Clay masks are one of the ways I fight with acne and oily skin. I'm not a huge fan of premade clay masks since they are super drying for the skin. Somehow Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack found a special place on my shelf. It's a mask that mixes kaolin with great ingredients for acne-prone skin such as Centella and tea tree extract.
About Mary&May
Mary&May is a Kbeauty brand, the motto of this brand is "believe in truth". So what's the truth that Mary&May is talking about? Mary&May is a skincare brand focused on good ingredients and raw materials. The brand is clear - combines the best raw materials with technology to provide effective products. All Mary&May products are cruelty-free, and the majority or even all products are Vegan-friendly. The brand tries to be transparent and eco-friendly, and Mary&May encourages us to choose smarter and healthier. Usually, patents remind us of big brands and conglomerates. Mary&May has its patented ingredient DSC™ which stands for Derma Soothing Complex. It's a combination of houttuynia cordata and tea tree extract.
In general, while many brands forgot Houttuynia Cordata, I'm glad Mary&May keeps promoting this herb since I was strongly sure that after Centella Asiatica, Houttuynia Cordata is going to be an "it" herb in skincare, but somehow people were more interested in Artemisia and Mugwort.
Is Mary&May cruelty-free?
According to the brand, Mary&May is cruelty-free.
Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack - Packaging
Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack comes in that cool eco packaging. The box is made out of recycled paper. Mary&May thought about everything that's why the brand is using eco-friendly soybean oil ink. That's something you would expect from an eco-friendly brand that wants to focus on sustainability. The packaging is made out of glass and it's a super comfortable design, the top lid is made out of some kind of metal, so it's not plastic.
Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack - Texture & Scent
Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack has a thick, moisturizing texture in a green colour. It's not a typical texture for a clay mask since for me it's more creamy and thick than the majority of clay masks I've tried. But it's easy to spread. The scent is quite natural.
Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack - Ingredients
Water, Kaolin, Glycerin, Bentonite, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Calamine, Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Chlorella Vulgaris Powder, Ci 77492, Ci 77499, Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Mentha Arvensis Powder, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Fragrance, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Ectoin
Water hides in cosmetic products under names such as Aqua or Eau. It's a solvent, but it's not your regular drinking water. Water in skin care needs to fit some standards. It should be clean and free from minerals, microorganisms or other substances. Usually, water makes up the majority of the content of the product. Kaolin or china clay is a white type of clay. It's ideal for all skin types, especially sensitive and mature. If you deal with rosacea then kaolin is clay for you. Kaolin works as an absorbent since it absorbs the sebum. Glycerin or Glycerol is a humectant. Its origin can be natural or synthetic - depending on the product. It protects TEWL (transepidermal water loss) and naturally occurs in the skin. It's one of the NMFs - natural moisturizing factors. It's practical in hair care. Glycerin won't clog your skin or irritate it just the opposite - it protects your skin from irritation. Bentonite is a type of clay, it's a montmorillonite mixed with other ingredients such as fluoride, zinc, copper or other minerals. Depending on the mineral, bentonite can have different colours and properties. Bentonite absorbs sebum, it has antiseptic properties. Propanediol is also known as natural glycol - an alternative to propylene glycol. Propanediol is a solvent with additional moisturizing properties. It makes the product smooth to the touch. It can even improve the effectiveness of active ingredients. 1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic solvent and preservative - it protects products from microorganisms by boosting other preservatives. At the same time, it can moisturize the skin, and it has no unpleasant effects on your epidermis. Dipropylene Glycol is a solvent with moisturizing properties. Calamine is a mineral powder with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It has a calming effect on the skin, and it works on acne. It absorbs the sebum and can be used after sun exposure. Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract is an extract obtained from the flower, leaf and stem of Centella Asiatica. Centella Asiatica Extract is probably the most popular extract in skincare. It comes under a few names - Asiatic pennywort, tiger grass or Gotu kola. Centella Asiatica's roots are in Ayurveda. This extract is successful because it's a source of triterpene saponins - madecassoside and asiaticoside. Centella Asiatica Extract has anti-inflammatory properties. It speeds up the wound-healing process. You can use it to treat acne since it has soothing and antibacterial properties. It boosts fibroblasts to produce collagen and elastin or even helps with hyaluronic acid synthesis. Centella is recommended for rosacea and cellulitis since it helps with blood microcirculation. In hair care, Centella can help with hair growth. Xanthan Gum is a polysaccharide that works as a thickener. Butylene Glycol is a common ingredient in products. It's not only a solvent. We use butylene glycol because it helps with the penetration of active ingredients, protects products from drying and moisturizes skin and hair. This ingredient can prevent hair loss and make your hair stronger. Chlorella Vulgaris Powder is a green algae, it has moisturizing and soothing properties. CI 77492 is a matte, yellow pigment.
