As you may have read in previous posts on this blog, my skin and I have rarely been friends (or even civil acquaintances) so far in life and the appearance of it has frequently made me feel self-concious and depressed. With a combination of hyper-sensitivity and acne it has always been tricky to find products that can benefit both aspects particularly when it comes to face masks. Many are designed to either be aggressively acne clearing, and therefore drying, or "thirst quenching", a.k.a smotheringly greasy.
For years I avoided face masks like crazy and would, on occasion, make my own with ingredients from my kitchen just to ensure that I knew all of the contents were simple, natural and non-irritants. Whilst doing some internet research on natural ingredients that make for great masks I came across Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. After reading several positive reviews from people with all skin-types, I decided to give it a go.
Arriving as a powder, you simply mix one part bentonite clay with either two parts water or one part cider vinegar + one part water. Once stirred, the mixture forms a thick, green paste that can either be applied to the entire face or just to specific areas as a spot treatment. The packaging advises to leave the mask on for 20-30 mins allowing the clay to dry and tighten, changing colour from dark green to pale and white. The tightening can feel uncomfortable at times (as with most clay masks) and there is a certain level of heat generation that caused me to have mild panic the first time I used the mask as I was certain that, upon removal, my face would be resembling a beetroot and breaking out in allergic reaction however, I was wrong - the result was amazing.
Although my face was a little pink with flush after removal of the mask, my skin felt smoother than it had been in years as I applied my usual night time oil. The results were even better the following morning; my highly painful cystic acne was smooth, flat and no longer sore, any dry patches were eradicated, redness reduced and the overall quality/appearance of my skin was improved ten fold. The following night I made the mask again, this time applying it to the acne on my back and shoulders and it worked a charm on that too!
I now use this mask once a week and twice during that particularly hormonal time of the month. I just love that I've found something that is easy, quick and way cleaner than mixing a load of mashed avocado and yogurt (although I still love an avo-yog mask every now and again). My only piece of advice would be to take your time when removing the clay. That stuff dries solid to the point that speech is a certain impossibility and so lots of gentle soaking with a muslin cloth is far more affective and kind to your skin than hasty rubbing and scrubbing which will only cause greater aggravation.
If you are still uneasy about plunging in and trying a clay mask then stay tuned in the coming weeks for a post about my favourite scrubs / masks for various skin ailments all made using ingredients found in your kitchen.
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