It seemed like a partied really hard after the valentine's weekend but truth is that I got completely consumed in family activities and meet and greets. Its so nice to be able to reach out to people, say hellos and some good byes, sing birthday songs and just live life as it happens without much planning. I am quite a planner though and I love to keep things organized, but sometimes being off schedule has its own merits. I am also reading a thriller, The Passenger by Lisa Lutz and its quite a compelling read. Amidst all this, its hard to keep up with facials or skincare and there are some products I always count on when I am not up with my schedule - Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask is at the top of that list.
Its a really long name for a wonderful mask that does more than what it mentions on the packaging. At least for me :)
I came across this mask last year when I was searching for something to unclog my pores and to be honest, most charcoal masks I tried broke me out. Yes! The stuff that is suppose to clear out pores to prevent acne, would give me zits. So, I wanted to try Origins, because they always have rave reviews and a lot of my friends use Origins skincare products so I thought, why not try it out myself.
I love a tightening mask and have always been a fan of clay based facial masks. The Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask has White China Clay and Bamboo Charcoal. I have never heard of those ingredients but they sounded like pandas. Just kidding. I meant something I could find in K-beauty products and I was intrigued. Even though Sephora's website says it's good for normal, oily and combination skin, I would say it works for all skin types because my skin is dry and sensitive and it never caused any reactions nor did it accentuate dryness. That is why I featured it in the Winter Skincare post I did back in January.
Applying it is fairly easy. I just use my fingers to spread it all over my face leaving eye area. The tube packaging is amazing and I wish all masks are packaged this way because it keeps the mask from drying out and also keeps it hygienic and and microbe free. Once its on, I get a tingling sensation, similar to a facial peel, and it lasts only 30-40 seconds. Then the masks starts to feel normal and once it dries it feels quite tight. I love how it tightens. You have to wait for the mask to completely dry before rinsing and its so important to wait if you want to see results. It takes almost 20 minutes on me to dry, so I would suggest, put this mask on and catch up on your favorite TV show.
I like to rinse off my masks with a damp paper towel or damp washcloth. I just splash some water on my face to loosen it and then gently rub off the mask. I rinse my face with cold water once most of the mask is off. It results in a refreshed and clean skin and with continued use I have less and less clogged pores.
The most remarkable difference is in the pores near my nose. Even my blackheads have diminished significantly and they reappear every 2 days, so if I skip on this mask I really do see those blackheads back on the nose. Routine is everything when it comes to skincare!
I use this every Sunday night and I feel it takes the tiredness of the week aways from my face and prepares me for the week ahead.
Overall, I love this mask, its brightening, tightening, pore cleansing and skin rejuvenating properties make it my favorite mask ever. I love it because I can see the results on my skin. I had no side effects either, so its definitely something I would recommend.
This 100ml tube retails of C$32 and can be purchased from Sephora.
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