Sunday, June 26, 2016

VALENTIA Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask | Review

As I mentioned in my previous post, skin care and hair care is fundamental – it is the actual foundation you need to work on before mastering the techniques of crème contouring or the newly coined term for an out of this world glow, strobing.  We all have different skin concerns – sensitive, dry, oily, acne-prone, dull, aging, etc.  Aging is inevitable, but we can definitely try to slow down the process and alleviate the harsh effects of environmental stressors on our skin. 

The word detox really appeals to me.  A skin detox or body detox sounds so ideal, like a fresh page in a brand new notebook or the smell of a newly purchased car or home.  I like my face to feel cleansed, brightened, and moisturized.  Whenever someone asks me about my complexion, whether it is oily or combination or sensitive?  I tell them that it is not oily, rather it is dewy and I like it that way.  I want my face to feel dewy, yet look smooth, clean, and bright.  I worry that as I get older, my pores might get bigger and create texture on my face.  For now I don’t have severely large pores, but I do have pores on my nose and surrounding area, along with white heads on my nose due to my combination skin and heavy use of sunscreen.

Today I would like to share with y’all my review of the VALENTIA Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask.  Before I go into my review, I would like to share the following information so y’all can familiarize yourself with this clay mask, its properties and benefits.  The VALENTIA Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask claims to draw out impurities, improve tone, reduce pore size, and firm and strengthen skin.  Additionally, the mask is alcohol free as well as paraben free.  And just wait till you see the list of key-ingredients!



Key ingredients in the VALENTIA Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask and their benefits as stated by the brand:

Kaolin Clay: Known for its detoxifying powers, clay minerals draw out impurities, improve skin tone, and lighten pores for smoother firmer skin. 

Plant Stem Cells: This French developed constituent naturally decreases the level of pro-aging toxins working to soothe the skin, reduce redness, and improve evenness.

Spirulina: A botanical stimulant full of vitamins and minerals that hydrates the skins surface and contributes to tissue regeneration of the skin. 

CoQ10: Responsible for cell production in the human body, CoQ10 lessens the appearance of wrinkles by reducing free radical damage and stimulating healthy collagen production.

Hibiscus & Cranberry Fibers: Both lend their anti-aging properties to firm and reinforce the skin, helping to reduce the creation of new wrinkles.

Astaxanthin: A powerful antioxidant that repairs collagen production, combats free radical damage, and restores skin to elastic, bright, and wrinkle free tones and textures. 

First thing you will most likely notice when you open your tub of the VALENTIA mask is its scent.  I would describe the scent as herbal and mildly medicinal, but not chemical-like or indicative of an overwhelming amount of artificial fragrance (the only fragrance mentioned in the ingredient’s list is cranberry fragrance).

Second, its texture is quite unique and different from any other clay mask that I have tried. It has a gelatinous and creamy hybrid consistency.  I would recommend stirring the pot with a brush before application and then applying the mask with a flat foundation brush.  The mask contains blue beads.  Although these blue beads are visible, you won’t feel them on your face as you apply or remove the mask.  This is good because some skin care experts assert that it is not good to use physical (non-chemical) abrasive, gritty, or granular agents (present in many facial scrubs) on the face because such abrasive exfoliation can lead to dry skin, broken capillaries, etc. In fact, the VALENTIA’s clay mask actually felt soothing and slightly cooling upon application – almost as if I had applied calamine cream on my face. 

Third, this mask dries down quickly, but not so fast that you don’t have time to apply it nicely.  Don’t worry! VALENTIA suggests leaving the mask on for 15-20 minutes or until mask dries and I would go with the latter part of this instruction.  On me this mask dried within 10 minutes.  As I noticed it crack a bit on my forehead, I knew that it was time to wash it off. 

Fourth, this is the first clay mask - of all the umpteen clay masks I have tried - to wash off my face effortlessly.  It came off so easily with a few splashes of lukewarm water.  I didn’t have to scrub or rub or use a towel to remove any residue. 

