Product Review: Acure Cell Stimulating Facial Mask
I seem to have found a new mask I love, and this one is from Acure, a line I’m loving more by the week. I still use their shampoo and conditioner (which you can get as a package deal over at our OpenSky shop for $22!!), and after our tireless search for the perfect boysturizer, the verdict from our man tester was that Acure’s Oil Control Day Cream was the big winner. (The product is unisex, obviously, but the smell and packaging are definitely gender-neutral.)
Anyway, this morning I woke up feeling less than lustrous, so I tried a new mask while I dried my hair. It was the Cell Stimulating Facial Mask from Acure, and I’m a convert. (And to give credit where credit is due, this is thanks to Spirit Demerson, who introduced me to it over drinks the other night!)
Like all Acure products, the price point is nice—it’s $15.99—and so are the certified-organic ingredients, which are listed below.
The heavy lifting here is done, of course, by the green clay, which is a natural detoxifier and skin refiner. We love clay, as we’ve said many many times before, and I still spot treat with powdered green tea clay mélanges from my new favorite clay, from Stark.
But sometimes you want a mask that’s already a mask—no powder, no mess, and not too drying.
I found that in this mask, which dried in about 15 minutes, and foams slightly when you splash it off with water. I found the suds surprising, but that’s probably the vegetable glycerin talking. And I’m happy to say that thanks to the oils in there—and I don’t count argan oil among them, since it’s the second last ingredient on the deck—my skin was left feeling soft and hydrated, and looking a little more radiant.
Ingredients: euterpe oleracea (acai) berry*, rubus fruticosus (blackberry)*, rosa canina (rosehips)*, punica granatum (pomegranate)*, fair trade rooibos*, aloe barbadensis vera leaf juice, french green clay, vegetable glycerin, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate (from coconut + amino acids), vegetable cellulose gum, sodium cocoyl isethionate (from coconut), chlorophyll, chlorella pyrenoidisa extract (chlorella growth factor)*, glucono delta lactone (sugar enzyme), fair trade theobroma cacoa (cocoa) butter*, carageenan (algae), hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) seed oil, ubiquinone (coq10), spinosa (argan) stem cell, potassium sorbate (food grade preservative), argania spinosa (argan) oil*, and sage & spearmint essential oil blend.
Have you found a new mask you love?
I am loving this line! I went a little crazy and picked up just about all of their moisturizers after trying their cleansing creme and day cream. Now I rotate the moisturizers daily but my favorite for daytime is definitely the oil control day cream. I haven’t tried any of their oils yet because I still have loads of my Kahina argan oil and my Pai rosehip bioregenerate fruit & seed oil (which i adore). I’m curious if anyone who has tried Acure’s argan oil has also used Kahina’s and how they compare. I will probably continue my love affair with their cleansing creme & moisturizers indefinitely and I’m eagerly awaiting their facial sunscreen (coming in June, I think?). I’ll probably do another Acure haul when the sunscreen becomes available and snag that, the facial scrub, and the mask.
I too am LOVING this line!!! I use their conditioner (the argan one that smells like almonds. *swoon*), their Brightening Facial Scrub and now their Oil Control Day Cream. My skin looks fantastic! (I used to use Jurlique Balancing Day Cream but i’m on a tight budget these days & had to quit it). Also in the winter when my skin was hot dry mess I used the Acure Night Cream – seriously amazing. I cannot say enough good things about this line, can you tell? :)
yay, finally, a product review! i love the acure line, but haven’t tried this mask yet.
@Jamie, i use acure argan oil and love it. i have not tried kahina, i just can’t bring myself to pay that much.
@Jamie. I love Acure – their body cream ROCKS, but the Argan Oil pales in comparison to Kahina’s. I had both & ended up only using Kahina. I just think that Kahina’s oil is the top. That said, Acure is an amazing company with excellent products & the price point makes it so affordable & hopefully, gets lots of women to start using natural products!
I’m also a BIG fan of this product line. I’ve been using their skincare for a few months now – night cream and skin brightening scrub which is, hands down, one of my most favorite products EVER! Just tried the argan oil shampoo and conditioner for the first time this week and LOVED it!
I too would be interested to hear thoughts on Acure vs. Kahina argan oil. The only thing that has stopped me from trying Acure’s oil is the bottle – I’ve been told that it’s best to store Argan oil in a dark container. Is this true? Suppose there isn’t much of a difference between keeping the oil in a dark bottle (like Kahina) and keeping a clear bottle (like Acure) in a cool, dark place such as a medicine cabinet, but figured I’d ask since everyone here is so knowledgeable!
I do DIY Greek Yogurt Face Masks regularly. I find that yogurt really smooths and soothes my dry skin.
