SERIES INTRODUCTION
I thought of this series one day while talking to the many people in my life that wonder what to do with their skin. A friend of mine mentioned some new skincare items out there. I realized then I had absolutely no experience with most of them. What I really loved about the beginning of my career was the fact that I had never used professional grade products and I was a true over the counter skincare junkie. I had experienced so many other over the counter products I was able to sit down and relate with my friends and guest and explain to them why the product they are using will not do their skin justice or will be amazing for them. The time I spent studying my craft brought me to learning about ingredients and chemistry so I recommend the best skincare with ingredients to look out for and ingredients to avoid.
So I'm sure you're saying "BRITTANY, GET TO IT... WHAT IS THIS SERIES ABOUT?"
I'm sure you've figured it out from the title but if not, I will be trying some of the most popular skincare items on the market to give you my opinion on 4 things: the effectiveness, the ingredients, the packaging and the cost. These products may not always be on my skin since some skincare products are geared towards different skin types and issues. So with that being said, it is time to jump into this review and talk about our product for this post!
THE PRODUCT
This time around I decided to review a positively reviewed product. So I selected the Aztec Secret - Indian Healing Clay which has a 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon with 19,531 reviews. With that many reviews, and the majority being great reviews, what could go wrong? Lets find out!
ABOUT THE INDIAN HEALING CLAY
The healing clay is simply one ingredient, Calcium Bentonite (Green) Clay. I love products that have a short list of ingredients and this fits the bill. Bentonite clay is a great ingredient that can be found in some of your favorite products like: Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Oil-Absorbing Mask, Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask, and many more oil absorbing acne clearing mask.
The clay comes in powder form and can be mixed with purified water or apple cider vinegar, depending on your skin type and level of sensitivity. It can also be used for body wraps, foot wraps and annoying insect bites! This product specifically does not contain any fragrances, additives or animal products. The instructions recommend that people with sensitive skin use water and leave it on no longer than 5-10 minutes and for this with non-sensitive skin can use apple cider vinegar for 20-30 minutes.
I purchased my own 1lb jar from Amazon for $10.95. It is important to ensure skincare that you buy online from sites like Amazon have appropriate safety seals. Many sellers sell expired or artificial products online, and you sometimes can never tell the difference between the counterfeit and the original, so be careful! When I received the healing clay in the mail it had a plastic wrap with a sticker to scan and verify the authenticity and manufacturer's date (they are really doing all the things!).
USING THE INDIAN HEALING CLAY
BEFORE
IMMEDIATELY AFTER FIRST USE (using apple cider vinegar)
MORNING AFTER FIRST USE
MY THOUGHTS
THE EFFECTIVENESS
👌👌👌👌👌 5/5
I loved the immediate effects it had on my skin. Usually people want to think that the redness in your skin after a mask and exfoliating means your skin is irritated but there is a huge difference between irritation and stimulation. I love stimulation (everything in moderation though)! Stimulation brings blood flow to the surface of the skin which nourishes and heals the skin. You will notice in the photos of the morning after the first use that my skin was brighter and clearer. This is all due to the bentonite clay and the stimulation it causes.
When asking friends why they wanted to use the clay mask, most said they were trying to get rid of blackheads. One thing I noticed is that this did not get rid of my blackheads but did reduce the appearance of my sebaceous filaments (naturally occurring oil in the pores, which is not the same as blackheads) Since the clay does absorb oil once it dries it makes complete sense that it would help to diminish these filaments.
THE INGREDIENTS
👌👌👌👌👌 5/5
If you take a look at the back of the jar you will see that there is only 1 ingredient, 100% Natural Calcium Bentonite (Green) Clay. When doing research on calcium (green) bentonite clay I learned that it is a rare desert clay that is protected from the environment and contaminates under a protective layer of zeolite minerals. The clay is very basic with a PH of 9.7, so when creating the mask I made I used apple cider vinegar which is acidic with a PH close to 2-3. The causes the PH of the mask to be more gentler on the skin's acid mantle (protective barrier).
THE PACKAGING
👌👌👌👌 4/5
The packaging is very simple; a jar with a twist top to open. The only complaint I have is that I wish it included a measuring spoon with the measurements they recommend, but that is just me nitpicking.
THE COST
👌👌👌👌👌 5/5
This stuff is cheap... like dirt cheap... get it? dirt cheap... it's clay..... Nevermind, I tried. For 1 pound of the clay it is $10.95. With most mask on the market they run around $25-$30 for 1-2 ounces. A pound of product is a ton, and there are so many uses besides just a facial mask.
MY CONCLUSION
4.5/5
I would recommend this to someone who currently has a Minimalist to Product Junkie level skin care regimen (more info on our pro. It's a great addition to an oily to normal skin type, a treatment during the week for mild acne break outs, and to overall brighten the skin. If you fall in the category of sensitive or dry skin you should limit your use to no more than 2 times per week and follow up with a very good moisturizer. For oily to acne prone skin types, I recommend to experiment but still try not to use it more than 4 times a week. It can be used all over as a mask or a spot treatment for those annoying spots that have minds of their own.