The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Face Mask Review

This is not a pretty face mask. It doesn't have a cute character printed on a sheet nor does it have a thick, luxurious texture. Made with "tingling charcoal clay" that "is infused with bamboo charcoal, green tea leaves and organic tea tree oil," this mask has a thin texture, a dark colour and pieces of black... something in it. Maybe the pieces are the green tea leaves? Whatever they are, they contribute greatly to creating a product that when on, makes you look like you just took a swim in a swamp.

According to The Body Shop this, "...invigorating charcoal face mask draws out impurities and refines the appearance of pores for healthy-looking skin with a glow that shows." I agree with the last part of this statement. My face did look healthier after using this product and yes, you could even say that it glowed (but not in a gross, shiny way). But it didn't refine the look of my pores and it definitely didn't "draw out impurities." Okay, maybe it knocked loose two or three blackheads but that was it. Despite the scary look of this product, the results were kind of on the tame side.

The Body Shop also claims that this mask, which is 100% vegan and free of parabens, paraffins, silicone or mineral oils, "absorbs excess oil." And sure it did do this, but only temporarily. While washing off this mask did reveal oil-free skin, it didn't seem to have any kind of lasting or meaningful impact on my skin's oil production.

Using this product reminded me of another mask that left my face covered in black chunks: Glamglow's YouthMud Tinglexfoliate Treatment. So I decided to do a split-face test with both products. Thankfully this time the Glamglow mask didn't feel like it was burning my face. Instead it just felt a big tingly, as did the The Body Shop mask.

Both products stayed on my face for about 10 minutes and after I washed them off, the results were pretty much the same. My face looked brighter, fresher, even healthier and both sides were nicely softened up, creating the ideal texture for some manual extractions. But neither mask had any kind of noticeable impact on my clogged pores or fine lines.

But while the results between the two products are quite similar, the prices are worlds apart. The Glamglow mask cost $70 while The Body Shop one goes for $28. Still, even that price seems a bit high for a mask that's just okay. At least it comes in an attractive jar.

Would I buy this product: If it retailed for around $15, maybe even $20, I would consider it. But at $28 this mask is just too much money for too few results.

Should you buy this product: The Body Shop does have amazing sales and this product will leave you with an attractive glow so if you can get it on sale, go for it.