Magnets for your face.

In my lifetime, I've probably used over 5,239 different products on my face -- washes & scrubs, acne creams, moisturizers, masks, etc. I'm on a constant search for the be-all and end-all of each, and I have yet to stumble upon a single face wash or toner that I can comfortably use for the rest of my life. I'm assuming this has something to do with the fact that our skin cells change completely every seven years, or maybe I just have the most fickle complexion in the world; but regardless, I am a face product whore. I'll try something for a week or two, it won't work, and I'll move onto the next. That's just the way it goes.

However, due to a serious lack of funds, I've had to start looking back at products that I've bought in the past and maybe didn't really give a chance. Like this Natural Oceanic Clay Ionic Mask from The Body Shop. I bought this years ago because I thought it sounded neat: clay particles and sea minerals derived deep from exotic oceans that contain negatively charged ions that react with the dirt and oils in your skin much like the south pole of a magnet would react to the north. I'm no scientist, but I do know that sounds awesome.

You're supposed to leave this stuff on for about 20 minutes or until fully dry, then wash it off and see your pores magically cleared. Perhaps at the time of purchase I didn't leave it on long enough (I tend to be impatient when it comes to magically clearing my pores, so I'd just wash it off the minute it felt dry) but at first, I wasn't a fan of the product. Didn't really think it did anything. Recently, however, I decided to give it another go -- giving it the full 20-minute treatment this time. And now, with a new sense of determination, I realize that, with time, it does work: you can actually see the places where the mask is attracting the dirt as it hardens. Wow. Had I have been patient enough in the past, I might have been able to forgo years of acne agony and pore problems.

I use it about once a week, and I can definitely see a difference. While it doesn't help reduce the size of your pores (and I still get major blackheads on my nose), my skin does seem generally clearer, especially after the first few days of using it. It dries out your skin a bit, so I wouldn't recommend using it more than once a week, unless you have killer tough skin from living out in the Arctic for ten years or something. But if you supplement it with a moisturizer (I use the CVS versions of Olay's Regenerist product line) all is well.

I'm not quite ready to go out and become a model for a facial spa boutique, but I'm content, at least for the next seven years.