little white truths

I bought this mask because it's had such great reviews online (see eg Mecca's website), and while I do think it works, what I've found is that my skincare routine removes most of the the dead skin that this mask is designed to target, meaning there's often not enough work for it to do.

Still, it's a good product and I can see why so many people like it, although it's expensive for what it is and if you want a product like this (that is, one that binds with dead skin and removes it), then I would recommend Cure's Natural Aqua Gel (reviewed here), partly because it's a lot cheaper.

Radical Skincare claims/product details:

• An express facial peel to exfoliate, clarify and reduce the look of wrinkles, leaving skin soft and bright
• This gentle method of deep exfoliation can be used on both sensitive or problematic skin to smooth, firm and brighten
• Formulated with a blend of enzymes and fruit acids including pineapple, papaya, grapefruit and lemon, the peel visibly loosens dead cells and dissolves them to reveal younger, healthier cell layers
• Enriched with antioxidants for free radical protection, aloe vera and cucumber to soothe, and hyaluronic acid to keep skin moisturised
• RRP $69 AUD for 50ml

Verdict

This product does work, it's just that I use acid products two to three times a week and those remove dead skin beautifully so by the time I use this, there's very little dead skin left for this product to remove - meaning there isn't a place for it in my collection long-term. 

Worth noting is that the acids I use also work on things like age spots and fine lines, so they do more for me overall and I would rather keep using those than something like this, which mainly works on dead skin and doesn't target the imperfections.

It's a pink gel product that's quite firm in texture and you only need to use a little each time, so even though it's expensive, at least it's a good investment because the tub should last a good while. It has a sweet scent and it's a very gentle product, so it's perfect for sensitive skin and I would recommend it if things like acids and chemical exfoliants are too much for your skin.

I apply this twice a week, usually in the morning. I use it after cleansing and massage it across my face for a couple of minutes, then leave it for a couple of minutes before going back and giving it another quick massage and removing it with a damp face cloth.

It's one of those products that binds with dead skin so when you massage your face, the skin balls up (sorry gross) so you can easily wash it away. While I've used quite a few products that claim to bind with and lift dead skin, only this one and the Cure gel linked above really do that, so I agree that it does what it claims to do.

What I find when I use this, however, is that the skin on my face usually doesn't lift and ball up - and that's simply because there isn't dead skin there to remove. However the skin on my neck and dec does ball up, which confirms to me that the product is absolutely working. Also note that it has worked well on my face when I haven't used an acid for a few days, it's just that I'm tied to using my acids and don't want to give them up.

After use, my skin feels soft and smooth but never irritated. It also looks a little brighter and more plumped, and it feels more hydrated too. So even if I've used this the day after I've used an acid so it's not removing dead skin, it still does something for me and using it has never felt like a waste of time.

Overall I think this is a good product and I recommend it. It does what it says it will do, although it's expensive so I would go with the Cure product over this (which is cheaper and you get more product for your money), and I don't need this Radical mask in my collection long-term because I have other things that not only remove dead skin, but also serve other functions too.

Worth trying.