Are the L’Oreal Pure Clay Masks good for oily and troubled skin?
Sheet masks may be in the limelight right now but if you have oily or combination skin, then a clay mask can be a great addition to your skincare regimen. While sheet masks are mostly designed to infuse the skin with moisture, clay masks work to draw out impurities and help reduce oiliness.
Early this year, the internet went abuzz when L’Oreal released a line of pure clay masks that got rave raviews. We at PV hoped that the brand would bring them here in the PH, and our prayers were answered! The price is also very affordable at P399 for 50ml. Take note though that these are not the same formulations as the ones released in the USA, and the variants seem to vary per region. Nevertheless, we were excited to try them out and got three oily-skinned PV girls to try one variant each. Read on to see if these were a yay or nay!
Crystal tries: Pure Clay Mask Anti-Pores
Description: With Moroccan Lava Clay, skin is softened and dead cells are eliminated which obstructs pores and regulates sebum secretion. Infused with rosemary extract, skin is also purified.
I like the texture of the mask because it’s easy to spread. It’s not too hard and dry like some masks but it’s not too runny either. I wish it came with a spatula, though, as I find it unhygienic to dip my fingers into a pot. I used a spatula I had to scoop a small amount and spread it on my face using my fingers.
This is one of the best-smelling clay masks I’ve ever tried! It has a mild, unisex aquatic fragrance that smells very spa-like. It feels cool upon application, and there are very tiny beads that probably exfoliate very gently at best. It dries quickly, but it doesn’t completely wash off with water. You won't notice it on the skin, but after using toner, I found a good amount of green product on my cotton pad. I definitely recommend using a toner after masking to make sure that there isn’t any residue left. My skin did feel smoother afterwards, and the succeeding products I applied on my skin seemed to be absorbed better. I don’t think it removed my blackheads though, but no product has ever been able to do that. I enjoyed using this mask and will continue to use it.
Kim tries: Pure Clay Mask Hydration
Description: With mineral-rich Bentonite Clay, dirt is removed gently from skin and infused with Lemon Balm essential oil and hydrating essence, skin is intensely hydrated.
I enjoyed how light and spreadable it was compared to regular mud masks, and this variant felt nice and cool against my skin. It dries down almost translucent after 10 minutes, which I find to be pretty unique! I'd describe the smell as minty-alcoholy and a quick look at the ingredients list confirmed that it was pretty chockful of alcohol.
As for the results, I do find that it helps give a deeper clean compared to regular face washing. It's not, by all means, hydrating as it claims but it's also nowhere near as drying as the mud masks I have in my stash. Effective at cleansing as it was though, it gave me two deep and painful pimples in my cheek area the very next day. For deep cleansing and hydration, I think I'd rather stick it out with the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Clay Mask followed by one of the many sheet masks that I own.
Gett tries: Pure Clay Mask Illuminating
Description: Made with British Kaolin Clay, the face is gently cleansed to achieve soft, radiant skin and with lemongrass extract and exfoliating beads, skin is instantly renewed.
The product was really easy to spread and apply. It feels really cold when it touches your face, which feels nice. There is a spa-like scent to it but it wears off easily. The texture is quite thick, but somehow a touch moussey. It claims to have exfoliating beads but they’re so tiny I could hardly feel anything.
I tried to apply it with a brush from a masking set I have, but resorted to using my fingers because the mask dries down quite fast and the brush doesn’t spread it well. I left it for 10 minutes as per instructions. It feels very tightening, but it’s not Indian Clay Mask-levels of tightening. You can’t really build this up because it will pill upon itself but you only really need a thin layer to use it.
I find this a pain to wash off. It doesn’t wash off easily as other clay masks I’ve used, and even after you remove the whole thing, you can still see a lot of residue. On my first try, I thought it was the mask’s effect since it has British White Clay but my face looked so white so I took a wet wash cloth to wash it off. And true enough, there was a lot of residue. On my second try, I used a gel cleanser to remove the residue properly. It did leave my face clean and soft to the touch, and also brightened my face. But I found that after every time I used this, I broke out! While the product did stay true to its claims, I’m not really a fan of how hard it is to remove and how it broke me out. So sadly, this was a no for me.
All three variants were easy to apply and seemed to cleanse our faces well, but it was really difficult to wash off. You might want to keep a wet towel or konjac sponge handy to make removal easier. These masks were a hit-or-miss with us though. While I had a good experience with it, Kim and Gett both broke out so if you're considering trying it out, the Anti Pores variant may be your best bet.
With our experiences a mixed bag compared to the raves we've seen online, it's important to remember that with skincare products, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) always applies. It's hard to predict how skin will react so there's no guarantee that what works for others will also work for you.
Have you tried any of the L’Oreal Pure Clay Masks? How did they work for you?
Pure Clay Mask Anti-Pores
Ingredients: Aqua/Water, Kaolin, Moroccan Lava Clay, Bentonite, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Oil, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Argilla/Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Laureth-7, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexyglycerin, Polyacrylamide, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77288/Chromium Oxide Greens, CI 77499/Iron Oxides, Linalool, Limonene, Parfum/Fragrance.
Pure Clay Mask Hydration
Ingredients: Aqua/Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Oil, Peg-100 Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trehalose, Silica, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cellulose Gum, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Bergania Fruit Oil/Bergamot Fruit Oil, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Linalool, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum/Fragrance.
Pure Clay Mask Illuminating
Ingredients: Aqua/Water, Kaolin, Moroccan Lava Clay, Bentonite, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Oil, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Glyceryl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Argilla/Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Laureth-7, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexyglycerin, Polyacrylamide, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77499/Iron Oxides, Linalool, Limonene, Citral, Parfum/Fragrance.