Lastly, now that y’all know my skin concerns, let me share my results… the major result I noticed after washing this mask off of my face was that my pores appeared somewhat blurred, meaning that it lived up to its claim of reducing pore size.  As I mentioned in my intro, I don’t have severely large pores, but I do have average pores (filled with sebum) on my nose!  Yuck! Who else dislikes magnification mirrors? Right! This mask definitely made my face feel cleansed. I was also pleased to learn that unlike many other detox clay masks, the VALENTIA detox clay mask did not make my skin feel dry or tight.  I didn’t feel the need to bathe my face in moisturizer as I have felt after using certain other scrubs and masks.  I believe this mask is gentle enough to be used once every week, of course with user discretion and only if it suits your skin type and skin care regiment.

As an added note, I would like to mention that I tried the VALENTIA clay mask on my mom-in-law and she was impressed with her results as well.  My mom-in-law’s complexion is a contrast to mine. Her concerns are dry skin, uneven tone, and dullness.  She appreciated that the mask did not dehydrate her already dry face.  She felt that her face felt soft to the touch and brighter. 

As I wrap up my review, I would like to share my thoughts on some of the clay masks I have previously tried in comparison to the VALENTIA clay mask ($25 for 4 oz.).  The clay masks I have previously used are Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask ($26 for 3.4 oz.), Caolion Premium Hot & Cool Pore Pack ($30 for 1.12 oz.), Sephora Collection Mud Mask Purifying and Mattifying ($20 for 2.0 oz.), Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment ($69 for 1.2 oz.), Glam Glow Tinglexfoliate Treatment ($69 for 1.7 oz.), and Boots Botanics Clay Mask ($9-10 for 3.5 oz.). 

Origins (thumbs down) vs. VALENTIA (thumbs up)
I observed no pleasant results after using Origin’s charcoal mask.  It also made my face feel dry and uncomfortably tight.

Caolion (thumbs down) vs. VALENTIA (thumbs up)
I believe Caolion contained “kaolin clay” but my face did not feel cleansed or smooth or even mildly rejuvenated. 

Sephora Collection Mud Mask (thumbs up) vs. VALENTIA (thumbs up)
I like both! I don’t love the Sephora Collection Mud Mask, but it does make my face feel cleansed.  However, Sephora one does not have a noticeable pore minimizing effect as VALENTIA.  Also, it does not wash off as easily as VALENTIA and does make my face feel tight and in immediate need of a moisturizer. 

Boots Botanics Clay Mask (thumbs down) vs. VALENTIA (thumbs up)
I feel the same about Boots Clay Mask as I do about Origins Charcoal above. 

Glam Glow Tinglexfoliate Treatment (mixed feelings) vs. VALENTIA (thumbs up)
Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment (mixed feelings) vs. VALENTIA (thumbs up)
Glam Glow masks are very expensive!  The Tinglexfoliate mask has an amazing “brightening” effect.  Yes, its brightening effect is more noticeable than VALENTIA’s brightening effect, but this effect is also temporary.  VALENTIA’s brightening effect is more comparable to the Supermud Clearing mask’s brightening effect.  Not only are the Glam Glow masks expensive, they don’t have a good, not even reasonably good, shelf life.  Sadly, my Glam Glow masks, especially the Tinglexfoliate one dried out very before I had even got through half of the smallest size tub ($22 for 0.5 oz.). Ouch! Although the Supermud Clearing mask did not dry out, the product broke down and the oils separated out from the base (other ingredients).  The Tinglexfoliate mask is probably the better of the two Glam Glow masks in brightening and removing impurities, but it dries out so fast.  Both Glam Glow masks are a pain to wash off.  I have to use a towel at times to remove chucks of the mask stuck onto my face.  I also feel like the Glam Glow masks had no “wow” effect on my pores, so it seems as though my money was wasted. 


Overall, I am pleased with the VALENTIA Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask and will continue to use it.  If I have any updates down the road with continued use, I will add them to this review.  I am very selective of products I review and recommend.  I would not want to lose the trust of my readers or recommend a product to someone that I don’t feel confident about or love for my own use.  I don’t want y’all to waste your time or money! 

FTC Disclaimer: I would like to thank Valentia and Brandbacker for providing press sample for this post.
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 Yours Truly,
The Lipsticks-Ninja
Meesha 

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1 comment:

  1. Great post Meesha! I love this mask as well...to me, it is the only clay mask that feels somewhat hydrating and I like that because I have combo skin. I am glad you had such great results from it and thanks for the comparison to other masks!

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