This mask is a clay mask, that has the longest name (Aesop Chamomile Concentrate Ant-Blemish mask).
The ingredients that should be calming your skin down are (drumroll, please), CHAMOMILE. The tea tree oil is likely being used to give the product anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties (hence the ANTI-BLEMISH claim). I did think that anti-blemish meant removing pigmentation etc, but then I took my Indian woman hat off (and aspirational desire for fairness…), and realised the brand means zits.
There is also Evening Primrose oil, which is the few plant oils that has Gamma-Linolenic Acid (long chain fatty acid that has anti-inflammatory properties)
All in all, sounds great on paper…
Instructions for use
Leave on for 10 minutes. I’ll reiterate that do not let any clay mask dry out on you – if that means you wash your face at 8 minutes, that’s ok. Clay masks are designed to draw out impurities from your skin, but it is a fine line between drawing out moisture from your skin (which happens when the mask dries out and/or when you leave it on for too long)
I have no expectations of this mask, except not to irritate me and cause me break outs
Obligatory before photos
Some of you have asked to actually see me wear product. I am sorry, my face looks straight out of a comic book or horror story
Obligatory after photos
Would I buy this product again?
Yes.
As the photo indicates this is my second use of this face mask. It does not dry out my skin. There is no burning or irritating sensation. Its easy to use. Importantly, unlike many clay masks, it has a high % of oil in it. I cannot emphasise how important it is to have this cushion in your product, so that the product does not draw out oils/water from your skin.
Also, because I am studying formulation, I can tell you for free, that wet clay masks are one of the hardest things to formulate, keep preserved and stable. So as a student, I am in total admiration of this product.
Available for sale everywhere. I bought mine at cultbeauty for GBP
1 thought on “Aesop anti-blemish masque product review”
Hello Ms Sinha,
I just want to say that I very much enjoy reading your blog, especially your erudition musings. I’m in the US and it is often very difficult here to get exposure to people of other viewpoints and cultures, eventhough we are supposed to be a multicultural society, people are very clannish and ethnocentric – it is hard to make friends or even hear opinions from people of ethnicities different from yourself after University. Everyone wear masks. It’s why we have so many insolvable problems right now.
I’m not Indian so it has been great to read a bit about your culture and thoughts on various issues.
Recently I used the Missha Chogongjin Sulbon Brightening Essence to try to fade some spots left from biopsies from ten years ago. While I can’t tell if it has worked on these or not, as they are so old it’s probably hopeless to remove them without plastic surgery intervention, which eek, nope!; I’ve found very noticable whitening of my skin from the difference between my neck (where I put the lotion) and lower cleavage (no lotion). (I’m quite light skin (2N) so I didn’t notice it on my face right away as I applied the lotion all over my face and neck).
It’s a relatively inexpensive product to get because the Missha website seems to almost always have a 40-60% off sale on rotating products. You don’t even have to wait long – 1-2 months – to get what you want for half off, and it’s a larger amount than usual. They also give dollar-for-dollar rewards for purchases, which is better than I’ve seen with any other brand or store. Missha products are definitely not as good as Estee Lauder or Sisley, but their prices (with the discounts) are even lower than the better drug store brands like Vichy (my fav), Olay Regenerist (heard raves but haven’t tried).
Our skin are probably very different, but you might try to see if it will also lighten yours (although I think darker skins than mine are beautiful, no need to risk cancer for tans!)