little white truths

I have four face masks on the go at the moment and I've been meaning to review all of them for ages but they keep getting pushed back by things like Project Pan updates and other more 'urgent' posts.

But over the next week I would like to get through my reviews on all four because I'm getting towards the end of a couple of them and it would also be useful to use them all within a few days of each other, just to make a final comparison in terms of what each one does for my skin.

First up is this Fig & Yarrow clay mask, which we received via Maslow & Co ages ago (see unboxing post here), so I've been using it for a while now and it's definitely time to give you my thoughts.

Fig & Yarrow claims/product details:

Verdict

Unfortunately this mask doesn't do much for me so I may end up sending it into Project Pan, just to get through it. It's not an awful product - as in, it doesn't irritate my skin or cause any problems - it's just that there's little point to using it for me because I don't notice any benefits after use.

It's a white powder product that you mix with some kind of carrier in order to use it. It smells nice and natural - like powdered, herbed clay, as indeed it is - and I have no issues with how it smells or feels on the skin.

In terms of carriers, I've mostly mixed it with plain old water but I've also tried it mixed in with other masks (in the hope this might boost its effect), and you can also mix it with standard 'kitchen' ingredients like tea or honey if you want to. 

Worth noting is that the product doesn't mix well with anything I've added it to - whether water or another mask - and in my experience, it just doesn't want to form a paste. This is one of my issues with it. When I add fluid or cream, I find that it takes a while to get the product to 'merge' with its carrier and I often lose quite a bit of product in the process because it flies into the air and also onto the floor.

So yes, it's a messy product and I wouldn't recommend it if you don't have time for all that. Indeed, this isn't a mask I can use just any old time: I need to have the time to mix it (which takes a while) before applying it to my face and then waiting for it to dry. It's not a mask for the time-poor, that's for sure, so it won't be for everyone.

Once applied, it feels nice on the skin and I have no complaints in terms of texture. It dries down as you'd expect a clay mask to do, and it doesn't feel too drying or uncomfortable in the process (some clay masks can on my dry/sensitive skin) so that's a plus. 

After it's dry you wash it off (I normally leave it on for ten to twenty minutes) and I would expect to see some results afterwards - some brightening or refining action at least - but unfortunately I just don't.

Indeed, I don't think this product does anything for me at all: it doesn't cleanse; it doesn't clarify; it doesn't soften or refine; and it doesn't smooth either. All it really does is leave my skin feeling a bit tighter and thirsty for moisture after use, which you'd expect because clay masks do tend to draw moisture from the skin.

So in sum, this isn't an awful product but it doesn't work for me and I can't recommend it. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's tried one of these masks - whether this white one or another version - because I'd heard good things about these so I was expecting good results, but unfortunately I haven't seen them.

Not for me.