The Body Shop Chinese Ginseng & Rice face mask

If I want to have a true pamper moment, I like using a face mask. I always think I should do it more regularly, but with my dehydrated sensitive skin, most face masks are usually a little too intense to use very regularly. My preference for face masks are ones that clarify and really give my skin a pick me up. So when I spotted this face mask at The Body Shop, I was intrigued to say the least.  

The Body Shop Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask

I had tried TBS face masks before and liked them, so I knew I had to try at least one of these when they were new. I just hadn’t gotten round to given this a really good test run just yet. At €20 a pop this is a little bit more expensive than any other face mask I have ever tried. So I was hoping it would be worth it.

The Packaging

The first thing that drew me into these masks was their packaging. This looks very luxurious and well thought through. Each gar comes in a separate box and comes with a spatula so you don’t have to stick your fingers into the jar. Not only is it more hygienic, but it is a nice touch as well to have that included.

The Product

The product itself looks like a very thick white cream. This mask should illuminate, even and revitalize skin and that is usually what I go for in my masks. My skin can look quite dull and I have some milia on my skin caused by dehydration, so a good pick me up is what my skin mostly needs from time to time.

The Ingredients

Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit, Kaolin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil/Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, PEG-100 Stearate, Alcohol Denat., Decyl Glucoside, Cera Alba/Beeswax/Cire d’abeille, Perlite, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter,Parfum/Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Limonene, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Menthol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract/Panax Ginseng (Ginseng) Root Extract, Disodium EDTA, Citral, Citronellol, Linalool, Menthoxypropanediol, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Eugenol, Dextrin, Oryza Sativa Extract/Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide.

This mask contains some scrubbing particles and is completely paraben, silicone and mineral oil free. The active ingredients it boasts are ginseng and rice but both are quite low on the ingredient list, so how much benefit you actually get from it remains a mystery. This mask does contain kaolin which means this is a clay based mask. I personally love those as they truly soak up all the impurities from your pores.

The Swatch

Once swatched you can clearly see the granules in the product. I like putting some of the product from the spatula onto my face mask brush (just a cheap foundation brush) and spread it out like that. I find that gives the most even layer and means you do not over apply this.

The Application

Typically, I leave on a face mask for about 15 minutes, but you can leave this on longer if you like. On the left you can see the mask freshly applied. On the right is the result after wearing it for 15 minutes. As you can see the skin absorbs the moisture from the mask quite well and you’re left with a very stubborn product that I do find quite difficult to remove.

The Result

On the left you can see my face before the mask. On the right is my skin after rinsing this off. I find this difficult to remove and you can still see some of the granules stuck to my face. So I mostly like using this right before a shower. That way I know for sure I don’t end up with bits in my hair. My skin looks red but it mostly does after using a face mask. I find this clarifies my pores and makes my skin feel smoother. I also believe it makes my skin look a bit more radiant and alive after the redness wears off.

The Conclusion

This is an intense but great face mask. It is exactly what I look for in a mask. After using the The Body Shop Ginseng & Rice Face Mask, my pores are clear, my skin feels great and the result is noticeable for a few days after use. Overall, I think it is definitely worth the money and I would definitely like to try more from this range.

What is your favorite face mask?