Grown Alchemist has earned a spot in my skincare routines, there’s no doubt about it. The Antioxidant+ Facial Oil is my go-to morning facial oil ever since I discovered it (bottle nr 3 and counting), the Tinted Hydra-Repair Day Cream is turning out to be the perfect summer base, both in terms of hydration levels and coverage, and the Grown Alchemist Deep Cleansing Facial Mask joined my, ahem, rather extensive mask collection earlier this year.

The Australians sure know the power of nature, and wheatgerm, white clay, gingko and cranberry formula of this mask is the proof in that proverbial pudding. Cleansing masks usually have me running for the hills, especially the pink clay ones, as they’ve created horror scenes on my skin more than once. Think Hellraiser, but more blotched… Fancy! Imagine my surprise (and relief) when I felt (quite literally) that the super fine white clay in this mask surprisingly makes for an extraordinarily gentle — yet effective — treatment. The white clay functions like a hoover on blemishes, clogged pores and all kinds of gunk hiding there, with the wheatgerm closing up what was opened and purified by the clay. Cranberry seed and the ginko then take over, with their bioflavonoids boosting the skin’s smoothness and luminosity  (Light bounces off smooth skin, so smooth = luminous when it comes to skin!), and lastly, the fatty acids of the evening primrose oil regulate the hormone levels and firm up those skin cells. Half expecting it to harden out and crack whenever I even twitched my mouth, the Deep-Cleansing Face Mask did nothing of the sort, and kept it’s creaminess. The directions tell you to leave it on for 15 minutes, but, you know, prudence being the mother of all virtues, I first took it off after 10 minutes, and found that to be the perfect timing for my dry and sensitive skin. If your skin is more on the oily side, I would definitely recommend leaving it on for the full 15 minutes, but not longer as the mask does reduce your skin’s oil levels. Next up for me usually is a hydrating mask for a tried-and-tested excellent result. Twinning is winning after all!

I might prefer a sweaty work out and an 80/20 diet to a harsh detox period, but a little detox mask action? Count me in! 15 minutes of looking like Alf to look radiant and glow-y for a few days? That’s a price I am more than happy to pay!

Available online.