Turmeric Tales: Botanical Lab Turmeric Blemish Control Clay Mask

Hi everyone and welcome back!!

I've decided to start a new series of “Turmeric Tales” after the popularity of my Instagram post last year (here) featuring the Botanical Lab Turmeric mask, so I've been scouring the internet since then, collecting some turmeric containing products to test and review for this series, which I'm so excited about!

Seeing as my grandparents were from India and turmeric is heavily used in South Asian food/culture, it made sense to start this series, especially as it has recently gained much popularity in the Western world, so read on to see my first instalment in this series and a little background information on the wonder ingredient that is also known as "haldi".

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Turmeric / Haldi

I'm sure most of you know already, but turmeric (aka haldi) is one of the most potent spices used by South Asians for not only food like curries, but also in home made remedies for all sorts of ailments like colds, sleep issues, arthritis and more.

Recently there's been more scientific research suggesting turmeric can also help with cancerous cells and preventing heart failure, as the main active ingredient in turmeric - curcumin - has been linked to health benefits.

Of course this doesn't mean all foods containing turmeric are necessarily healthy (oil content is usually high in foods like curries!), so - as with anything - moderation is key and as much as it is a "wonder" spice, too much shouldn't be taken as it could do more damage than good.

If you're Asian, Haldi doodh (turmeric milk) has probably been suggested to drink like it has been to me countless times whenever I've had a cough/cold, so it's no wonder the Western world has caught on to the health benefits and there's been an increase of "golden" turmeric lattes in the pretty cafes I like to visit.

There’s obviously some scepticism about using an affordable wonder spice that’s been used for centuries and marketing it with a higher price point, particularly when South Asians have been making haldi doodh for much less money, but I guess it's actually having the option of choosing a turmeric latte if you're feeling run down (as opposed to just coffee/tea) that appeals to me personally!

Turmeric in Beauty

Another traditional use for turmeric that has been gaining popularity is of course in a beauty regime.

For ages, haldi has been used particularly by South Asian/Indian brides in preparation for their big day, as turmeric also has anti-bacterial/anti-inflammatory properties, which can help with spots, but also helping brighten the skin.

Of course it's not just for brides, many people make their own masks at home using ingredients such as besan (gram flour) and almond oil or yoghurt and honey/lemon and/or other ingredients too.

Personally I find home made masks a bit tedious and messy to do and as I don't have enough free time, I tend to prefer the convenience of shop bought masks that also have a longer shelf life or contain ingredients that I can't find in my kitchen or grow myself.

Up until the Botanical Lab mask, the only turmeric mask I had come across and tried was by Kiehls - the Turmeric and Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque, which I liked and will be reviewing separately in another blog post.

I then took it upon myself to find and buy as many turmeric containing beauty products that may be of interest to you guys for this Turmeric Tales series, and once tested adequately I will be giving my thoughts and review right here.. so I hope you guys like it! 

Botanical Lab Turmeric Blemish Control Clay Mask

ingredients, instructions and swatch of the mask (drying)

I first discovered Botanical Lab on the Superdrug website and purchased it as I was interested to see how it would compare to the only other turmeric mask I knew at the time- Kiehls Turmeric and Cranberry Seed masque.

It was quite different. Although the Kiehls mask contains clays like this one, it's more of an exfoliating mask than a purifying one.

If you follow me on IG you’ll know I keep recommending and mentioning this mask and it's mostly because it is super affordable for everyone to allow themselves to purchase (only £6.99!), but here’s a full review to start off my Turmeric tales series anyway!

My Skin

My skin is currently combination-dry as it's still pretty cold; I get a bit oily around my nose but on the end of my nose there is a little dry skin/flakiness at times and I am slightly dry on the cheeks (but not flakey).

My skin feels slightly tingly/stinging when wearing masks so I guess it's slightly sensitive.

You can read further about my skin/skintone in my FAQs.

Bearing this in mind, I'm writing my review based on my combination skin/oily nose with slightly sensitive tendencies.

