French Red Clay

I never had acne as a teenager, but once I hit my 30's that changed and I started getting the hormonal chin zits and my skin looked dull. I had tried the pre-mixed (in a squeeze tube) clay masks from the drug store, but they didn't clear up the acne and usually dried out my face. After a little online reading I decided to mix my own clay mask at home using clay and strong green tea (the regular caffeinated kind).Amazon offered all sorts of price points when it came to buying clay powder and I decided to try this because it is middle of the road when it comes to cost. At the same time I also ordered a cheaper clay wondering how big of a difference it could really be.HUGE difference between the two clays! The cheap one sucks and this one is amazing!From this company I ordered the Rose French Clay, the Red French Clay and the Green French Clay.I gave the cheaper clay to friend and will never buy anything but this brand ever again.So here's the run-down of how I use these clays:The green clay mask is the most drying. Probably great if you have oily skin, but I have combination most of the year and dry in winter, so this mask was too much for me. I use it as a spot treatment and it really works.The red clay mask is my favorite and I will use it every-other or every-third day if I am having a breakout. As a preventative, I use it alternating with the Rose clay mask. The red clay seems to go the farthest, getting the most masks out of the small tin since you seem to need less clay per mask. When I first purchased all these clay powder masks I was very broken out with huge, painful zits. I tried them all once, then used only the red clay for two weeks and by week three my acne was under control and by week four my skin was darn near perfect. As an fyi, I use cetaphil cleanser for combination skin and clinique (yellow) moisturizer in the morning and neutrogena tone repair night moisturizer at night.The rose clay mask is milder than the red, but only by a little. Good for combination/dry or normal skin. This is the one I use the most in the winter and at other times of year I alternate it with the red.I use the mask at night and my routine on "mask nights" is:1) Put about 2 inches of brita water in a mug with a green tea bag (metal staple that holds the paper tag on removed!) and microwave for one minute.2) Wash my face while the microwave is going and tea is steeping. After my face is clean, I leave the washcloth over my face for about 20 seconds to help open the poors, then I run it under hot water again, ring out, and repeat. I do this maybe three or four times.3) Quickly mix about 1 tablespoon of mask with about half a tablespoon of the strong green tea. You might need to add a drop or two more, but only add a VERY LITTLE tea at a time. It takes some practice to be able to eyeball how much clay vs. tea to use, but you'll catch on quick! It is okay if your skin is dry by the time you are done mixing as long as your skin doesn't feel tight.4) Apply mask to face, being careful to go around your eyes....I avoid the under eye area too since that skin is so sensitive. I apply the mask with my fingers but you can get fancy and get a mask brush if you want. Keep in mind it is easier to put on a couple layers of a too-wet mask than it is to spread a too-dry mask, so if you eyeballed the clay/tea ratio wrong and your mask is a little thin, no worries!5) Look in mirror, laugh at how silly you look having the colorful mask on your face, and be thankful you are the only one still awake to witness this interesting sight. Contemplate waking up the kids and scaring the bejesus out of them with your awesome mask-face. Remind yourself that would be mean, and go watch about ten minutes of that show you recorded but didn't watch yet.6) When mask is totally dry, run washcloth under warm-hot water and place over face for 15 seconds to re-wet mask. Then wipe mask off, rinsing the washcloth out often....be warned, it will stain the washcloth. I have dedicated washcloths just for this purpose.7) Once the mask is all washed off, run the washcloth under COLD water, wring out quickly and press to your face, especially in any areas that are broken out. Hold in place for a few seconds.8) Pat face dry and apply favorite night moisturizer.ENJOY YOUR CLEAN SKIN! (And maybe finish watching that recorded show that you now only watched ten minutes of.)

I tried it several times, too messy to mix and no special results to write about. I will not buy it again

I have suffered with moderately severe, inflammatory acne for over 7 years now. I was able to keep it under control with antibiotics and topical retinoids until January 2011 when my skin just exploded. I used a facewash that did not agree with my skin and not even my prescription medication could help decongest my pores. I started using this product at the end of February 2011 when my skin was in the worst condition it had even been. My entire face was broken out, even my eyebrows. This product really helped to decongest my pores. I have been using it at night, every night for the past three weeks. I mix it with a few drops of tea tree oil and I use either rose water or witch hazel to make a paste of it. I know that most people recommend that you don't use a clay mask more than once or twice a week, but my pores were all so blocked that I would have at least 10-15 new pimples each day. My skin is also desensitized due to years of Retin-A usage as well as super-oily, so it did not cause any irritation. When everything is 100% better, I do intend to reduce my usage to every other day and then down to once or twice a week. I have found that the clay shortens the lifespan of even those red, inflammed bumps that never come to a head and usually last at least a week to about 2-3 days. It also helps it to heal without leaving a very hyperpigmented spot where the acne was. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone suffering from severe acne and has found that prescription drugs are not giving the desired impact.

I am an experienced warrior against black heads:) This clay is just a miracle.I take one tea spoon of this and just two or three drops of water, because I like my clay to be thick and I put it all over my face avoiding eyes and lips. After this I leave it for 15 min and rinse with warm water. My face is clean and my skin looks like I've been to SPA.Pay attention on how you mix this clay. For your first time take a small amount of clay and just several drops of water. You can always add water afterwards but if you pour like several tablespoons for the first time it may get thin and more like liquid gel not like a real clay mask. Practice makes perfect, so trust your instincts and you will definitely like this wonderful clay.

I have been using this clay mask for over a year, and it has drastically improved my skin!

I purchased this face mask, along with the green and rose varieties, when Burt's Bees stopped making their Green Goddess face mask. I was looking for a new clay mask...and I found it! While I like the green and rose clay masks, this one is my favorite. I have problems with moderate to severe whiteheads and red,raised bumps on my face. This mask dries up my whiteheads without drying out my combination skin and DRASTICALLY reduces redness in my face. I am a frequent face mask user and this has become my favorite one!