Face masks are the one step in my skincare I just can’t seem to crack. Even just reading the sales pitch makes me feel like I’m missing out on something! With congested skin, I’m constantly on the lookout for something that will clear out my pores. I love the sound of a face mask, because their biggest selling point is that the clay will draw impurities from your pores. The trouble is that most face masks I’ve tried actually do the opposite and break me out. I’ve read that there can be a detox period but I never seem to work past that ‘detox’ period.

I have oily skin, which means my pores are enlarged, congested with blackheads and I often end up shiny with little effort. You would think that this means I need to go easy on the moisturisation and indulge in maks, which draw out the excess.

The action of clay drawing impurities from your skin sounds good, but I suppose the problem comes because it draws everything! Beneficial sebum and bacteria are common on your face and all that can be disrupted when you use skincare that’s too harsh. I don’t really like how we’ve been conditioned to strip everything from our skin, those peel off face masks that swept through the mainstream beauty community just made me cringe considering most of them are made with adhesives!

I stopped using face masks at all for a while because of how much trouble they were causing me. I started thinking that maybe my skin just isn’t made for clay. The only ones it didn’t have too many issues with, were the two from Okoko Cosmétiques but even then I only use them once a month at the very most!

So now I have found 4 dry masks (as in masks that start in powder form and you have to activate with liquid), which stay in my rotation and are much, much better options if your skin can’t tolerate clay masks.

Earthwise Beauty Catharsis & Sungod

While it’s true the Sungod Face Mask has a small amount of Fuller’s Earth Clay, it’s barely enough to bother my skin. I find that my skin feels softer, rather than tight and dry. This mask is supposed to result in firmer, smoother skin over time. Since I’ve only bought a sample size, I don’t really have enough to see those results with this batch but it’s definitely one I’d like to repurchase.

The Catharsis Face Mask is what you’d expect from a clay mask (detoxifying and cleansing) but without being stripping. This one has the slightest hint of medicinal scents, I assume from the Neem leaf powder.

Wabi Sabi Botanicals Valley of Light

I’ve reviewed this mask in one of my previous posts and it still remains one of my favourites so far. This has such a beautiful base of cacao, added arabica coffee which makes this such a delicious treat! The red ginger is a little invigorating and slightly tingly upon the skin. I often leave this for the full 10-15 minutes because I like the extra exfoliation it gives when you apply it as a paste and then massage it into your face. Most of the time I simply use it as exfoliation and then let it set for maybe a few minutes, and then I wash it straight off. It’s really soft with no harshness but still leaves me feeling so soft and fresh.

Simple as That Matcha Mask

Matcha has antioxidants and catechins, so it’s great for inflammation and detoxification. Silica is an essential element involved with the development of skin and stimulates re-growth of damaged tissue.

In terms of how it feels, it still dries down and pulls on your skin like a clay mask. I find my skin feels dry and tight afterwards and needs every bit of moisture from my face balm. So while it’s not my favourite, because of how tight my skin ends up it’s still gentler than a straight clay mask.