“When environmental toxins, dirt and debris get under your skin, its waste-filtering system gets jammed, pores get clogged, skin looks cloudy. Nature's complexion clean-up crew gets to the bottom of skins overcast condition and clears the way for it to act its best. Activated charcoal acts like a magnet to draw out deep-dwelling pore-cloggers, White China Clay absorbs environmental toxins, Lecithin dissolves impurities. Without all that "stuff" down there, the skin "breathes a sigh of relief."”
Origins Clear Improvement
Active charcoal mask to clear pores
Best for all skin types
Recently I have been having food allergy flare-ups where my whole face has been getting almost unbearably itchy. As a result I have been scratching way too much and currently my face is nothing but a rapidly growing minefield of pimples.
This past week I finally decided to give in and go to the doctor to get some medication, but my skin has still been proving to be problematic which is actually out of the ordinary for me because I've been blessed with skin that is typically pretty low-maintenance. So over the course of the last couple days I have been doing some light research on products that might clear up my suddenly ill-behaved skin, and today I finally settled on this face mask by Origins. On Origins' website they have what they call a "purity promise" that states that all of their products "are formulated with natural and certified organic ingredients and 100% natural oils. And formulated without parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, PABA, petrolatum, paraffin, DEA, and animal ingredients." Then they go on to say that they manufacture their products "using a combination of renewable resources, wind energy, and earth-friendly practices."
So upon feeling that I had sufficiently researched the company as a whole and the product specifically, I decided to invest! The mask is a little pricey at $24 for 3.4 fluid ounces, but after reading several reviews it seems like the mask lasts an extremely long while and the company's natural, earth-friendly practices really won me over. I figure that if the product really has nothing but rave reviews, it is actually good for your skin, and it will last long, all of the boxes have been ticked!
However, one thing to be aware of that I read in multiple reviews is the fact that when you first start using the Clear Improvement mask, it will bring your impurities to the surface. Like the product description says, the charcoal "acts like a magnet to draw out deep-dwelling pore-cloggers." But most reviewers note that after using the mask once a week for a few weeks, their facial skin feels toxin-free and the mask does a good job at keeping it clear.
Now that all of that expository information is out of the way, onto my actual first impression! My first use of the product this evening went pretty much how I expected it to go. I followed the instructions by splashing warm water on my face to open my pores and then applying the mask. I left it on until it was sufficiently dry and then I washed it off in the shower because I had previously read in customer reviews that the mask was a little difficult to get off by just splashing water on your face over the sink which is my usual mask-removing routine. While in the shower my face felt a little bit tingly which reassured me that the mask was working its magic and when I stepped out and looked at my face I did see some impurities that had risen to the surface of my skin. There were some small areas of redness around my nose and on my chin but overall even though there were some newly visible impurities, my face felt a whole lot cleaner. What I really liked about using this was that I could really feel it working AND there was visual evidence of it. I am definitely excited to continue to use this once a week and I'm hoping that if my experience is similar to the reviews I read, my skin will clear up in the next few weeks! After I use this product for a few more weeks and I feel like I have a grasp on how well the product works on my face I will update with a full product review and rating.
If you're interested in learning more about the Origins brand or this mask in particular, I encourage you to check out the Origins website, this YouTube video of beauty guru Essie Button's top ten face masks, and Sephora's customer reviews.
