[Royal Essential] Charcoal Facial Masque - Review
Hi Guys! ✨
The next product i'll be reviewing is:
Royal Essential - Charcoal Facial Masque!
This is the first charcoal facial mask i've used (that isn't the peel off type, and speaking of peel, I don't recommend Daiso's Charcoal Peel Off Mask to be used on your cheeks by the way) and It was quite a refreshing experience! I'm particularly enjoying these types of charcoal masks since they're easy to apply and are particularly great from my Oily T-Zone!
I've never heard of this brand before and found this at my local TK Maxx, after a quick google search it's actually an American product by Home Spa Collection. So an interesting find here in the UK indeed! (at least I think so haha! 😆)
What are Facial Masks?
Facial masks are great to introduce into your skin routine as they're designed to help you with your skin concerns. Taking place after cleansing, facial masks treat your particular skin type or condition and can help by hydrating your skin, remove excess oils and help improve the appearance of pores. They're also a great way to help draw out the impurities from your skin leaving it refreshed and glowy!
So I basically purchased the product as shown, so it was definitely a "what you see is what you get" with this one. I imagine if you ordered it online you'll probably receive it the same as I. Either way It's a jar (which is a little heavy mind you) with a screw top lid, on one side it has the name of the product and three key words you'd be on the look out for with this particular type of mask which are "Detox, Purify and Refine". On the left side of the jar it goes into more detail about the benefits of the facial mask in a bullet point format:
"Purifying power of charcoal, draws out impurities, helps combat blemishes and breakouts, unclogs deep pores, absorbs environmental toxins, skin feels smooth and refreshed and reveals skins natural glow"
I noticed at the bottom it include little symbols such as the cruelty free symbol, recycle symbol and a symbol i've not seen before on the left. Upon closure inspection it looks like an American Flag so I assume it's to provide you assurance that you're using a product made in the USA!
On the right side of the jar, it includes instructions on how to use the mask and below it a list of ingredients which are as follows:
"Aqua, Bentonite, Glycerin, Charcoal Powder, Dead Sea Mud, Kaolin, Sorbitol, *CO Glycerin, *CO Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavander) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, *CO Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract, *CO Camellia Sinensis (Japanese Green Tea) Leaf Extract, *CO Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, *CO Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract, *CO Spirulina Maxima (Sea Algae) Extract, *CO Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, *CO Cucumis Cativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, *CO Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract, Malus Domestica (Apple) Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Fragrance.
*Certified Organic"
Upon opening the jar it kinda looks like you're looking into a jar of Nutella haha! The first thing you'll notice is that it has quite a strong, distinguishable smell, which I would describe as a cucumber/herb smell. I personally didn't find it too distracting and I only notice it now if I place the jar near my nose, I feel since i've used this product a few times now I may be used to the "smell" so I can no longer smell it! This is something you should be aware of if you're not keen on your products having strong perfumed smells.
The product is filled to the brim so you're not being sold short and the actual consistency of the product itself is quite thick (which is what you want with a good wash off mask), and it spreads quite easily on the skin and adheres really well. I tend to use my fingers to spread the product on my face, however moving forward i'm currently looking for a brush to apply this product on since it'll save me time having to wash the product off my hands! I'd probably recommend you also look for a good face mask applicator for this reason too! (if you don't already have one that is)
When you first spread the charcoal mask on your face, you'll feel a slight cooling tingly feeling (if you've ever used products with mint in, you'll know what I mean) it goes away after about a minute or so however it does leave your face feeling quite cold. It can also be applied to the neck (the neck and back of the hands are the first areas to show signs of ageing!), as well as the face and according to the packaging it's recommended that you leave it on your face for 10-15 minutes (or when you start to feel the product start to dry).
The product does dry fairly quickly I have to admit, probably less than 10 minutes but I assume it would depend how thickly you've applied the mask! When it's dried it'll change colour to a light grey and cracks will form (where you've moved your face) so at this stage it's time to remove the mask. I suggest using luke-warm water to first take the product off, then apply cold water to your face to close your pores and then finish off by patting your face dry with a fluffy towel.
I definitely noticed a difference after I applied toner (to get rid of any remaining residue left from the charcoal mask) and then proceeded to apply my Pixi Rose Oil. My skin was significantly smoother and I could see bits of dead skin being lifted off and removed as I rubbed in the oil, so much so I had to get a tissue to remove the pieces of dead skin. Whether it's facial oil or serum you use after toner, you will notice a different in the texture of your skin after using this facial mask, my skin felt softer, refreshed and definitely detoxed after my first initial use which I was quite surprised at. Initially I didn't expect this mask to do much of anything so the end results were surprising but definitely welcomed!
