I am a serial facial-er.  At the very least, every other day I am in the bathroom cleansing, clarifying and moisturizing my youthful countenance to keep it looking its very best and so that I can combat the effects of my three decade long smoking addiction (see: Smoking Facts).  My regular facial components consist of an apricot scrub, an astringent and a moisturizer, and at least twice a week I expand the ritual to include masking, which helps draw toxins out of the skin.  Up until last month I’d been greatly neglecting the masking part of my regimen because I had yet to find a product I liked.  Lucky for me,  Pegasus Soaps came to the rescue at just the right time.

In case you couldn’t tell from the last review I did for Pegasus Soaps, I have made it a point to become a regular procurer of Michelle Ortiz‘s handiwork.  While I don’t personally know Ms. Ortiz outside of our Plurk sharings, I have come to admire the energy and dedication she puts into creating her products.  So when I discovered she offers By The Sea Mud Mask I had to hurry and cop a container and add it to my skin care routine.

Again, delivery was quick — my product arrived about three days after I placed my order through Michelle’s Artfire store — and came complete with instructions, an ingredients list and a free tube of Peachy Keen Shea Butter Lip Balm (gotta love the freebies, and this was a delightful one).  As soon as I received my package I did the sniff test to make sure this was a product I would want having close to my nose for upwards of five minutes.  I will not lie… the concoction is not pleasantly perfumed, as seaweed/sea kelp carries with it a “beachy” type of odor.  But having grown up around and spent a great amount of time at a beach every summer till I was fourteen I was used to it the aroma.

NOTE: The smell of the mask is not offensive at all but it does take getting used to.  For those who prefer a more “fru-fru” fragrance, Michelle can infuse the mask with a host of essential oils that might be more to your liking.

Next came the application.  After cleansing and clarifying I applied the mask liberally, making sure to keep it away from eyes, nose and mouth (as one should any facial product).  The consistency of the mask is thick, resembling wet sand with a similar texture, and proved extremely easy to distribute.  Now, here is the most fascinating part about the mask, facial-wise: upon contact with my skin I could actually feel the mask working!  Through a mild heating/tingling feeling I could sense the chlorophyll in the sea kelp powder working its detoxing magic.  The sensation was unexpected because while there was a heads up in the accompanying documentation about itching, there was nothing stated about warming.  It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling so I was not worried about it, and as one would suspect it stopped once the mask dried completely.

And now, for the removal.  The last facial mask I’d used was the Queen Helene Mud Pack Masque which worked well for me as far as applying and its intended purpose.  But when it came to removing the product, I had to use several towels (the mask caked the towels and was difficult to  rinse away, leaving behind a stain on the towels as well) and at least three hard working minutes to remove all traces of the product from my face prior to applying astringent.  But with By The Sea Mud Mask, removal was as simple as applying a warm towel compress to my face for a few seconds to loosen, and then gently wiping away.   One towel, one minute.  Easy peasy, like skin care should be.

After removing the mask I used my regular astringent to clarify my skin and remove any parts of the mask that might still remain in my pores, then waited the prerequisite one hour before applying my regular moisturizer.  The results… Smooth, clean and clear skin that glowed as if Sol were in the bathroom with me. *lol* My pores were barely defined and my skin felt “squeaky” clean and baby soft.  Considering sea kelp has a high fatty and amino acid content which work to maintain elasticity and acts as a skin conditioner (respectively), I doubt I even needed to use moisturizer until my next facial.  Imagine that!

Since this was my first experience with the product I had very little expectations of it beyond its designed purpose, so you can imagine my excitement when Michelle mentioned that the product was also good for use in pedicures!  After a vigorous work over with my pumice stone, I generously applied the mud mask to the bottoms and tops of my tootsies and surrounded each with a Saran Wrap covering.  Once thirty minutes had passed ,I effortlessly rinsed the mask away and enjoyed silky soft heels which would normally be as tough as nails thanks to my affinity for running around barefoot.  So a multi-purpose skin mask for $8 for 8 oz. I have barely used yet (a dollar an ounce for natural goodness is that deal)…  Do I really need to broadcast my rating for By The Sea Mud Mask?  I think not, but here goes anyway:

JBTM Rating:

Michelle, you have blessed me with another winner from your collection and further guaranteed yourself a repeat customer, as well as unofficial promoter (ever thought of starting an affiliate program *lol*)  Thank you so much for yet another product gem!

Healthy Hair Wishes,