Aubrey Organics Jojoba Meal and Oatmeal Mask and Scrub

photo courtesy of Aubrey Organics

I got this mask before my excursion into baking soda, because I wanted a scrubby mask.  I chose this, even though it’s meant for dry skin, because this is the only Aubrey mask that is also a scrub.

I mainly used this as a facial scrub, and it did a great job.  This isn’t a rough scrub because the scrubby bits are ground up really well.  Unlike the apricot kernel or almond scrubs you may have used in the past, this isn’t going to scrape your face up and make it sting.  Used as a scrub, I would recommend this for any skin type, though people with sensitive skin might want to avoid it.

I only used this as a mask once or twice.  Like the other Aubrey masks I’ve reviewed, this one doesn’t dry on the skin, so it’s easy to remove–especially if you then scrub it off gently with water.  After use, my skin was soft and moisturized, and no oilier than normal several hours later.  And this didn’t cause my skin to break out.

I don’t remember much of the fragrance.  It wasn’t offensive, and I think it’s slightly herbally, much like the other Aubrey products I’ve used.

Jojoba meal and Oatmeal Mask and Scrub, $9.43, 4 ounces.

INGREDIENTS INCI: Aqua, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), simmondsia chinensis seed powder*, cetyl alcohol, avena sativa kernel flour, glycerin, citrus grandis seed extract, glyceryl linoleate, glyceryl linolenate, triticum vulgare germ oil, rosa rubiginosa (Rosa Mosqueta®) fruit oil*, persea gratissima oil, tocopheryl acetate, hamamelis virginiana water, pimenta acris leaf oil, cymbopogon nardus oil, ferula galbaniflua oil, lavandula hybrida oil, citrus limonum peel oil, evernia prunastri extract, mentha piperita oil, abies sibirica oil, rosmarinus officinalis leaf oil, aloe barbadensis leaf*, ascorbic acid, fucus vesiculosus extract, laminaria digitata extract, glycine soja oil, daucus carota sativa root extract, beta carotene.

Aubrey Organics Natural Herbal Seaclay with Goa Herb Oil Balancing Mask

For some reason, I’ve always liked trying masks more than anything else.  I guess my brain seems to think that a treatment like this is going to have instant effects, making me more beautiful or something.  But I do enjoy the way my skin looks and feels after a mask, and it’s nice to have an excuse to just sit and read for a few minutes.  (“Honey, can you get the phone?  I’m masking.”)

I’m used to masks that dry.  Aubrey’s Herbal Seaclay Balancing Mask doesn’t dry.  I discovered to really great things about this: first, it’s SO much easier to wipe off my face.  Second, my face didn’t feel all dried up after I took the mask off.  It felt cleaner and looked fresher, but without that parched feeling some masks for oily skin can leave you with.  The directions say to use a thin layer, so I did.  This spreads wonderfully, so a bottle of this will last a long time, even if you use it a few times a week.  The smell is herbally without being pungent or offensive.

I’ve only used this once, so the verdict is out on how it works in the long term, but if you have oily skin, definitely give this a try.  I think you’ll be happy with it.

INGREDIENTS INCI: Glycerin, kaolin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, aqua, oryza sativa syrup*, cellulose gum, simmondsia chinensis seed oil*, prunus amygdalus dulcis oil, citrus grandis seed extract, fucus vesiculosus extract, hedera helix extract, spiraea ulmaria extract, clematis vitalba leaf extract, equisetum hyemale extract, laminaria digitata extract, mentha piperita oil, styrax benzoin extract, citrus aurantium dulcis oil, cananga odorata flower oil, carica papaya fruit extract, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), tocopheryl acetate, hamamelis virginiana water, ascorbic acid, andira araroba, glycine soja oil, daucus carota sativa root extract, beta carotene.
*Organic

LUSH A Crash Course in Skincare face mask

LUSH has a product line called Fresh Face Masks that are made from fresh fruits and veggies, kaolin, honey, essential oils, and yogurt.  Because they’re made from all these fresh ingredients, they have to be refrigerated, and can only be purchased in a store.