This product is best suited for those of you that have Oily or Combined/Oily T-Zone like myself since it aims to detox, absorbs environmental toxins and unclogs deep pores. It can also help balance out your skin by drawing out toxins and eliminating sebum, dead skill cells and oil from your skin. I definitely recommend incorporating a charcoal face mask like this into your skincare routine and using it once to twice a week to really see the benefits!
It's also good to see that the first four ingredients (not including Aqua, since that's Latin for water) are considered good for you skin! which are:
Bentonite:
Bentonite is a type of clay which is used as an absorbant in cosmetics. It's absorbent qualities are beneficial for this with oily skin, however used often can be drying.
Glycerin:
Present in near enough all skincare products, Glycerin (also known as Glycerol or Glycerine) is a skin replenishing and restoring ingredient, helping to restore normal skin balance and hydration. It's also one of the many substances that helps the skin maintain a healthy look and feel, working to maintain the skins natural moisture level and defending against skin dryness.
Charcoal Powder:
Charcoal powder is a primary carbon substance formed by charring organic material in the absence of oxygen. Charcoal has unique absorption properties.
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| Img Credit: homespacollection.com |
Now it's time to list my Pros and Cons based on my personal experience using this product, please find them below!
Pros:
Good Value for Money:
I purchased this product from my local TK Maxx for about £6.99! (€9.99 when I purchased it in Ireland) I understand the price of this product can vary based on where you purchase it, but from where i've seen it being sold online, It is quite affordable compared to other charcoal face masks. Plus I feel that this product is well worth the money based on the results it produces!
Easy to Apply:
Easy to apply on the face via your fingers or a brush and doesn't take long for it to dry to allow you to wash it off. So quite good for those of you that don't fancy waiting around long for your facial masks to dry! easy to wash off (however if you apply Vaseline to your lips like myself after you get out the shower, you find as you're washing off this mask later on it'll cling to the Vaseline. But it easily comes off with toner!) however I do recommend using toner (if you don't already) to make sure all the charcoal has been removed for the skin!
Does What It Says on the Jar:
I didn't really expect anything amazing (since i've used facial masks that haven't really done much of anything) however I was left pleasantly surprised at how refreshed, cleansed, soft and glowy my skin was even after my first use! safe to say it does what It says on the jar!
Cruelty Free:
If you're very particular about whether or not your skincare products are cruelty free, you'll be happy to know that not only is this product made in the USA, it's also cruelty free!
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Cons
The Packaging:
The jar itself is quite heavy (mostly likely due to the choice of packaging materials) and is made from glass. It's in some high-priced packaging in my opinion, which is nice ofcourse. However, i'd be a bit concered of dropping or knocking the product over by accident (especially since I apply this product in the bathroom) and it smashing on the floor. Also, since it's bit weighty like I mentioned before...lets just say if you dropped this on your foot, you'd know about it 😂
Strong Fragrance:
As before mentioned, the charcoal mask itself has a strong distinguishable smell which I can only really describe as a "cucumber/herby" scent. It's quite a potent smell but only if the product is placed within close proximity of your nose. Eventually (and quite quickly), I feel you'll get used to the smell as I don't notice it anymore and I can't smell it when it's been applied to my face. However if you're not really a fan of products with a strong smell, this may not be for you. It's something to take into account, but if you can get over the smell, it's a great mask to use!
Overall, I could only really come up with two main faults for this product, but the Pros definitely outweigh the Cons with this one! This is a product I would very likely repurchase again since my experience using it was a pleasantly surprising one at that. Like I've already mentioned I do recommend it for those of you with Oily and Combined/Oily T-Zone skin, especially because of the many benefits of charcoal in drawing out toxins, sebum and dead skin cells and leaving your skin refreshed and smooth.
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Where to Purchase:
If you live here in the UK, pop into your local TK MAXX store as you'll find Royal Essential products are sold here! Mine was purchased here for £6.99 (however i've slept since then so this price may or may not be accurate!)
This product can be purchased from the manufacturer website for $16.99! (£12.23 converted)
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Thanks for reading this review! Hope you guys found it helpful!
Are you a fan of charcoal face masks? lemme know in the comments below!
Reference(s): paulaschoice.com
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