I tried Amazon’s best-selling face mask, and these are my thoughts

The world’s most powerful facial.

The Aztec Secret-Indian Healing Clay mask. If you’re a bit of a face mask fanatic like me, you have probably seen this mask pop up on the internet. It’s been publicly adored by celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian, Mindy Kaling and Lili Reinhart.

Personally, I saw several Instagram posts and YouTube videos of people reviewing this “life-changing” mask. These YouTubers were claiming the mask cured their acne, shrunk their pores, and gave them a healthy glow. Obviously, I had to try it.

Looking for more top-rated beauty? Read about Mecca’s top 15 all-time bestsellers here.

Boasting over 13,000 reviews with an average of 4.5/5 stars, ranking it number one in Amazon’s face mask category, the mask has an impressive following. For $23.99 AUD, consumers get 454 grams of clay per tub (a very generous amount).

Before the purchase of this famous face mask, I had never bought anything from Amazon. I’ll admit I had an ill-informed idea that everything on the site was dodgy and my mask wouldn’t arrive, but I was wrong. In fact, I placed my order and the very next day it was on my doorstep.

A bit of background information on the mask: It is made of 100 per cent calcium bentonite clay, a unique absorbent clay that can attract negative toxins in the skin and draw out impurities in the pores. Providing a deep cleanse and claiming to be the “world’s most powerful facial”, the mask is said to make your face pulse as it tightens. The clay comes from Death Valley, USA and has a number of uses including body wraps, foot soaks, and face masks.

When my package arrived, I immediately cleansed my face and began preparing the mask. The product itself is pure clay, designed to be mixed with apple cider vinegar to create a paste. After hypnotically watching the bubbling created by the amalgamation of the two ingredients, I applied the mask to my face using a small brush similar to a flat foundation brush.

For reference, my skin type is normal with a slight lean towards combination during winter. I don’t suffer from acne but do get the occasional hormonal breakout around my chin area (which I had at the time of masking). I don’t experience any pigmentation issues or serious redness, but am slightly sensitive and can react to certain ingredients.

During application, the mask felt cooling and didn’t sting or irritate my skin. It dried down quickly and felt instantly tightening, highlighting every pore on my face. After about five minutes of drying, it began to feel slightly itchy, but this sensation isn’t unusual for a tightening clay mask.

After eight minutes I washed it off – the instructions say to wash after five to 10 minutes for sensitive skin types. It came off fairly easily with warm water and a washcloth (another addition to your skincare arsenal that you should really try). After drying my face, I was pleasantly surprised to find my face feeling incredibly smooth. Although a little red, I didn’t feel dry or overly stripped of my natural oils, and my face felt super clean. The pores around my nose were noticeably smaller and I had an overall brightness to my complexion.

My chin area, however, did seem to have slightly more bumps than pre-mask. I read up on this online and found that the initial mask is intended to clean your pores and draw out any deep impurities. This made sense, as it was bringing my chin congestion to the surface.

The next day, as recommended (and because I loved the way it made my skin feel) I tried it again. It’s important to note that after these initial two uses, it’s generally recommended to mask once or twice a week. This second mask is meant to help shrink any impurities you drew out the day before. This it did, and the little bumps on my chin were smaller.

I was so impressed I suggested my sister give it a go. After two uses she announced: “Lydia, this mask is insane.” As a teenager, she is more prone to breakouts than I am. She noticed visibly clearer skin around her problem areas and clearing of congestion on her nose.

My verdict?

I am obsessed. This mask cleans my skin deeper than any clay mask I’ve tried. The amount of product you get for the cost is also insane, and I can see this one tub lasting me around 80 applications.

I often find that deep cleansing products can leave me feeling dry and tight, but that wasn’t the case with this. My skin felt cleansed and soft, not irritated. My one note is that I wouldn’t suggest using it right before going out as it can cause redness, but this tends to go down in around 30 minutes. For those with extra sensitive skin, try mixing it with water instead of apple cider vinegar.

The Amazon reviews don’t lie on this one. Give yourself an at-home facial and achieve a glowy, cleansed complexion.

You can get Aztec Secret here.