Glow

Most of us probably have had some experience with facial masks of some kind, whether they're homemade fruit masks or expensive and luxurious masks that we've tried at the spa. I personally prefer DIY masks over any other ready-made mask products out there simply because I like to play with different ingredients, and today I'm going to talk about the pure green clay mask from the company A.Vogel that I bought from a local Caper's a year ago. I've never heard of A.Vogel before then, but seeing that their slogan stated "Pioneer in Natural Health-Since 1923" and that the product contained nothing but pure clay, I decided that it was natural enough and safe enough to give it a try. 

This green clay mask came in a 900g box at an unbelievably low price: $16.99. Its label says that it's 100% non-ionized surfine green clay from Germany, and it's best for oily and problem skin. Since the clay is in powder form, you have to mix it with water to form a paste. You can also add other ingredients such as aloe and green tea as an enhancer to the clay, to help calm your blemish-prone skin and promote healing. 

I usually mix this clay powder as follows: 

2 teaspoons of green clay + 1 1/2 teaspoon of cold water 

Stir the mixture until it forms a smooth paste that's not runny or too thick either.

Make sure the mixing container is not made of metal since it ionizes the clay. I use a glass jar and a wooden spoon to do this. I let the mixture sit for an hour as instructed in the booklet and I spread the paste as evenly and as thinly as possible over my face and any other area on my body that may be oily( like chest and back).  

ALWAYS avoid the eye area because the skin around there is very sensitive and delicate and plus, you don't want any powder clay falling in your eyes. The paste brings an instant cooling sensation to my skin very similar to the effects of mint. It calms any inflammation due to acne and it draws out impurities and detoxifies the skin as it dries. When the mask is completely dry, you can even see the little dark spots where the oil and dirt was sucked out of your pores. I always get a feeling of tremendous accomplishment when I see these dark green spots because I know my pores are finally clean!

I usually wash the mask off in the shower with an exfoliating cleanser just before the clay completely dries because if you wait until the paste looks like the Nevada desert, the powder would start to loosen and shake off of your face and then you'd have to tiptoe to the bathroom to avoid leaving a trail of clay in your house. I've tried getting if off at the bathroom sink before and it proved to be a total disaster! Not only did the water splash everywhere, carrying the gooey green stuff all over the counter, it also got into my hair and onto my clothes. Plus, you really need to rinse your face very very well because if you don't, you'll end up with a powdery look all day.

This green clay mask can also be used in mud baths and body wraps, although I've never had the guts to try these treatments at home due to the immensity of the clean-up process afterwards. This mask is definitely a worthy investment for those who have oily and blemish-prone skin because it makes a significant difference to the T-zone area. If you have normal to dry skin however, don't even think about touching this clay because it's much too overdrying for any other skin types. A 900g box would last you at least 6 months if applied once a week--an economic, safe, and natural alternative to any other chemical masks out there!