The Body Shop Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask Review

Nature is amazing - we can't deny! For ages, women around the world were using natural ingredients such as milk, honey, rice or ginseng to care for their skin so we shouldn't be surprised that many current skincare products are based on natural ingredients too. Rice and Ginseng are main components of The Body Shop Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask. The whole series of The Body Shop's masks are based on different countries but this time we're going to visit China. Was this journey worth its price?

The beauty history is a very interesting topic but we barely talk about it. I'm sure that you know histories related to geishas and their beauty routines or what ingredients they used - even if rice is an ingredient very typical for Asia somehow if it comes to beauty the first country most of us have in their minds is Japan. I couldn't find any resources related to rice in beauty traditions in ancient China but we have to be aware that rice water in Asia is like rose water in Europe - especially in Bulgaria - it has been used for ages and it's still so popular. Even if it feels like rice is a part of this mask, the accurate place of Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract on the ingredients list is lower than you think, only Titanium Dioxide is lower - Titanium Dioxide is used as a colourant but it can also absorb sebum. What we have to know about Rice Extract is that it's an antioxidant - ideal ingredient to repair all the damage made by oxidative stress. It's also a source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6 and minerals. Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract it's a good moisturizer and it's recommended for adult skin.

Another main star Panax Ginseng (Ginseng) Root Extract isn't very high on the ingredients list too. We have to remember that Ginseng has a really long tradition in traditional medicine as well as in skincare. It's another powerful antioxidant, it's a source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and many minerals but the whole magic of ginseng is in ginsenosides. Ginseng is popular for its anti-inflammatory an anti-septic properties, it can improve blood circulation but in a skincare world Panax Ginseng in any form is used to prevent wrinkles or fix what time, wrong skincare, sunlight and oxidative stress made. The mask has a texture and it looks a lot like a Ginseng but don't be surprised when you check ingredients and you can't find anything else than Ginseng Powder. The Body Shop decided to add Luffa Cylindrica Fruit and Kaolin instead, these two ingredients are making the texture. Luffa Cylindrica Fruit is used as a delicate scrub, the texture feels really nice on the skin and under my fingers. Kaolin has the same role to play in this mask - it makes the texture but it also absorbs sebum and thanks to Kaolin mask has this ecru colour.

According to The Body Shop website, in China people are mixing Ginseng, Rice and Sesame to make a face mask. Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil is a 5th ingredient on the list and it's an ingredient which you love or you hate, it might be comedogenic even if it's an antioxidant. It's an emollient with nourishing properties but we have to remember that some skin types won't enjoy it, even if I've got a combo skin and I might react to it, I feel like in my case this mask makes more good stuff than harm my skin with new pimples. I have to mention that this product contains Salicylic Acid, an exfoliant with antiseptic properties. It is recommended for acne-prone skin because it can unclog your pores but it shouldn't be used by people with an aspirin sensitivity/allergy or during pregnancy. There are some ingredients which aren't the best selection such as PEG-100 Stearate, Alcohol Denat. or allergens such as Linalool. The ingredients are "meh" - some of them are really impressive but there's a bunch of "bad guys".

I'm impressed with the packaging of the products from this series - the glass jar with additional lid. It looks very minimalistic, a little bit like a fancy candle. I want to use it as a flower pot but who knows how am I going to use this glass jar after using the whole mask. The producer recommends to use this mask with a mask brush but honestly, it's easy to apply it with only one finger. The scent of this mask is solid, I thought that I'm going to cry while using it but I like the smell of ginseng so no matter how heavy the scent is I can handle it but if you prefer citrus scents then it might be a bit overwhelming - it's an ancient and oriental scent, you can clearly smell some herbs in it. The texture is rich, you might feel like it's blended ginseng but even if it's not a ginseng but Kaolin and Luffa it still feels nice. The application process is very easy, there's no brush in the packaging - the facial brush costs €8, I don't like this kind of brushes for a mask - it looks a lot like a makeup brush, the silicone brush will work better with this mask.

I'm not sure if there's a Packette version of this mask - it's a 5ml sample, I know that samples aren't available in every country but be aware that someday it might be available in your country too.

I've got a combo skin and for me, this mask is a life-saver. I used to love seaweed mask and tea tree mask, both are really good for my skin and they are way cheaper. They work very similar to Ginseng & Rice on my skin but I do not feel relaxed while using it. This mask is more like a spa experience, the smell is relaxing and I feel fresh after a long bath with a mask on. The Body Shop is promoted as a cruelty-free shop with vegan & vegetarian-friendly products. Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask is a vegetarian-friendly mask, it contains Beeswax. The ingredients used in this mask are from China and Nicaragua. The biggest problem with this mask is that it costs about 20€ for 75 ml which is a quite expensive price but sometimes you can get them in special offers like buy 3 for the price of 2 or -40% off. The shelf life of this product is 6 months, we should use the whole jar in these 6 months but I used this mask a little bit longer but I've checked if the smell is different and I always make patch tests before I use it. The availability is also a bit problematic - there are limited stores in some countries and lack of online shops in different regions is something strange for such a big brand in 2018.

I can admit that it was a love from the first time I smelled this mask, even if the ingredients aren't pure perfection, I've found a mask which has great texture and smell even if it's a little bit overpriced. Have you ever tried this mask? Do you use rice or ginseng in your skincare routine?

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