Masks Masks Masks

In my medicine cabinet there is a stack of three jars-- all three are masks. Going in order of oldest to newest here they are:


1. Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin Skin Clearing Facial Mask, 1.7 oz, $5.99 at TJ Maxx

First let's note the ingredients:

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Kaolin, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Aveena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Meal, Titanium Dioxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice (Certified Organic Ingredient), Bentonite, Phenoxyethanol, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Silt (Dead Sea Mud), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Capsicum Annuum (Red Pepper) Fruit Extract, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Fruit Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Aspalathus Linearis (African Red Bush Tea) Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Citrullus Vulgaris (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil (Certified Organic Ingredient), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil (Certified Organic Ingredient), Cetearyl Alcohol, Zinc Oxide, Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance (Parfum).

What I don't understand about this clay mask is how it gets more potent as time goes one. I've used over half the tub on intermittent masking fun. Covers my face in a white paste that dries but doesn't fully seem to change color like other clay masks. My sister has used it and we both were fine. Then it went back into my stockpile shelf, by accident, and was "refound" a couple months later.

Now, my sister and I fondly remember the gentle clay masking we've done before and went to use the jar again. First things first, yes it is clay, yes it got more difficult to dole out and spread. Second, it started my make our skin feel uncomfortable. Not the tingly way, but full on burning way. It was burning sensation that reminded me of old days with Neutrogena sunscreen. Only this time it was a white clay mask and I couldn't tell if my skin was inflamed under it all.

It was.

Washed it off and thought, maybe I would do this again later and give it another chance. Then the next mask entered my life....


2. Pacifica, Future Youth Enzymatic Resurfacing Mask, 1.5 oz (42.5 g) $6.99 at TJ Maxx

Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Bromolein, Niacin, Arginine, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Extract, Brassica Oleracea (Kale) Extract , Papain, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Kelp) Extract, Sclerotium Gum, Align, Xanthan Gum, Chlorophyll, Hyaluronic Acid, Polysorbate-20, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum (All Natural)

This company has always caught my interest. Though I am neither vegetarian nor vegan, vegan products have had more allure than the average beauty product. Pacifica is one of those companies that is also cruelty-free (as is the Say Yes line). It has the color scheme and aesthetic of a southern pacific island (oh, how appropriate pacifica), attractive marketing indeed. 

It's a gel-like mask, looks and reminds me of aloe gel. However, instead of after suncare, it's a chemical mask. 

Don't know what's in it, but my face DOES NOT like it one bit. The second this cooling refreshing gel hits my face it starts to burn that invisible burn. Hasn't turned my face red yet, but I wasn't going to wait around for longer than the ten seconds it started to hurt, and I washed it all off. However, my décolleté? Not a feeling. So, I guess I will ask my sister to check it out, or I will just have to Future Youth Resurface my neck alone.

It's a no-go, no matter how much I want this to work! Should have bought the $9.99 sample of several different Pacifica masks instead. Honestly, I don't know what ingredient(s) have that effect on me, but holy cow, it was not pleasant. Need to do more research to figure out what is and isn't working for me. It's the simplest of the three masks, too.



3. Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque - 2.5 oz. - Birthday Present!

Ingredients: Aqua / Water, Kaolin, Sorbitol, Bentonite, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Ci 77891 / Titanium
Dioxide, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed, Pentylene Glycol, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Simmondsia Chinensis Oil / Jojoba Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Polyacrylamide, Ci 77492 / Iron Oxides, Glycerin, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Curcuma Longa Extract / Turmeric Root Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Laureth-7, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita Extract / Peppermint Leaf Extract, Menthol, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract - Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Aminomethyl Propanol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil

This mask looks and feels homemade, to be honest. Comes in an orange jar, but when you open it, it looks like baby vomit (I know, I know, it's from the turmeric). However, the smell is unremarkable, more clay than anything else. When I smear it across my face, the chunks of seeds get stuck, and it's not the easiest to get a uniform spread. That being said, it is still a lovely mask. You just look kind of scary because your face is a weird yellow vomit color with chunks all over.

Cranberries are lovely, but I have realized that they are my least favorite when they are just the seeds and in my face mask. It is harder to wash this mask off in comparison to other less chunky masks.

However, it does bring a smoothness and glow after the 15 minutes it takes to get all the product off and make sure that the seeds are captured in the sink's net and not actually going to clog the drain. It's a lovely mask, even though I am not a fan of the grit and physical aspect of exfoliation.