I am not diligent enough about applying a mask every few days.  Hell, sometimes I go weeks without using one.  I know I need to get into the habit though, because they really make a difference.  I am sure I’ve told you this before, but I hadn’t had a zit since I was a freshman in college.  Then, I got pregnant and my face turned into Mt. Vesuvius.  While I am so grateful to be pregnant and to have had a healthy and relatively easy pregnancy, this is the cross I bear, and it ain’t a pretty one.  So, here I am testing out Clean masks and zit creams, just for me – err, you.

Not all masks are created equal; many of the clay variety overdry even the most oily skin.    Enter Amala Purifying Clay Mask.  This mask goes on creamy and dries quite sheer without cracking (which is a bonus in my book – a mask that won’t scare my poor husband).  It is also very gentle; it leaves my skin looking fresh and matte, but not overly dry.  Blue lotus nurtures, green and white clay clarify, and algae extract balances.   Over time, this mask unclogs pores and refines skin tone.  Cost: about $58 for 1.7 oz.  Purchase it here.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Alcohol*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil*, Bentonite, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil*, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Kaolin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stearic Acid, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Water, Algae Extract, Fragrance (Parfum)+, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Lactic Acid, Canola Oil*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Rosa Moschata Seed Oil*, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract*, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Centella Asiatica Extract*, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil*, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract*, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Extract*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract*, Limonene+, Linalool+ *Ingredient produced by organic farming

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