CLAY MASKS: WHY ARE THEY SO POPULAR?

There's nothing new about masks. Discovering the skin-healing properties of natural ingredients of clay and mud surely didn't take ancient civilisations long to figure out. You rub your face in whatever your hut is built on and hey presto, your skin comes out looking better. Even with a little more sophistication - choosing which natural ingredients are better for your skin and rubbing that in instead, it's simplicity itself.

Of course, anything worth its weight is never just left at that. The science of figuring out exactly what ingredients do what for your skin has become an art - and often one that it is baffling to most of us. Ingredients you can't pronounce and formulas that sound anything but natural are a long way from the natural goodness of earth's natural vitamins and minerals and are more likely to put you off trying out a mask.

That's where the clay mask has shone through. Amidst this environment of more out-there treatments and so called miracle cures, clay hark back to a world of simplicity! Ingredients you can understand, easy to apply and rich in natural vitamins and minerals that we all know our busy lives deprive from our skin.

No one should promise their clay mask works wonders after the first use, but there can be amazing transformations that take place when you use a mask regularly. And when it takes just 10-20 minutes once per week, there really isn't an excuse. Of course we're all really good at finding excuses so we're here to give you a little pep talking to get you masking again,

All natural, naturally

Okay, so it really depends which clay mask you're using, but the gold standard in clay mask products are big on natural ingredients. We have made this a big focus of our SuperNatural skincare range, and our mask is all about packing a punch without compromise on unnatural ingredients. Unlike a lot of natural skincare ranges, clay masks tend to be more affordable and get right to the heart of a natural skincare routine without having to buy into a whole range.

Dual magic - Absorb and Hydrate

There are a range of masks out there - sheet masks, peel masks etc etc. What's great about clay masks is you get the dual benefit of a treatment that absorbs excess oil while also hydrating and nourishing the skin. Peel masks for example are great at drawing out impurities and absorbing excess oils, but they don't add much back to your skin. They can leave your skin dry and damaged with over use. In contrast, a clay mask with natural ingredients helps deal with blemishes and excess oil, while also nurturing your skin with natural vitamins and minerals. Our own clay mask for example, uses the rich papain enzyme from Pawpaw which helps rejuvenate the skin.

Simplicity personified

Maybe our favourite reason to mask more generally is the sheer simplicity of it. Put it on as you potter about the house and get it working for you without having to do anything else. Relax, read, take a bath, whatever you want, but you don't need to spend ages in front of the mirror rubbing lotions and potions into your skin to get an instant benefit. It's easy to put on and take off (many use our WipeOut cloth to actually remove our clay mask!) and a once per week routine will work wonders.

Colour wars

The great thing about clay masks is you can pick the clay that works best for you and there's some helpful colour coding to assist you. Whether its Green, Red or Pink, or White Clay, you can adapt your weekly treatment to meet your skin needs. The SuperNaturals Clay Mask uses pink Amazonian clay. This clay is called Kaolin and comes in different shades from Red to Pink and is super absorbent. White clay is less absorbent and is better for more sensitive skin, while Green clay and is high in mineral content.

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