I love Lush Oatifix Fresh Face Mask. It’s filled with natural ingredients, it’s preservative-free (& thus needs to be refrigerated), affordable (~$6.95) and moisturizes my dry skin VERY well. The only problem is that it scored a 4 on EWG’s Cosmetic Database. Luckily, I found a homemade version of Lush Oatifix [Source: http://makeupandbeauty.com/homemade-version-lush-oatifix-face-mask/. I’ll try this in the future with banana baby food, ground oats (ground via a blender) and vegetable glycerin.
P.S. I recently tried Montagne Jeunesse Clean-Up Mud Mask (Claire’s, Walmart, neotericcosmetics.com, etc). It has awesome ingredients (natural, no artificial color, no fragrance, etc) and it’s made for blemish-prone skin. My skin isn’t blemish-prone but I used it during a horrible breakout. It calmed my skin quite a bit and didn’t dry it out too much. I had lots left over so I stored it in a plastic baggie in the bridge. I bought two packet from Claire’s so I’ll use it should another breakout occur.
Ingredients: Purified Water, Kaolin (Natural Clay), Hamamelis Virginiana (Distilled Witch Hazel), Glycerin (Plant Origin), Illite (Mediterranean Clay), Bentonite (Natural Clay), Magnesium Aluminium Silicate (Natural Clay), Sea Salt (Dead Sea Salt), Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Glucose (Sugar), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Xanthan Gum (Natural Thickener), Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Lactoperoxidase (Milk Origin), Glucose Oxidase (Sugar Origin), Limonene
poobear,
Thanks! I might give it a shot when my Kahina runs out.
K,
Thanks! I really love the Kahina argan oil too but I’m always curious if there’s something better out there… or if I could save a buck… or 20 :)
Rae,
I love seeing any product in a light protective bottle but it’s not the end of the world if it’s in a clear one as A) you can keep the bottle in a cool dark place such as the medicine cabinet and B) you can store it in the box it came in for extra protection (I do with my Pai rosehip bioregenerate because it’s pricey and I don’t use it up that quickly).
I’m also curious if anyone with sensitive, blemish-prone skin recommends the Acure facial scrub or if I’m better off sticking with something a bit gentler (such as Pai’s kukui and jojoba bead skin brightening exfoliator).
Rae,
I also should have mentioned that argan oil is considered a light sensitive oil and light sensitive oils tend to be a bit more unstable than other oils (tend to expire sooner, etc). For example, refrigeration is typically recommended (though not required) for avocado oil. You can always purchase an amber or cobalt dropper bottle to transfer the oil to if you’re worried. Hope that helped! :)
@ jamie–me again! my skin is pretty sensitive, usually not blemish prone but currently is:) i use the acure facial scrub and i love it. i only use a small amount and dilute with water, but my skin feels smooth after and has not led to any new break-outs. i sampled a few of the pai products and that is what led to my break-outs, which i am still recovering from.
Thanks so much for all the info, Jaime!
THIS is my new favorite mask!! I use it several times a week on my sensitive skin, and I have noticed that my blackheads are diminishing. I am loving the Acure line, especially the lemongrass and argan stem cell shampoo and conditioner. It smells amazing! The Radical Resurfacing facial lotion has really helped fade some hyperpigmentation from time spent running outside. The argan oil is nice, but I don’t know how it compares to Kahina’s.
Siobhan,
Stoked that Stark and Acure are mentioned in the same post!! Really happy we’re your new fave clay. Woo hoo!
I really want to try Acure’s shampoos and conditioners (that’s one thing I don’t make for myself here at casa Stark). Which shampoo/condish do you guys recommend for dry hair and easily irritated scalp?
@jessica Yay! Yes I love your clay — not too drying. Love. For Acure, I like the argan one (orange bottle). I also have an easily irritated scalp and love lots of moisture. Enjoy!
I second Siobhan’s recommendation of the Argan shampoo and conditioner. Noticeable difference after just one use – my dry hair was super soft and shiny! Smells amazing too!
Can anyone tell me if they have had any luck/control with adult acne when using any of these products? I just had a facial last weekend and the woman recommend I try this product line but I have pretty regular breakouts consistently, and although this line sounds amazing, I am afraid its not strong enough and lacking the ingredients I might need to help keep my skin at its best. Any advice greatly appreciated! Thank you
Lauren,
Finding the right products just for your skin can be a pain, I know. I suggest a facial mask regimen, especially for something like acne scarring and compexion problems / pigmentation. Here is a website for facial masks, with specific product recommendations, company links, and a discount membership package. www dot beautifulfacial dot com. Check it out!
I love the acure mask too! I just started using it as well! The next time you lovely ladies need to stock up please go to iherb.com and use code MTP899 and get $10 off your next order of $60 or more and free shipping too! If you order under $60 it’s $5 off and free shipping! Enjoy love love love acure line!