Review (4/5): Cavin Schon Fuller's Earth & Bentonite Combo Clay (3 Pack)
Cavin Schon Fuller's Earth & Bentonite Combo Clay is chemical free, preservative free, metallic free, pesticide free, peroxide free, ammonia free, and cruelty free. It is used to leave skin and hair softer, as a deep pore cleaner that draws out toxins, and as a treatment for acne and scars. One package (this comes in a set of 3) weighs approximately 100 grams. The product is made in India. Each bag of clay comes in a resealable pouch to keep it fresh (and from making a mess). The directions say to not use a metal bowl when you are using this product (probably due to absorption issues). I used a styrofoam bowl and plastic spoon which I discarded after use. First of all, I believe the directions say to use 1-2 teaspoons of clay to equal parts water. I recommend using MUCH LESS. I followed these directions and had leftover clay that lasted for two weeks! (I kept adding water to the remainder to soften the clay each time I used it). The clay is fairly easy to mix as it is not sandy or gritty - but becomes more of a "putty" type mixture. I used the clay on my face only, as I did not want to deal with the mess of having it in my hair. On each application, I left the clay on for about 15-20 minutes (recommended amount of time). After about 10 minutes, you can feel the clay tighten on your skin. This doesn't hurt, but just feels strange, and at least for me - was a tiny bit itchy. The clay comes off fairly easy with a warm washcloth. There is one thing to note about this clay and it is even mentioned on the product instructions - this clay can (and did) make your face appear red after removal. I encountered this issue each time I used the product - even decreasing the time to about 12 minutes or so. The redness looks like a very light sunburn and doesn't hurt. It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to go away (at least in my case). Since it didn't hurt and was only appearance - I didn't worry too much about it, and just followed up with moisturizer afterwards. After the applications, I noticed that my skin felt much smoother, but the feeling only lasted that night (and sometimes only for a few hours). If you are not used to clay masks - this will make a mess! When applying the clay, I had some that fell off of my fingers and plopped into the sink. When trying to clean it up, it only smeared - making matters worse. The product does as it is intended, but I do not think that clay masks are for me. I did not like the tightening feeling when it was drying, after the first application- the redness was a little weird, even after reading the warning/precaution, and I prefer easier/simpler techniques such as creams, ointments, or serums. I have seen some reviews that state that the clay does not smell. I have to differ on this, as it does smell like - well CLAY! It has an earthy, dirt smell to it. Nothing bad or extreme, but it is noticeable. After using the product for 2 weeks straight - I did not notice much of a difference in my pores. The amount of product that you receive (3 bags) should last for quite a while! I had the leftover in the bowl that I mixed, and I still had 3/4 of a bag left from the one pack. I gave the rest of this bag to my mom and sent the other two sealed bags/packs to a friend.
I received this product in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.