Robb Recommends: The Gentle Clay Mask That Clears Your Skin Without Irritation
Welcome to Robb Recommends, a regular series in which our editors and contributors endorse something they’ve tried and loved—and think will change your life for the better.
Show me an oily-skinned person who cares about their skin, and I’ll show you a face that’s been burned by a clay mask.
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For the sebaceous among us, such facial treatments are regarded as something of a necessity when it comes to balancing the levels of oil our skin produces. I’ve had multiple dermatologists and aestheticians recommend using them as often as two or three times a week.
But clay masks, especially the ones designed for you to apply at home, are notorious for making your face feel as though it’s being sucked through an unfriendly vacuum. This tightening effect is what helps to squeeze excess gunk out of your pores, but depending on the version you’re using, the sensation can be uncomfortable. Some masks I’ve tried have left my face red, raw, and so sensitive that afterward even the simplest moisturizers sting on application.
I was naturally very skeptical when Karen Hong, an aesthetician and owner of N.Y.C.’s Sia Beauty, said she wanted me to try Cellcosmet’s Precious Mask. It contains a blend of clays sourced (responsibly, the Swiss brand says) from Amazonian rain forests. But I felt safe in her very capable hands, so we went for it. The mask, which has the slightly sweet but not cloying fragrance of edelweiss extract, went on smoothly and dried without pulling on my face. When she took it off, I was surprised to feel my face was not only more even, but also decidedly soothed.
Cellcosmet Precious Mask
Here’s how it works: The clays work to bring balance to the skin’s oil and moisture levels, while a complex of antioxidants including vitamins C, E, and F help the skin look brighter. The edelweiss extract acts in a palliative capacity (read: no stinging), and kombucha helps produce the most noticeable immediate effect: a more radiant-looking face. In the long term, all of these ingredients are said to work together to smooth the texture of your skin and tamp down the amount of oil it produces.
I’ve been using the mask once a week for the last six weeks or so, and while I don’t exactly have glass skin yet, I’m closer to it than I was when I started. Cellcosmet’s products, backed by 40 years of research into how the skin works at the cellular level, are designed for long-term gains, not instantaneous magic. So I’m going to keep using it. I’d rather win this race slow and steady than singe my face with harsh masks for faster results.
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