These are some of my favorite LUSH products, and I make a point of buying one just about every time I’m at LUSH.  The biggest drawback is that from production to expiration, fresh face masks only have about a three week shelf life.  Now, in some cases, you can extend the shelf life to about eight weeks, depending on what the ingredients are, how cold your fridge is, or how the mask looks or smells.  But you get so much product that it’s difficult, even in six to eight weeks, to use all that mask.

That said, the fresh face masks are some the best masks I’ve ever used on my face.  A Crash Course in Skincare is probably my favorite of the bunch.  It’s good for all skin types and is made from avocado (moisturizing) and yogurt (calming, but also good for oily skin), with some kaolin in there to deep clean pores.  It doesn’t look very pleasant, but it smells wonderful.  I think it also did a good job of cleaning out some impurities without drying my skin out, and my face looked great for several days after using Crash Course.

Ingredients:

VEGETARIAN, Fresh Organic Avocado (Persea gratissima), Kaolin, Organic Yoghurt, Glycerine, Talc, Fresh Organic Lemon Juice (Citrus limonum), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum austro-caledonicum vieill and Fusanus spicatus), Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon schoenanthus), Chamomile Oil (Anthemis nobilis), *Citral, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume}

*Occurs naturally in essential oils

LUSH Cupcake face mask

Cupcake is more than just a face mask – it’s an experience.  OK that might be melodramatic, but anytime you can experience chocolate without worrying about calories is a great thing, right?  Right!

Cupcake is a chocolate and mint mask for people with oily and/or acne prone skin.  The rhassoul mud deep cleans your skin and the cocoa butter and  cocoa powder soften it.  All that mint provides a nice tingle, though this could aggravate sensitive skin.  My skin felt so nice and fresh after I finished this mask, and it’s especially nice in the middle of the summer.

Ingredients:

Rhassoul Mud and Linseed Infusion (Linum usitatissimum), Glycerine, Talc, Cocoa Powder (Theobroma cacao), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Fresh Mint (Mentha piperita), Sandalwood Oil (Santalum austro-caledonicum vieill and Fusanus spicatus), Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), Spearmint Oil (Mentha spicata), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), *Limonene, Perfume}

*Occurs naturally in essential oils

LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic

Catastrophe Cosmetic is the face mask for oily, acne-prone skin.  It smells wonderful, like blueberry yogurt (even though it has no yogurt), and cleans well.  Calamine lotion and chamomile sooth red and irritated skin, fresh blueberries are a good antioxidant, and the calamine also cleanses.  This isn’t a grainy mask, so it won’t irritate blemishes, and it will help reduce skin irritation.

And this feels lovely straight out of the fridge on a hot day.

Ingredients:

Calamine Powder, Talc, Irish Moss Gel (Chondrus crispus), Fresh Blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), Glycerine, Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Chamomile Oil (Anthemis nobilis), Sweet Wild Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), *Limonene, Perfume, Colour 18050}

*Occurs naturally in essential oils

LUSH Mask of Magnaminty

Mask of Magnaminty is technically a cleanser, but you can’t really use it as a cleanser. As a mask, it can be rubbed into the skin to exfoliate or left on to dry and deep clean. The smell is nice, sort of a combination of mint and clay, and  it’s very refreshing to the nose and skin. It does a good job of making your skin feel like it’s been deep cleaned. A little bit of this goes a long way – you might have trouble using it up before the expiration date. Fortunately, you can use it on all your troubled spots, like the back of your arms, your back, and chest.  This could be drying on drier skin, and sensitive skin might not agree with the peppermint oil.

Ingredients:

VEGETARIAN, Bentonite Gel, Kaolin, Honey, Talc, Ground Aduki Beans (Phaseolus angularis), Glycerine, Evening Primrose Seeds (Oenothera biennis), Peppermint Oil (Mentha piperita), African Marigold Oil (Tagetes erecta), Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia), *Limonene, Perfume, Chlorophyllin (CI 75810), Methylparaben}

*Occurs naturally in essential oils