Clay masks are usually something I view favorably, even if they don't seem to make much of a difference in my skin. Makeup Artist's Choice offers one, and in my last order I decided to order a sample size. In the past, I've always slathered clay masks on really thick, but since the sample jar is super tiny, I decided to try spreading it on thinly––turns out that's just as effective! I got 3 uses out of the 3 gram jar, so the full 1.7 oz size should give about 50 uses.
The first time I used it, I was really impressed––it dried out some blemishes and calmed some redness without irritating my skin. The second time I used it (5 or 6 days later), I didn't notice much of an effect. The third and last time I used it was after landing in Baltimore. Flying always makes my skin act up, and with the wedding the next day, I wanted to help calm it down, so I applied it the same as usual and left it on for 20 minutes. For some reason, that time it made my skin so angry. It got dry and flaky and sore and red and hot and it was just terrible, and very much like an acid burn (and may have actually been an acid burn, from the ascorbic acid [Vitamin C] in the mask). My face was a disaster for the wedding, and since my argan oil had leaked, I didn't have a good moisturizer. I ended up going to CVS and picking up Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel Cream moisturizer, which was pleasantly cooling but didn't do much to help heal my skin; the thing that finally did the trick was Nivea Soft slathered on.
I don't know why I had such a violent reaction to it the last time, but needless to say, it has scared me off from trying it again. I'm really sad, because it worked so well the first time, and perhaps it was just the fact that I'd spent 8 hours flying, though I honestly don't know how that would make my skin have such a nasty reaction. I do find it really strange that it worked so differently every time I used it, but that may have to remain a mystery as I'm not too keen on further testing! I've been testing an Eve Lom clay-based mask lately that I like so far, so it doesn't seem like my skin has suddenly developed a sensitivity to kaolin clay, but perhaps it has to Vitamin C or A. WHO KNOWS. This is why my skin sucks: it never behaves predictably.
$2.50 for 3g, $20.50 for 1.7 oz, available from Makeup Artist's Choice
What's your favorite clay mask? Have you ever had a reaction like the one I did? What ingredients are you sensitive to? Does your skin randomly act up?
image via MUAC
The first time I used it, I was really impressed––it dried out some blemishes and calmed some redness without irritating my skin. The second time I used it (5 or 6 days later), I didn't notice much of an effect. The third and last time I used it was after landing in Baltimore. Flying always makes my skin act up, and with the wedding the next day, I wanted to help calm it down, so I applied it the same as usual and left it on for 20 minutes. For some reason, that time it made my skin so angry. It got dry and flaky and sore and red and hot and it was just terrible, and very much like an acid burn (and may have actually been an acid burn, from the ascorbic acid [Vitamin C] in the mask). My face was a disaster for the wedding, and since my argan oil had leaked, I didn't have a good moisturizer. I ended up going to CVS and picking up Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel Cream moisturizer, which was pleasantly cooling but didn't do much to help heal my skin; the thing that finally did the trick was Nivea Soft slathered on.
I don't know why I had such a violent reaction to it the last time, but needless to say, it has scared me off from trying it again. I'm really sad, because it worked so well the first time, and perhaps it was just the fact that I'd spent 8 hours flying, though I honestly don't know how that would make my skin have such a nasty reaction. I do find it really strange that it worked so differently every time I used it, but that may have to remain a mystery as I'm not too keen on further testing! I've been testing an Eve Lom clay-based mask lately that I like so far, so it doesn't seem like my skin has suddenly developed a sensitivity to kaolin clay, but perhaps it has to Vitamin C or A. WHO KNOWS. This is why my skin sucks: it never behaves predictably.
$2.50 for 3g, $20.50 for 1.7 oz, available from Makeup Artist's Choice
What's your favorite clay mask? Have you ever had a reaction like the one I did? What ingredients are you sensitive to? Does your skin randomly act up?
