Review: Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask

The Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay is a 100% bentonite clay face mask that you mix with either water or apple cider vinegar.
The mask is quite affordable - it costs ~$15.00 (CAD) on Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Aztec-Secret-Indian-Healing-Cleansing/dp/B0014P8L9W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1540256920&sr=8-2&keywords=aztec+indian+healing+clay

Personally, I find that this mask literally acts as a vacuum, creating "pulsations" on your skin. It does increase redness, but I find that it leaves my skin feeling clean and glowing - it works for my combination skin because I am quite oily in my forehead and nose area. However, I don't find this mask to be very suitable for those with sensitive skin or rosacea.

According to Pusch (2015), clay is used for cleaning exposed skin and providing it with a coating that stimulates the most shallow parts of the epidermis, providing it with ions and molecules that impact its rheological performance. All in all, clay has a cleaning effective (it provides a large number of hydrogen bonds between organic debris and clay, so washing after the treatment effectively clears the skin). Clay acts as an effective barrier against microbial migration into open wounds. Clay is an effective treatment of acne, as it has a strong potential to sorb secretory components, to remove bacteria from the skin and provide protection against the invasion of microbes (a micro-organism, especially a bacterium).
So overall, the mask has its pros: it is affordable, it works well, and you get a lot of product in the tub. In terms of cons, I do find the mixing and application quite messy, as you’re required to mix the mask with water or apple cider vinegar yourself. Though it leaves you with redness for a little while, I do find that it truly clears and rejuvenates my skin.
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My verdict: would purchase again!

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References:
Pusch, R. (2015). Bentonite clay: environmental properties and applications. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

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