Super Facialist Salicylic Acid Anti Blemish Pore Purifying Clay Mask

Good Day Everyone,

Towards the end of last year I noticed that my skin was looking particularly dull and I’d started to have occasional breakouts. Now that’s quite a big deal for me as I’ve been blessed with my mum’s good skin genes (thanks mum!) and so I’ve hardly ever had spots or breakouts. I think all my anaemia and health issues from last summer had started to take a toll. Also, now that I’m well into my 30s, looking after my skin has become more of a priority. In fact, one of my goals for 2015 is to improve the condition of my skin and hair. As some of you may know, I’ve experienced significant hair loss as a result of being severely anaemic, but luckily now that the anaemia is under control, I’m hoping that my hair issues will improve too :o).

On my last trip home to England I picked up quite a lot of skincare products (there'll be a haul video coming next week) and amongst them was this clay mask. This is the Super Facialist Salicylic Acid Anti Blemish Pore Purifying Clay Mask by Unna Brennan (now that is a looong name!), a UK based facialist with over 15 years skin care experience. I picked this mask up along with a hydrating rose mask also from the Super Facialist range which I’ve reviewed here. The mask costs £8.99 and you get 125ml of product. It is regularly on a 3for2 offer at Boots which is when I picked it up.

I have been using this for about seven weeks on a weekly basis and I love it, yep that’s right I used the ‘L’ word. I have only recently started to get into masks as, I’ll be honest, I pretty much neglected my skin in my 20s and so I don’t really have anything to compare this to (yet) but I love the effect so much so that I would definitely repurchase this.

I feel that this mask gives my skin a deep clean where it pulls out all the gunk from inside my pores, you know, all that dirt and bad stuff that causes spots. The mask contains a number of key ingredients that help to detoxify the skin. I did a bit of googling so that I could explain the role of the key ingredients as I like to understand how they work;

• Salicylic Acid declogs pores by breaking up cells that stick together in the inner lining of skin pores thus helping to remove blackheads and whiteheads. It helps people with oily and acne-prone skin by reducing oil and being an anti-inflammtory it helps with the healing process of breakouts and evens discolouration from old spots.

• Niacin (vitamin B3) helps to improve blood flow to the skin cells which results in increased oxygenation of the skin.

• Dead Sea Mud is rich in a range of minerals that improve the condition of the skin. It also absorbs oil and helps to eliminate toxins from the skin.

• Avocado Oil is a great moisturiser and is rich in antioxidant vitamins such as A, D and E which improve the suppleness of the skin thus minimising fine lines and wrinkles.

• Acacia Honey has antimicrobial properties which helps to fight acne causing bacteria and it removes oil and bacteria from clogged pores. It is also soothing and hydrating to the skin.

The mask has a reasonably strong scent of clay mixed with a bit of herbal freshness and I find that it does linger for a while even after I've washed the mask off. Personally I don’t find the scent over powering or unpleasant at all but if you are sensitive to scents then it may be worth having a sniff before purchase :o).

The mask comes out as pale grey clay that is very easy to spread as it is quite soft and creamy. I use this once a week, although the instructions say that it can be used twice a week. I apply an even layer on my cleansed face and neck. The instructions say to leave it on for 5mins but I usually end up leaving it on for about 10mins and haven’t had any adverse effect as a result. The clay does harden over time as it dries, making it almost impossible to speak, and you can forget about smiling ;o).

After 10mins I take a warm wet flannel and lay it on top of my face and press it onto my skin to soften the clay, making it easier to remove. I then use the flannel in circular motions to gently rub off the clay and wash my face using warm water.

Afterwards my skin looks clearer, my pores are reduced, blackheads have been removed and my complexion looks brighter and more awake, if that makes any sense? The mask doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight or stripped and I have dry skin. I do follow up with a moisturiser but on the odd occasion where I’ve forgotten to moisturise this hasn’t left my face feeling too dry. 

I did notice that the first few times I used this mask, the day after, I would wake up to find a couple of small spots, white heads, on my chin and/or around my nose. I think that was just the mask pulling out all of the dirt and dead skin cells that had built up inside my pores. The spots cleared within a few days. More recently, I haven't been developing any spots after using this mask so I think regular use is helping to keep my pores unclogged.

I love the effect of this mask so much that I’ve even got my hubby using it. He has combination skin and is more prone to spots and so this really helps to keep his pores clean and remove the excess oil from around his t zone. As he has sensitive skin he only keeps this mask on for 5mins because any longer and he feels it stings ever so slightly.

I’ve been very impressed with both masks that I've tried from the Super Facialist range and it’s great that they are so affordable. I did pick up some more higher end masks on my recent trip home and I'm looking forward to trying those over the coming weeks, primarily to see how they compare to these and determine whether they’re worth the hefty price tag!

Have you used this mask or any other from the Super Facialist range? What was your experience? What is your favourite mask?

Love Sheen xxx