Product Review: Kiehl's Rare Earth Facial Cleansing Masque

juicywatermelon — Sat, 16 May 2009 00:14:54 -0700

Since I had mentioned Kiehl's Rare Earth Facial Cleansing Masque in my previous post, how about a proper review on it?

There's something fun and girly about using green colored masks. I remember my sister having a green mask that she would use when I was really young. Is it because the color reminds us of nature, tricking us into thinking that we're using nature to draw our impurities from our skin? Or is it simply because we grew up watching our moms or older sisters/cousins using green masks, that when we grow up, we end up with green masks as well?

For me, it's a little bit of both. I know that you can't draw our impurities and toxins from your body through your skin, but I can't help but be a victim of great marketing. It's what spas tell us when they wrap us up and throw in into mud - we're detoxifying through our skin! Even though that's not true, there is something soothing and mentally cleansing about masks, especially green masks.

I first came upon Kiehl's Rare Earth Facial Cleansing Masque on my sister's bathroom counter. She's practically OCD about her skin, so every other day she's using this mask or that mask. She happily told me that this mask from Kiehl's was "cheap!" Knowing her and the great lengths she goes about to take care for her skin, I thought by cheap, she meant under $100. Little did I know that this was only about $20! You can barely pay for a decent dinner in LA for $20, so yes, I can skip a dinner and purchase a 5.0 oz jar of cleansing mask.

According to the label, this mask is "a thorough cleansing masque that may be used on oily, blemish-prone, or enlarged pore areas... (it) cleanses the skin by eliminating daily debris and dead surface skin-cell accumulation that can clog pores and leave the skin dull-looking." The website says that it's "a non-stripping, pore-cleansing clay masque to absorb excess surface oil. Leaves skin soft, clean and smooth." In other words, it's a clay exfoliant! Their key ingredients are Kaolin and Bentonite, both clays that absorb oil well.

Does this cleansing mask do what it says it will? Well, yes! Kiehl's do not make outrageous claims with this product, which to me is always surprising, and guess what? My skin does feel cleaner and less oily. It also feels quite smooth! It however, does dry out your skin a bit, so don't leave this on for too long, especially if you already have dry skin. Us oily-skin gals would definitely benefit from this more than dry-skin gals.

It's also quite easy and not-messy to use. Simply use your fingers to spread a thin layer (for me, it was about a quarter size) onto your damp skin, being careful to smooth it out as best as you can. Be really really careful not to get this in or around your eye! The area below your eyes are probably dry as it is, so you don't want to dry it out any more! Wait about 5 minutes (it dries really fast), and rinse it off with warm water. You can use your bare hands, a small facial towel, or one of those new towel mittens for more exfoliation. It washes off really easily and quickly, and your skin just feels clean afterwards! I immediately applied my moisturizer on so my skin won't dry out! Also, try not to talk or smile when you have the mask on, as it dries and tightens, making it quite painful to well, smile or talk. My dad once called while I had the mask on and he thought something was wrong. =P

Bottom line, it's a relatively inexpensive mask that does what it claims to do. It does imply that it will help with acne and large pores, but in all honesty, that's hard to prove when I'm also using salicylic acid, isn't it?

Rare-Earth Facial Cleansing Masque

$20.00 at Kiehl's

At Home Facials and Masks - My Experience

juicywatermelon — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:52:13 -0700

I don't normally do at home masks, scrubs, or exfoliations. Right now, I've just reminded myself why.

My face hurts.

I just used MISSHA's Mango Yogurt Peel-Off Mask, and my face feels like thousands of needles are prickling my skin. It's not a good tingle at all. So peel-off masks are somewhat popular in Asia. It comes out of the tube creamy, and you slather it on your skin. It dries into a thin layer that you can literally just peel off. It works as an exfoliator, as it helps remove old/dead skin. According to the MISSHA website, it's suppose to make my skin flexible and elastic.

I've used it before, but never had it hurt the way it does today. I think I slathered on too much, so the peel was extra thick, and I also left it on too long. I got way into the Korea vs Japan baseball game that I let it dry way way long. Otherwise I've had decent experience with it. I feel like it helps my pimples mature even faster, and it helps reduce some blackheads from my nose. Plus it is somewhat fun peeling off a mask off my face. This is the only time where it actually hurts though.

It's about 1/2 hour since I took it off, and the pain has subsided. I'm just hoping my skin doesn't flare up tonight! I'm going to Sephora to meet Utada tomorrow and I plan on looking fab!!

On the whole, I wouldn't purchase this specific item again. I'll stick to BHAs and AHAs for exfoliation, and play with moisturizing sheet masks when I get the itch to do an at home facial. But it was a fun and cheap purchase. The whole tube costs less than $5! Get it from the MISSHA website here.

Juicy Watermelon

Product Review: Kiehl's Rare Earth Facial Cleansing Masque

At Home Facials and Masks - My Experience