New to the skincare scene are The Body Shop’s Superfood face masks, all made with exotic, natural ingredients that benefit the body from the inside and now just as much on the outside! Up and until now, the only new face product that I’d tried from TBS was their Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Sleeping Cream, which is now my go-to moisturizer for the fall and winter. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to try out the Superfood face masks, starting with the one designed to purify and exfoliate for when our skin is looking oily and congested. Enter The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask!
The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Face Mask
The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow face mask is a mud-textured exfoliating mask. It works to deeply cleanse and purify the skin by clearing clogged pores and releasing impurities and toxins.
Key Ingredients:
- Bamboo Charcoal from Himalayan foothills – Absorbs minerals, toxins, impurities and other harmful substances from skin, making it stronger and healthier. It also acts as a natural exfoliator to remove dead skin cells.
- Community Trade Tea Tree Oil from Kenya – Known for its healing, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Also known for helping with acne and many skin diseases like psoriasis, eczema, etc.
- Green Tea Leaves from Japan – Contains antioxidants and is also used to treat acne.
How to Use
After removing makeup and cleansing the skin, use a mask brush to smooth an even layer of the Himalayan Charcoal mask all over the face (or spot treat just your oily areas) avoiding eye and lip area. Apply to neck and décolletage if desired. Leave for 5-10 minutes then rinse off with warm water and a muslin cloth (or wash cloth) in circular motions to gently exfoliate. Use 2 to 3 times a week.
The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask Review
Formula – The formula is of The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal face mask is definitely a lot thicker and grainier that other purifying/detox masks I’ve tried (like the GlamGlow Supermud mask, and Posh’s Cackle Spackle). This translates to some extra exfoliation, both while you spread it on, and also while you’re rinsing it off. Similar to most purifying masks, this one changes colors as it drys (and allows you to see the oilies as they get absorbed into the mask).
Application – I use my fingers to apply the Himalayan Charcoal face mask (instead of a brush) and find it applies smoothly and evenly enough. It only takes about 20-30 seconds to build up a nice even coat. (This is not a mask you want to keep layering. A nice thin even coat is all you need, or else it will take too long to dry. Also, as advised with these type of purifying masks, you never want to leave these on too long or else they’ll start to absorb all the moisture from you skin underneath, causing more sebum production!)
With a thin 1-layer coat, the Himalayan Charcoal mask typically takes the full 10 minutes before it looks completely dry on my face. Right away, I’ll grab a wash cloth and start gently removing it, working the granules into my skin to get that extra exfoliation. Overall, the entire removal process definitely takes some time. Even after you re-wet the mask, it still has a pretty firm grip on the skin – it sort of feels like a hard, plaster cast. It’s definitely a good idea to have a washcloth handy!
I have come across other reviews that mentioned they experienced some tingling. Although I’d say my skin is a little on the sensitive side, all I really felt was a light mint-like tingle all over, which started about 2 minutes in as the mask began to dry. Afterwards, I didn’t experience any irritation after rinsing it off, only some redness from the exfoliation, which disappeared within a few minutes.
Results – After using the Himalayan Charcoal face mask, my skin felt amazingly soft and smooth. I love how it visibly works to remove oilies – I could see spots where it picked them up, especially around my nose. I anticipate that the mask might help to clear my skin overtime (over the first couple of uses however, there weren’t any significant changes in that department). The amazing little side benefit of the mask is its ability to intensely exfoliate the skin – which, when you think about it, is also crucial when it comes to de-congesting pores in the long-term. You want to remove both sebum and dead skin that can build up in the pores. This mask is the first detoxifying mask I’ve come across that takes care of both!
Final Thoughts
Overall, if you’re looking for an intensive, purifying mask that will gradually help unclogged those pores but also give you the extra exfoliation in the process, I’d absolutely recommend giving The Body Shop’s Himalayan Charcoal Mask a try. Especially for the price, it’s an amazing buy. It works just as well as GlamGlow, but is a fraction of the price, plus it’s dual-functioning. (If you have more sensitive skin however, I’d suggest The Body Shop’s Chinese Ginseng & Rice Mask instead. It’s not as rough as this one, and also doesn’t cause any tingling.)
Available on Amazon, Ulta, & The Body Shop
Not sure which mask is the right match for your skin type? Check out The Body Shop’s mask pairing recommendations, or explore my other reviews of The Body Shop’s Superfood range.
