Skinfood Mud Masque Review

I am a beauty junky. I love buying and trying new things all the time. I am not loyal to any particular skin care brand and over the years I have tried so many products, I just come up with my own routine for my skin depending on what it is doing at the time. I typically have combination skin (oily t-zone dry cheeks), am prone to hormonal breakouts, and enlarged pores. My tone and pigmentation is pretty ok I can do with a little evening out but overall I am pretty happy with my skin.

Picture for reference and also because I can't resist a selfie!

Imagine my suprise when all over the blogs and forums I follow from NZ there was this talk of a mud masque great for many skin types that was available at the supermarket. Not a cosmetics counter, not at Farmers but in my local Countdown Supermarket. Oh the joy! Another beauty product I can hide amongst the grocery bill and not get told off for buying! (the excitement is real). 

 Introducing the skinfood mud masque. This product has been around for a while and as far as I can tell the company is New Zealand based and has been around since 2003. This masque is made in NZ and retails on their website (www.skinfood.co.nz) for $13.99. I picked mine up at Countdown for around $11 on special which is SO CHEAP!!!!!! The tag line for this masque is "Natural Rotorua mud with aloe vera and jojoba oil" it is natural based and paraben free and contains ingredients sourced here in little old NZ. It is supposed to act as a "deep cleanser to soften and relax the skin" and boy does it do that!

Here it is remember how it looks and hunt it down!

It is a clay masque and as such works amazingly well to draw out any impurities but does so with out drying the skin. The first time I used it I did have a couple of spots come up over the next 48 hours as all the rubbish was drawn out, but the subsequent times I have used it (about once a week) it has just left my skin so smooth. I have noticed a reduction in pore size, although I have switched up my serum which could be helping that.Some masques I have used before I have had to use only on my t-zone and not my cheeks as they are left too tight and dry but this one is fine all over my face and leaves me with such soft supple skin. The smell is pretty non offensive pretty neutral smelling with a slight citrus sent and does smell really fresh and clean.

How I use it (and how they reccommend to use it), I cleanse using Clinique Foaming cleanser then apply a thick layer over my face avoiding my eyes but taking it down my neck a little. I wonder around for 10-15 minutes whlist it dries the gently remove it with a wet cloth. I found sitting the cloth on my face for a few seconds helps to get it off without scrubbing, I follow it up with whatever serum and moisturiser my skin is needing but at the moment my faves are Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum (in the evening) and Neutrogena Hydroboost Night Concentrate. I have been doing this in the evenings to give my skin a breather and not have to put makeup or sunscreen over the top to let my face do its thing. I love how as this dries you can see all the dirt and gross stuff coming up out of your pores. Gross but then you know it is working and doing its job!

All in all on to a winner here, NZ made and NZ company, good immediate and long term results. Next grocery shop I am sure a few more skinfood products will fall into my shopping trolley. Can't wait to try more.

Michaela x