Esse Organic Skincare: Clay Mask Review


Till about half a year ago, the only clay mask that I ever had in my beauty shelf was the cult favourite, St. Ives Mineral Clay Firming Mask. It's my very, very old friend (I'm so not kidding!) and so, I will use it as a point of reference here.


This Esse Clay Mask is a new friend but I'm not saying that I've abandoned my old one - I still visit it now and then. This is the last of the products that Esse Netherlands sent me back in June and since receiving it, I've been using it averagely once in 10-14 days. Esse recommends using it weekly.

According to Esse
This purifying and nourishing clay mask will not leave the skin feeling dry.

Kaolin and Bentonite clays gently draw out impurities and heavy metal toxins associated with environmental and dietary pollution. Olive leaf extract improves elasticity and hydrates tired skin.

• 100% of the total ingredients are from Natural Origin
• 75.5% of the total ingredients are from Organic Farming


Price: €24.70 for 50ml (housed in an amber glass jar)


Ingredients
Water, Rooibos Leaf Extract*, Glycerin*, Kaolin, Coconut Oil*, Bentonite, Shea Fruit Oil*, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Olive Fruit Oil, Olive Fruit Oil Unsaponifiables, Olive Leaf Extract, Aloe Ferox Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Lavender Oil*, Ylang Ylang Flower Oil*, Citric Acid, Cape Chamomile Leaf Oil, Spearmint Leaf Oil*

* from organic farming


My Thoughts
Scent
Let's just say the smell has more character than that of the clay mask from St. Ives. It smells faintly raw and earthy but for the most part, the clay mask smells strangely nice. It's sweet, it's minty and almost medicinal in a pleasant way.


Colour and Texture
The clay mask has a lovely colour, a fashionable shade, if I may say so. It's not your average grey, it's not light blue. It's a light taupe. I know this is of no consequence but it does make a refreshing change for me after years and years of baby blue.

The feel and texture isn't that different from the one from St. Ives - smooth, thick, heavy paste.


Application
Esse says: Apply a generous layer to the face and décolleté. Be careful not to incorporate water into the jar. Allow to set in for 5-10 minutes. Gently wipe away with a wrung out warm face towel. Rinse with warm water.

I don't apply a very thick layer (thinner than in the photo below). I apply it on slightly damp skin and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. There is a cool sensation upon application but that doesn't last long.


This Esse Clay Mask dries slowly and it does not dry to a crust like the one from St. Ives. On the contrary. It feels like soap lather that has been left to dry on the skin. The skin feels only marginally tight. It's nothing like the tight feeling that you get when the St. Ives mask dries.

Efficacy
With all the natural oils in the formula, it does leave the skin a bit oily after the mask is rinsed off (but not as oily as with the Esse Cocoa Exfoliator). After towelling off, the skin feels just right - clean, plump and moisturised. However, I don't see it as a mask that will remove blackheads and reduce pore size. I haven't noticed any difference in those aspects but to be fair, Esse never made such promises in the product blurb. It deep-cleanses the skin. As Esse says, it's a detoxifying and nourishing clay mask.

Final Words
I like this Esse Clay Mask but in a different way from how I like the St. Ives Mineral Clay Firming Mask. These two are different creatures. The one from St. Ives is like a straight-talking friend, one who will tell it like it is. The clay mask from Esse is like a caring and nurturing friend, one who is always looking out for you.

Well, I'm keeping both friends.


More information:
Esse has a second type of mask in its range, the Esse Cream Mask (right), which happens to be the first ever Esse product I tried last year. The Cream Mask is meant for mature, dehydrated skin (it's seriously hydrating, great for skin SOS situations too) while the Clay Mask detoxifies and is suitable for all skin types.

To read more about this South African brand (practices, ethos, etc), please check my previous posts on Brand: Esse Organic Skincare

Esse Organic Skincare website
Esse Netherlands

9 comments:

Unknown said...

It seems like a great products!!
I don't do masks but maybe I should!!

Anonymous said...

You're keeping both friends, LOL. :D

It sounds heavenly. Great post hun and thanks for introducing this brand. "KTee"xx

lavender said...

I always like Clay Mask. I am using Clarins Pink Clay Mask now along with many other masks on different occasions.

Witoxicity said...

@rock-or-not
You must have problem-free and flawless skin! :)

@KTee
Thank you, KTee. And yes, I like both. Heh heh! :D

@lavender
You must be an expert in masks then! :)

sugar sugar said...

it looks very good! i like how the texture looks in pictures. :) thanks for the review dear. ;)

Mary said...

Another wonderful brand I have to know about. I like your writings on organic/natural stuff. Love the packaging too

Witoxicity said...

@Mary
Hello, Mary! Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoy reading such articles. The world of organic/natural beauty/skincare products has grown a great deal in the last decade. There's just so much to discover! :)

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed reading your Esse posts my dear. Thanks for introducing me to this brand. Take care, Nicole x

Witoxicity said...

@Nicole
Thank you, Nicole! The pleasure's all mine. :)