Valentia Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask

As a perpetual masker, I usually have a mask planned for every day of the week. I love kaolin clay masks (and I usually stock up on some from Lush) for days when myskin needs some deep cleansing. I was sent this Skin detoxifying clay mask by Valentia and I was really excited to try it.

Consistency:

It’s really smooth and thick in the jar but I use wet fingers to scoop it up and spread it on a wet face so it thins out and spreads evenly. The clay has some particles (supposedly natural hibiscus and cranberry fibers) which can be rubbed into the skin while applying and agan while washing of to gently exfoliate the skin.

Odor:

This mask smells very fruity-floral and pleasant. The scent of the mask actually makes using it such a great experience. The scent does not disappear while the mask is on and if you don’t like the scent this might not be for you. However, every kaolin clay and natural face mask I’ve used so far has the natural scent of the ingredients and since the fragrance is natural, it’s harmless.

Effects:

The mask goes on smoothly and as it dries it feels a bit tight. My skin felt cleansed and smoother but the next day it made a few tiny whiteheads appear. They disappeared quickly with a spot treatment (and for some I was a horrible person so I popped them…shhh don’t tell anyone). I assume this was due to the clay drawing out dirt from the pores. It’s a common effect of most clay masks.

Ingredients:

A complete list of ingredients can be found at cosdna. The ingredients that show up as triggers are Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol and Tocopherol.

Butylene Glycol is a commonly used solvent that is used to reduce the viscosity of the product and make it easy to apply. Carbomer is also a nontoxic emulsifier used for viscosity control.

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that is recently being used in a lot of products as a replacement for Parabens. High doses of phenoxyethanol have been found to be toxic without a doubt but their effects in cosmetics where they are used in lower concentrations are still under debate. A study in the International Journal of Toxicology claims that the low percentage of phenoxyethanol used in cosmetic products (generally two percent or below) is safe and non-toxic. However, the European Commission on cosmetic ingredients stipulates that phenoxyethanol is toxic when applied to the lips or around the mouth, which is concerning. This ingredient has a lot of concentration and dosage restrictions in Japan and the European Union and is still being investigated. I would prefer using an alternative ingredient because phenoxyethanol can be absorbed through the skin.

Hibiscus & Cranberry Fibers: Hibiscus is known to have AHA activity and antioxidants. Along with physical exfoliation they help with chemical exfoliation. Valentia claims that the hbiscus and cranberry give the mask anti-aging properties and these properties can be attributed to the antioxidants and mucilage(moisturizer) found in these ingredients. Cranberries also have some vitamin C butthe levels of Vitamin C present in this product would depend on the concentration of the cranberry extract and how it has been processed.

Verdict:

I really enjoyed using the product but it isn’t one I would go out of my way to purchase. If you’re looking for a floral clay mask this is a great one to try. It’s all natural and besides phenoxyethanol all the ingredients are natural and safe. This mask left me looking forward to trying more products from Valentia.

Rating: 3/5 (Update: I ended up not keeping the mask and gifted it to my mom who loves it way more than I do. I have found other masks that seem to work a lot better for me but I will miss this one.)

You can get 20% off the purchase of any Valentia products with the code W7V2DCVC. Code expires after a month from this post. They have really great products besides this mask too such as serums and creams (including a Vitamin C serum)!

You can also get 35% off the products on Valentia’s website with the code REFRESH35.

Sources: Phenoxyethanol (basic info), Phenoxyethanol, Hibiscus info

*This product was provided as a sample for testing and reviewing (Powered by Brandbacker). All opinions are entirely my own and unbiased.