The Mask

Type of Mask

This Turmeric Blemish Control Clay mask is described as a purifying and antibacterial deep cleansing treatment that unclogs the pores and keeps blemishes at bay.

It is a mineral rich clay mask that gently exfoliates while removing impurities/excess oils without over drying your skin.

Witch hazel is in this mask too which is a natural astringent that helps tone the skin and treat spots.

Ingredients

turmeric

indian clay

kaolin

witch hazel

nutmeg

orange peel oil

cinnamon bark

rose flower oil

jojoba seed oil

neem leaf extract

lemon oil

I personally am a big fan of clay masks at the moment as they really do feel like they deep clean the pores, so the presence of Indian and Kaolin clay makes this mask perform great for its claims, particularly as kaolin is listed as the second ingredient after water and bentonite (another clay) listed fourth, which means it’s the second and fourth highest in quantity/concentration out of all the ingredients.

Scent

The scent isn't the most pleasant as it smells strongly of haldi/turmeric but then turmeric is listed sixth, which is also pretty high up the ingredients list and thus gives the strong smell to the mask which I don’t particularly like but can appreciate its natural scent.

Consistency/Application

This mask is creamy, thick and almost jellyish in consistency but easy to apply as there are no big scrub like particles or leaves.

I use a brush to apply as I feel like this way I get an even and precise application.

The mask has an initial stinging effect which may be too much for those who aren’t used to clay masks or have sensitive skin types, so always patch test.

Once the mask begins to dry down, the stinging subsides and it begins to harden a bit on the face.

It first applies a light yellow shade then turns a dark mustard and then a pastel white yellow once fully dry.

I use either a micro fibre cloth or my hands and water to wash off; when using a cloth I simply wipe away, but when using my hands and water I use circular motions to massage off and exfoliate the drier areas.

Overall Effect

The first thing I noticed when using the mask the first time was that my skin looked brighter and felt deeply cleansed but not too dry like usual clay masks.

I was expecting a yellow stain as this usually happens with turmeric and the ingredient is pretty high up, but I was surprised and impressed to have not found any lasting stain (only a slight yellow tinge remaining on a cotton pad when using a toner after masking).

Surprisingly, I don't get as much redness when washing off this mask compared to the Body Shop Himalayan mask which also stings me a fair bit, but I guess it's because the scrub particles in this Botanical Lab mask don't stick to the face like the green tea leaves do.

What skin type it is best for

As it is a clay mask, it is a deep cleansing type of mask which is usually best for oily to combination skin types but as it is mildly exfoliating, I think dry skin types could appreciate this mask too for the brightening properties and just use a good oil/moisturiser after using this mask.
I would definitely recommend this mask for anyone who isn't very sensitive, particularly if you have combination or oily skin and need a deep cleaning mask in your collection.

I wasn't left feeling unbearably dry after using the mask, but definitely feel like using an oil or moisturiser helps leave the skin feeling nourished.

Botanical Lab is available in Superdrug only for now and priced at £6.99, however I have purchased this mask on offer twice already - once when it was on buy one get one half price and again recently with 1/3 off, making it only £4.66!

There is also a Hydrating Rose mask in the Botanical Lab range which looks promising, but I haven't yet tried as I prefer deep cleaning masks in my collection.

I have however tried two other products from the Botanical Lab brand - the Pumpkin and Papaya Enzyme Daily Exfoliator which contains the beloved glycolic acid of most skincare addicts as well as a blend of AHA and BHA acids and aloe.

The Clay and Sulfur Drying Lotion is also worth checking out as a cheaper alternative to Mario Badescue/Kate Somerville's drying lotions.

Overall I'm really impressed with this product, it ticks all the boxes too as not only is it super affordable and effective, it's also vegan friendly which makes it even more attractive.

Have you tried anything from Botanical Lab that you'd recommend? Let me know if you also are excited for this Turmeric Tales series or if you have any requests!

                    

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