CI 77499 is a black pigment. It's used in many coloured products like foundations to get the colour - not always the black one. Centella Asiatica Extract is probably the most popular extract in skincare. It comes under a few names - Asiatic pennywort, tiger grass or Gotu kola. Centella Asiatica's roots are in Ayurveda. This extract is successful because it's a source of triterpene saponins - madecassoside and asiaticoside. Centella Asiatica Extract has anti-inflammatory properties. It speeds up the wound-healing process. You can use it to treat acne since it has soothing and antibacterial properties. It boosts fibroblasts to produce collagen and elastin or even helps with hyaluronic acid synthesis. Centella is recommended for rosacea and cellulitis since it helps with blood microcirculation. In hair care, Centella can help with hair growth. Houttuynia Cordata Extract is an ingredient which some people with acne-prone skin love while for me, my experience was not bad but still all hail Centella! Houttuynia Cordata is a plant, which we still use in Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine, it's also known as Heart Leaf or Chinese lizard tail. Funny fact about Houttuynia - it's also called Fish Wort, Fish Leaf, etc. because it's an edible plant and it usually leaves a fishy aftertaste. I eat fish a lot, but I'm not a fan of the fishy taste of low-quality matcha (yep, I'm a tea & fish snob) so I don't think I would enjoy it, I'll stay with enjoying Houttuynia magic in skincare. Houttuynia is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It's also a source of quercetin, quercitrin, rutin and hyperin. If your skin is sensitive, you might love it! It speeds up wound healing properties, and it might help with capillaries. Ethylhexylglycerin is a preservative with subtle moisturizing and antimicrobial properties. Mentha Arvensis Powder is a corn mint powder. This ingredient might be sensitizing. Triethoxycaprylylsilane is a silicone used to coat sunscreens and pigments. It makes the product easier to spread. Fragrance (Parfum) is a scent composition. It can cause allergic reactions. Allantoin is an ingredient that naturally occurs in our bodies, but brands usually go for the synthetic form of this substance. It comes from comfrey or soybean roots. It's a humectant with soothing and wound-healing properties. Tocopherol is an antioxidant known as Vitamin E. It's an oil-soluble vitamin that fights free radicals and makes UVB protection and natural lipid barrier stronger. It's good to mix it with vitamin C for better effects. Oily skin might react with pore-clogging to vitamin E. It is not true that vitamin E works as a preservative or helps with scars. Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract is related to tea tree oil. It has antibacterial and antiseptic properties. It's soothing and it helps with blemishes. Ectoin is a product of the fermentation process - it comes from microorganisms, and it's an amino acid with antioxidant properties. Ectoin prevents your skin from oxidative stress created by UV radiation or blue light. It has moisturizing properties.
How does Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack work?
I enjoy using Mary&May products, especially the Cica line is great for acne-prone skin. But I got one problem, I'm not a fan of clay masks. Usually, they are super drying and even brands recommend leaving the mask until it dries. It's a mistake - when you leave something dry on your skin it automatically attracts water from the outside and inside. It makes your skin even drier, that's why the esthetician trick when you use clay masks is to spray your face with thermal water or mist or just soak pads or use toner pads and put them on the top of the clay - it'll keep the clay mask moist.
Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack doesn't dry that quickly, and because the texture is thick - it's not easy to remove it. For some people, it'll be a disadvantage, but if you search for a clay mask because your skin is acne-prone and clay is great at absorbing sebum and fighting acne - go for it. I'm not disappointed with this mask, the thick texture made it last longer than other clay masks I used.
What's cool about Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack is that it's not pure clay, but it's a mix of other two ingredients that acne-prone skin loves: Centella (4,000ppm) and tea tree. It also has an ingredient about lots of people forget - Calamine. I love using Calamine on inflammation since it boosts the healing process. The mask is super simple to use - you just put a thin layer of the mask and leave it for 10-15 minutes and then wash it off. It might get a bit dry on the nose, but in general, it's not that easy to dry.
Well, this review might be short, but I honestly feel like there's not much logic behind clay mask.
Where to buy and how much does Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack cost?
I got Mary&May Cica Tea Tree Soothing Wash Off Pack from OhMyBeloved*. The mask costs $20.33/30ml.
Overall, if you search for a clay mask, this one is a great choice. Have you ever tried Mary&May before?
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*** This post was made in a collaboration with OhMyBeloved*, even though it still shows my personal opinion on the topic and product. This post contains affiliate links, affiliate links are helping me to pay for domain and blog-related expenses. ***
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