Most of us are beauty junkies but more than makeup products, I have a fetish for skin and beauty loot and any new product or procedure that is trending has to be tried out. For the longest time in my life – I think until I was 18 – I was only encouraged to indulge in home remedies and herbal, home made concoctions. The yoghurt masks, the egg and lemon conditioners, pure oils and God knows what. One thing that I loved was Multani mitti, which my mother used to bring and I used to be addicted to. Mixed with water, a thin paste would be coated over the face, it was dried out to parchment proportions and then rinsed off with warm to gradually cold water. Multani mitti, also referred to as gachni by my mother, took away impurities and oily residues.
So, imagine my excitement when – unable to find pure Multani mitti in Karachi (I admit I didn’t even try hard enough) – I was sent one pot from the new L’Oreal Pure Clay Mask range. Charcoal masks are trending these days and cashing in on the trend, this product came at the perfect time. I received the pot of dark grey Pure Clay Mask that said ‘The Black Detoxifying Charcoal Mask’ and boasted of a consistency of clay and charcoal to remove impurities and detox the skin. It looked like a refined version of gachni.
Â
Trying it out: Beauty products stand on the sensory experience and this grey clay mask looked just perfect. Glossy and velvety, it slid onto the skin like the richest and most expensive face cream. A tiny dollop went a long way and it began to dry up perfectly; just as I remember Multani mitti behaving. Ten minutes later, when I washed it off, it was simple and fuss/mess free and did immediately reduce the oiliness on my nose and forehead. I have an oily T-area and that’s where I needed the clay mask for (although I applied it to the whole face). As a result, I did feel it dried up my cheek area a little bit.
The second and third time I applied the mask, it was only on the T-area and chin, which was more sensible since that is where my skin misbehaves the most.
Conclusion after 3 uses: As far as the skin treatment is concerned, I do think it is effective in detoxing the skin from impurities and oils. My T-area felt cleaner and less oily.
Drawbacks: However, and this may be the swing factor, the clay mask has an overwhelming fragrance that is not unpleasant by any means but it is too strong for it to give the feeling of being ‘fragrance-free’, hypoallergenic or organic. It should ideally have a subtle and rustic smell, as it is made from mostly natural products but the fragrance is suggestive of perfume and chemical additives. That is a turn-off.
- The L’Oreal Pure Clay Masks are available in Pakistan exclusively on Daraz.pk. Do give your feedback here if you’ve tried out the #instadetox experience.
