Product Review: Ahava Mineral Radiance Instant Detox Mud Mask

You know those days when your skin just needs to chill? It may feel stuffed up and clogged, parched, and irritated, red, maybe even so, or some combination of all of the above and that it just needs to be mellowed out but also could use an active bit of healing to set it back an balance? I have had many a day like that recently, but a great "reset button" for me that I have come to rely on is the Ahava Radiance Instant Detox Mask.

At first glance at this mask-- especially with the words "detox" and "mud mask" in its name, I fully expected this to be a clarifying, anti-acne mask to use during breakouts or when my skin starts feeling congested before the breakouts actually appear. However, while I do find this mask to be quite rebalancing to the to the skin and calming to any blemishes I have that are healing, this mask does so much more. It is loaded with lots of minerals (coming from Ahava's signature Dead Seawater ingredient and beyond), which really help fortify the skin's barrier, help it to retain moisture and appear more evenly toned as well as helping it guard itself against and cope with environmental factors. This mask is also in a lot of fermented and antioxidant ingredients, which also helps the skin keep its cool in changing and/or polluted environments. I have a friend who lives in an urban environment and also struggles a lot with allergies and environmental irritants, the effects of which can often show up in skin irritation, and she particularly swears by this mask. Her face looks impeccably even, calm, and glowing after every use. With my very sensitive, dry, dehydrated skin type that also struggles with having proper barrier function to protect it against whatever the environment may throw its way, I am pleased to say I see the same results as my friend, even though I live in a much more rural area than she does. Any redness I have is calmed within minutes of applying and rinsing this mask-- by the way, this mask, by definition, is perfect for a quick treatment. The instructions say to leave it on for two minutes, so it's great for anyone to give their skin a quick boost of reset and protect. But I also have left it on for a little longer than prescribed and have had no problems with it changing in consistency or overdrying my skin. Though this mask does contain a small to moderate amount of Kaolin clay, it is not very much and by no means does it overstrip my skin of its oils, and really, this mask does not even set to an overly hardened state even at the end of your treatment. So if you normally shy away from masks with clay in them because they might be too drying or feel cracky or uncomfortable, I would definitely say that you are more than safe with this one. The texture of the mask itself is overall is very malleable and creamy but also relatively thin (and as it says, again, it remains very comfortable, not overly dry and somewhat tacky. As far as its scent, it is almost indistinguishable, but I would call it a very soft clay-like smell with a vague hint something more botanical that I can't quite identify. I do find it pleasant, though, but is almost nonexistent, so for those who dislike scent of any kind in their skincare, I still believe this could very well be a workable product.

One tip I learned from my friend who loves this mask to amp is all-arounder treatment abilities even further is to apply this mask over top and oil cleanser. The oil cleanser will start working to pull out oil plugs and break down any baseline levels of direct and grime while the Instant Detox mask helps to refeed and heal it with antioxidants, minerals, and other skin soothers for softer, stronger, and palpably more radiant skin in quite a short amount of time. And because it is not overly stripping, I find you can use this mask as many times a week as wanted, and the skin just gets better.

If your skin needs a chance to chill out and calm down from all it sees each and every day, I highly recommend the Ahava Mineral Radiance Instant Detox Mud Mask as a product to take you there. It is truly a spa in a tube, and it is quickly rising to the top of one of my most used skincare products. You can find it on the Ahava website, Ahava.com for $37 USD for a full-sized 3.3 oz tube.