This Charcoal Face Mask Saved My Skin From Constant Breakouts
I use it twice a week, and I don’t get any more pimples.
I love using face masks, but keeping up with a regular schedule of using one weekly has always been a weak point in my skincare routine. Cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer—I’ll use those all religiously, twice a day, and tailor them to my skin’s specific needs at any given time. But a mask? I’ll find a great one, use it once or twice a week for a couple of weeks, and then give it up when I don’t see immediate results. I know, logically, that skincare products work best when you use them consistently—and masks are no exception to that rule—but I just never found one that made me want to keep using it.
That is, until recently. When I began experiencing stress breakouts a couple of months ago and discovered my normal acne spot treatments weren’t working on the new, stubborn pimples, I went on the hunt for an exfoliating mask that could help clear my skin; that’s how I discovered the GlamGlow SuperMud Charcoal Instant Treatment Mask. I began using it twice a week, and it quickly became the first face mask to become a staple in my routine. Now, three months later, I can happily report that my skin has entirely cleared up thanks to it.
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The charcoal mask is thick and cooling when you apply, giving it a luxurious feel. Once you let it sit on your face for a bit, it dries up—which is probably my favorite part of the process because it makes me feel like I’m genuinely at a spa getting a mud facial—and then it’s easy to remove by rinsing or using a micellar water. Your skin is left glowy, and most importantly, clarified: My face actually feels ten times cleaner after I use the mask than if I’ve merely cleansed.
This clean feeling is likely due to the formula’s super six acid blend, which includes powerful acne-fighting ingredients like lactic acid, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, mandelic acid, tartaric acid, and pyruvic acid. Since all of these are exfoliants, too, they’ll gently remove dead cells from your face and promote skin regeneration. Plus, the charcoal in the mask helps to attract dirt and debris from your skin, while eucalyptus acts as an antioxidant to brighten your complexion. The result is cleansed pores, which appear smaller.
It also prevents new pimples and blemishes from forming by calming your skin and discouraging extra oil production. This was an effect I saw immediately, even after the first time I used it. The stress breakouts on my face appeared slightly smaller after I took the mask off, and two even drained and began to clear up in the hours that followed. As someone who likes their products to show instant effects, this felt like magic to me.
Other customers love the product as much as I do. One Sephora reviewer wrote, “My skin was smoother, softer, and brighter after one use! I’m a devout convert now and I really wish I had used this earlier!”
Available in four sizes, the mask’s prices start at $25. But you get a good amount of product for the price—since you’re only using a thin amount on your face once or twice a week, a 1.7-ounce jar (the standard size option, which is $59) will definitely last you at least a month.
Personally, after three months of using mine, I still have over half the jar left. Considering this has become my holy-grail acne-fighting product, I’d call that a great deal.
<p><img alt="GlamGlow Supermud Charcoal Instant Treatment Mask" src="https://www.realsimple.com/sites/default/files/1585156864/super-mud-clearing-treatment.jpg" width="100%" /></p>
To buy: $59; sephora.com.
