for.
* Softer, smoother skin. I was in for a pleasant surprise when I washed The Mud off my face. My skin didn’t look any different, but it sure felt nice, soft, and smooth! I followed immediately with my new Skin Hour Moisturizing Night Cream (review coming) because I could feel my cheeks starting to dry up. This seemed to amplify the softness brought by The Mud.
* Great for spot treatments. Out of curiosity, I dabbed a little bit of The Mud on two pimples I had and left it overnight. When I woke up the next day, both of them shrunk and one felt dry to the touch! Looks like I found myself a new pimple treatment.
* No breakouts. The product description says that you may form pimples as the skin detoxifies, which I thought was a little counter-productive for a product that’s supposed to do the opposite. Fortunately, my skin didn’t react horribly to The Mud, and no new pimples emerged the next morning.
DO NOT LIKE
* The consistency. I expected The Mud to be on the creamy side, but it has the consistency of refrigerated butter – slippery, difficult to scoop out, and impossible to apply evenly. The product description says to apply a medium coating, but it’s difficult to put on any more than a thin layer. On the bright side, the consistency doesn’t make The Mud any less effective.
* Dries too quickly. Because I can only apply a thin layer of the clay onto my skin, it dries up in about five minutes. I was hoping I could take my dear sweet time with this product but it started to flake and fall off, leaving me no choice but to wash it with water. The whole thing (from application to wash) took about fifteen minutes tops.
* The packaging. I would’ve liked The Mud better if it came in a convenient, squeeze-out tube. Also, the close-up shots make the 10g jar look larger than it really is but it’s no bigger than a lip balm pot.
CONCLUSION
Girls who want a quick, no-fuss facial treatment after a long day might appreciate the fact that Holystics’ The Mud doesn’t take long to dry. It does an excellent job of improving how my face feels, but I think you need to use it more than once to see if it can minimize pores, prevent pimples, or bring some sort of visible benefit to your skin. What I love most about this product is that it’s pretty effective at drying up pimples. I’ve never used anything on my zits except benzoyl peroxide, which I hear is bad for your skin, and I’m glad that I’ve found a milder, more natural pimple treatment. If you want to use The Mud as a face mask though, I suggest you get the larger 50g pot for P450; the 10g pot has only enough product for one or two applications.
WILL I REPURCHASE?
Yes, but only to use it on my pimples. I’ve got a large tub of Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay coming in the mail, which I bought from a Girl Talk member for just P300. It’s supposed to be a really good face mask, but I’ll see if it’s any better than Holystics’ The Mud when it arrives.
i started to using face masks back in HS too, but i never stopped since! back then, i used a clay mask from St. Ives and I’ve used it for a long time. recently, i discovered himalaya herbals and used a neem face pack from them. it’s good but the scent is too artifical. i’d love to try this! thanks for the review!
Hi Lauren!
You can also try Himalaya Herbals :: Neem Face Pack. It is good at drying out pimples. It worked well for me. It has tightening and pulsating effects. Even if I have only used it for a few times, I can already see visible improvements in my prone-to-breakout face. Plus, it is only 199 at watsons. It just has this pungent smell. But overall, I find it really worth it. =)
I am such a fan of the St. Ives clay mask too! For the body I use VMV’s Body Scrubbing Clay. I’m excited to read your review on the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, Lauren :)