clay mask boots botanics ionic clay mask origins clear improvement mask review swatch photo
boots botanics ionic clay mask &  origins clear improvement mask

When I was home I didn't bring any of my usual skincare with me, and it didn't help that I was suffering from a horrible breakout leaving my skin looking clogged up, dirty and an oily mess. I worked out the culprit was a silicone based primer, I always had this suspicion my skin hated silicone but never investigated it. Typically, I usually use the Origins Clear Improvement Mask whenever my skin needs sorting out post breakout. But I live in the middle of nowhere and on a Boots spree I picked up the Boots Ionic Clay Mask to test out. Clay masks are a godsend for oily or spot prone skin as they draw out all the nasties from the skin and work towards a more refined, clear skin.

The Boots Botanics Ionic Clay mask is clay based, it claims to help rid skin on oiliness while clearing out pores and deep cleansing the face. The mask has very slippy, thin, wet texture and it a lot less muddy feeling compared to the Origins one. It's quite lightweight and almost a little watery. The mask dries hard in about 10 minutes you can wash it off with warm water. It removes from the skin easily, and I found it left my skin feeling deeply cleansed albeit a bit stripped. It's definitely reduced the oil on my skin but at the expense of making it feel a little dry. I did notice a reduction in size and colour of my blemishes after use. Origins Clear Improvement is again, a clay based mask with the active ingredients being Charcoal and white clay. This works like a dream on congested skin and is always my go-to whenever my skin looks like it's about to breakout. Overtime it brings all impurities up to the surface of the skin and unclogs pores. It leaves my skin feeling smooth, soft and clean without feeling stripped or tight.

I think overall I prefer the Origins Clear Improvement mask, but I feel a good, highstreet alternative is the Boots Botantics one. They retail at £22 and £6.99 respectively with the latter being on offer quite regularly for 1/3rd off. So in terms of price the Botantics one wins. All clay masks dry the skin out to some degree, but I felt the Botanics one dried it out a little more. I'm just a little happier with the Origins results compared to the Boots Botanics, but essentially they do a similar job!
Do you have any recommendations for clay based masks?