Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask Review

I bought this mask last October and I use it on my entire face once a week. I get really bad blackheads and this magical mask helps diminish the appearance of them. It is also so good at helping with maintaining the oiliness of my skin. I have noticed such a big difference in my skin since using it. I would't recommend it for people with drier skin as it can be a bit harsh at times.

I purchased the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask when my skin was incredibly acne prone. I had constant break outs and my blemishes were sticking around for over a week. The mask I had been using was the Trilogy Mineral Radiance mask, but I was hoping for something a little more potent.

The Origins Clear Improvement Mask is a black, smooth formula that spreads easily over the face. It does apply in a reasonably thick layer, and a little does NOT go a long way, so it is likely that you will go through the tube reasonably quickly. Once applied, the mask is slightly cooling and you can feel it working, but on my skin it does not sting, burn or feel overly powerful. Within 10-15 minutes it dries completely, feeling tight and noticeable, but not uncomfortable. Looking closely, you can see any areas where oil and gunk have been pulled out. The mask can then be rinsed off with warm water - I need a face cloth to get it off.

Stop reading now if you don't want an in depth discussion of pimples. After washing of the mask, active blemishes (even ones that are bumps rather than whiteheads) are often open and oozing. It's gross, but it does give you the opportunity to use a tissue and uh, extract the gunk, leaving blemishes much smaller. This speeds up the process. If you are doing this, I would recommend cleansing your face with an antibacterial cleanser to prevent the spreading of bacteria. My skin also feels tighter after use.

If you are familiar with Glamglow, the Origins Clear Improvement mask is a great dupe. It is powerful and works by drawing out impurities to the point where puss and oil are literally pulled out of the skin. It speeds up the process of a blemish, however they often get worse for a day than they would without. This would be very effective as a spot treatment, particularly if you had a single blemish and an event in a few days time. I personally don't like this process/treatment as I find that it increases the scarring left behind. My face is very fair, and scarring is my main concern, so a product that increases scarring is not one that I want to keep using. I have returned to the Trilogy mask, as it is effective, more comfortable and hydrating.

I brought this as the hype around Origins is so good and as a Glamglow fan I was intrigued by the claims of it being a dupe for their supermud pack.

Packaging wise it comes in a semi opaque, squeezable plastic tub which stands up on it's lid to keep the thick gloopy liquid at the right spot for when you need it.

Formula, this comes out of the tube in a slightly wet, dark grey shade that feels cold, even if kept in a warm room this retains that cooling effect from its blend of oils within it. Applied as directed, in an even layer after warming and wetting your skin with a damp towel, this opens the pores up to allow the charcoal to seep in and purge them deeply of all the gunky build up. Leaving to settle on your face for 10-15 minutes until set, this mask turns to a black colour as it hardens, and then rinses off easily even if left on longer than recommended.

After the first use I was hooked, my nose is bad for large, visible pores that make it look like a strawberry minus the redness (luckily!) But after rinsing this mask off the appearance of them was reduced and also I noticed that my oily t-zone area was matte, no shine whatsoever. The mask had acted like a giant sponge and sucked out all the clogged up matter and excess oil along with it.

I now use this mask 3 times a week and have seen a huge difference is my skin's brightness, clarity and pore appearance. Not a huge sufferer from outbreak of spots but they do happen occasionally, none to report since using this mask.

This mask is the best, I use it once a week and my skin has improved so much especially when I have Period acne. Every time I use this my skin is left feeling super soft and moisturised. I have oily/ combination skin and I don't find that this drys out my skin or leaves it too oily it is just the perfect balance.

I usually use this at night after I have cleaned my face and then use a light moisturiser afterwards and I wake up with healthy looking, super soft skin, thoroughly recommend this product!!!!

I had heard raves on this product so I thought why not? I thought the size of the tube for the price was a good deal considering a lot of mid to high end masques are about half the size for about the same price as this. This masque is an easy to spread, smooth, dark grey formula. I washed my face, used a warm wet face cloth to open my pores then spread the masque all over my face concentrating on my pores. I did have some congested pores and the odd pimple and a few minor pimples threatening to rear their ugly little heads, so I was curious if this grey wonder would stop the would be pimples in their tracks. I had read how good this was for sensitive skin and how it was not drying at all but surprisingly within a minute of applying this my face began to burn and sting. Now if this masque had some skincare acids in it like glycolic or salicylic acid I would expect it to burn. While my skin is a bit on the drier side during winter, I didn't expect it to burn because my skin is good with a lot of skincare. But the burn sensation did ease away after a few minutes. The second time I experienced the same amount of burning. If I want to rinse off this masque off in the sink it leaves a mess so I prefer to rinse it off in the shower plus that way I can thoroughly get it all off without getting my face towels stained. Afterwards my skin is smooth and my skin got a deep clean, my pores don't look that much smaller though. When I apply my skincare my skin soaks up any moisture much faster and the next day my skin is less oily. As for pimples they don't seem to get as big if I use this but it doesn't seem to prevent breakouts. While I do think there are a fair amount of pros to this masque, I do have other masques that I prefer and give me pretty good or about the same results without the burning sensation so I won't be getting this again. Another thing is that while the tube is twice the size of some other masks for about the same price, I do seem to need more of the masque to cover my face and neck than I do some other masques so I get that evens things out price wise. I definitely wouldn't recommend this for those with sensitive or dry skin, but it probably would suit those with oily skin.

This is one of the best charcoal based facial masks that I have used, and have done so now for the past 3-4 years. I generally go through a bottle every 5-6 months as you only need to really be using a charcoal mask as a deep purge treatment 2-3 times a month depending upon your skin type. Charcoal in this mask acts like a magnetic and draws up all the blocked gunk from my pores and once clean helps to minimise them keeping my overall appearance smoother and clearer.

I have combination skin and so only need it once a fortnight, unless I am hormonal and a pimple is threatening to emerge then I shall do it more often at them moments, as it manages to draw out the impurities floating around my skin cells and nix them nasty pimples before they have a chance to fully take hold.

Wouldn't trade this charcoal mask for any other, have tried a few others but none have the same experience and long lasting effect than this one. Even though it is pricey I find it is worth every penny.

I like to think of myself as a masking expert as I have tried so many. I have blackhead prone skin and although most clay masks clear my pores they don’t remove any blackheads. This is one of the few that seem to help by loosening the blackheads which of course makes them easy to remove. It has charcoal in it which of course really does help with ridding pores of oil and gunk. This feels very similar to other masks and takes about 20 minutes to dry. It can be quite difficult to remove but I just hop in the shower and it’s less messy and seems to just melt off. My skin feels clean and soft but not dry which I’ve found with other masks like this. I will definitely be buying this product again and am excited to try out other masks by Origins as I’m yet to be disappointed by anything in their range. I got mine as part of holiday gift set and paid $55 for 5 large trial sized products so I’m not sure of the exact price but from memory it’s around $40 but applied sparingly with a brush should last a while. I use this mask twice weekly.