Skin&Lab Dr. Pore Tightening: Glacial Clay Facial Mask Review
Hey Dreamers and Creators!
There's one step in the skincare routine that I really enjoy and that is mask time! If I could have my way, I'd do some kind of mask everyday. But alas, time does not allow me such moments everyday, so I do them when I can. The discovery of new masks is always fun and so is trying them out, but what ties it all together is finding new favorites amongst the new discoveries I've tried. I have tried a lot of masks, they range from clay masks to sleeping masks, jelly masks to wash-offs, sheet masks and so much more! Out of it all, I've gaining some amazing favorites. As always, I am always up for new masks to try because I'll never know if it will be a favorite or not until I try it.
This is where the Skin&Lab Dr. Pore Tightening Glacial Clay Facial Mask comes in. Although I have heard of the Skin&Lab brand, this was actually the first product I tried from them. Pore tightening, cleansing, and sebum control are 3 of the major properties I look for in a clay mask, Of course, the mask being hydrating, brightening, and others are always a plus as well, but generally when it comes to clay masks for me (for now), pore tightening, pore cleansing and sebum controls are the most important aspects. I gave this clay mask multiple tries before I made my decision on it. Let's jump into the review to see how well this Glacial Clay Facial Mask works and if it is worth it!
Skin&Lab Dr. Pore Tightening Glacial Clay Facial Mask
100ml, $18 - $20
Product Description: A facial clay mask known for its 3C pore care system. The 3Cs are Clear - Contract - Care. The clay mask is formulated with Canadian glacial clay, oatmeal, tea tree leaf oil and more. The mask can help contract pores, control sebum, treat acne, deep cleanse, and balance hydration levels of the skin. There are multiple areas where you can use this mask. It can be used as special care treatment for targeted areas, it can be used on the entire face as a facial mask, or it can be used on the body for acne prone areas. To use, simply scoop out a desired amount with the provided spatula and apply it onto the skin. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes, or just before it dries completely and wash off. (You do not want to leave the mask to crack on your face, that can actually be bad for the pores and skin. When this glacial clay mask turns lighter in shade and drier but not completely dried, it can be washed off.)
Ingredients: Water, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Kaolin, Bentonite, Glycerin, Canadian Colloidal Clay, Stearic Acid, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Butylene Glycol, Saccharide Isomerate, Allantoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288).
My Thoughts: Having sensitive skin means that I patch test everything. Seriously, everything! Just to make sure I do not have some sort of reaction to it. After all, I don't want to harm my skin. So as always, I patch tested this product. (If you guys would like to know my entire patch test routine, let me know~ and I'll write a post on it.) My patch tests are lengthy and can generally take anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks. For the Skin&Lab Dr. Pore Tightening: Glacial Clay Facial Mask, that test took 1 week and 2 days. What I found during my patch test was that there was a tingling sensation when I apply the product, however, that feeling goes away after 30 seconds to 1 minutes. I was afraid at first that it would cause a reaction of some sort, but after trying multiple times and seeing no reactions, I deemed it safe for me to use. I did find online that the company lets its consumers know that the mask will cause a short tingling feeling (it's normal) caused by the mask's pore cleansing effect. The mask smells like clay with the tiniest hint of herbs and has no other fragrance. It's also got this green-grayish color with a hint of tan that just looks like wet clay. The masks feels cooling when applied and you can see the oatmeal bits too. Bonus, it also comes with a spatula!
I use this mask once a week and have been using it for a month now. Here are my findings. When applying this mask I found that I need to use a fair amount to cover my entire face. If I use less, the mask's pore tightening effects won't work as well. I noticed this because the first time I applied this mask on my entire face, after my lengthy patch test, I did not apply a thick enough layer. As a result, my pores did not 'shrink' as well as the 3 times after. When I say thick layer, I don't mean overly thick, just enough that you can't see your skin underneath it. If you apply too thick of a layer, than it will take a long long time to dry. When you apply the right amount, the pore tightening will be more effective.
There's always a tingling sensation that lasts about 30 seconds to 1 minute. As mentioned above, it is okay, unless you get a reaction from it. I generally leave my mask on for about 12 minutes or so. The time I leave the mask on depends on how fast or slow it dries. You don't want the mask to be completely dry, because it's actually bad for your skin if it cracks on it. Rather, you want the mask to dry and wash it off long before it cracks. This particular clay mask lightens in color a bit as it dries, that is another great indication as to when to wash off.
On my first full face try, it was interesting. I loved the cooling sensation when I applied the mask, it felt nice. I did notice the tingling sensation but it went away after 30 seconds. It was a bit unpleasant, but not by much. I washed my mask off before the cracking stage at around 12 minutes. I didn't notice much pore tightening. Although I did mention above, that it seems I did not apply enough mask that time. What I did notice my first time was that my few active acne looked smaller and less red. Plus my excess sebum was gone and it maintain at a good level for the next day.
On my second try, I applied a slightly thicker layer, enough to cover my entire face completely to the point that I can't see my skin anymore. Once again I enjoyed the cooling sensation and felt the tinglingness for the first 30 seconds to 1 minute. Once the mask was almost completely dry, I washed it off. This time I noticed the pore looked minimized. They looked less visible, which was awesome! The mask once again lightened my acne and eliminated my excess sebum.
My third try was my favorite. I used a sheet masks after my clay mask and the next day my face was fresh and soft and brightened as well. I didn't worry about any excess sebum all day and my acne looked lighter in color and smaller. Since I found that using a sheet mask after my clay mask does wonders, I did that again on my 4th use of the clay mask and once again loved it.
I will say that this mask does make my pores look minimized. The mask is not made to permanently make the pores smaller and I don't think there is a way to do that as of now. However, what it does is to make the pores appear smaller by clearing out the gunk inside your pores and help your pores contract. The 3 main things I look for in a clay mask, if you remember from the beginning of this post, are pore tightening, pore cleansing, and sebum control. This mask does that.
Below is a picture of me with the mask on my cheek. As you can see, the mask is greenish-gray in color with a hint of tan. The little lumps and bits you see on the mask is the oatmeal.
Pros:
- contracts pores
- deep cleanses the pores
- treats acne
- control sebum
- balances skin hydration
- cools sensitive skin
- affordable
- comes with a spatula
Cons:
- a tingling sensation that can be unpleasant for some
My Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
Final Thoughts: Despite the slight tingling feeling the mask give at the beginning of each use, I still genuinely love this Skin&Lab Dr. Pore Tightening Glacial Clay Facial Mask. I love that it can reduce the size of my acne and its redness. I love that it can minimize the look of my pores and help control my sebum. I love that it can deep cleanse my skin and even clear out blackheads, whiteheads and remove dead skin cells. I also love the hydration balance it brings to the skin so that the skin does not feel dried out after. It is advised to use this mask once or twice or three times per week depending on your skin type and needs. I only use it once per week because of my sensitive skin and because I use other masks/treatments during the other days.
I have been using this clay mask in conjunction with Skin&Lab's Dr. Pore Tightening: Glacial Water Moisturizel and they work great together! I will be reviewing the Moisturizel soon, so look out for that.
Where to purchase:
-wishtrend.com
Have you tried any of Skin&Lab's product? Did you like them or not?
Until next time!
~Michelle
Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review purposes, however, all opinions are honest and my own. I was not compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate link, my full disclaimer here.
hi there,
ReplyDeletecan you tell me your routine when you're using these mask?
did you put toner before and after the mask?
i usually wash face > toner > clay mask > serum > mosturiser > sheet mask
Hello! I use clay masks in 2 ways.
DeleteThe first is double cleanse > clay mask > toner > rest of skincare routine.
The second is double cleanse > toner > clay mask > toner again > rest of skincare routine.
It really just depends on how my skin feels that day. However, there are really no rules with this type of thing and it just depends on what works best for your skin. Hope this helps! ^^