There’s nothing like a face mask for some good ol’ SOS (save our skin). If I am being particularly virtuous, I will ensure I face mask (is there such a verb?) at least once a week.
Thanks to their bright and eye-catching packaging, I have tried out a few products from this American range before, including the Cucumber Peel-Off Mask and the Acai Purifying Clay Mask. Both of these products worked very well for me.
While men are increasingly aware of the benefits of regularly using a face mask, there aren’t a lot of male-specific masks in the grooming sections of our major retailers. So I was keen to put the Freeman 5-in-1 Total Control Clay Mask with Whiskey Rye through its paces.
This masks contains a number of ingredients to address the five major skin concerns of men: bentonite and kaolin clays to absorb excessive oil; rye extract and willow bark to fight blackheads; tea tree oil to reduce the appearance of large pores; coconut oil to moisturise skin; and aloe vera to reduce irritation.
Recognising that a lot of men now have beards or major stubble before having a clean shave (that’s me), the Freeman 5-in-1 Total Control Clay Mask is billed as beard-friendly. So I tried out this mask when I had a major five-day growth. In fact, as I type this, I am allowing this mask to do its thing. We can’t get more real than that.
MASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE: What a messy boy.
As per the instructions, I left it on for five minutes. Call me strange, but I enjoy the tingle that accompanies the application of many masks. Unfortunately, this mask denied me that pleasure. I also found that the mask did not really dry enough in that time, so I left it on for 10 minutes. Unlike some masks, which have got stuck in my growth, this one was easy peasy to wash off with warm water.
The big question, though: Would I buy the Freeman 5-in-1 Total Control Clay Mask again after I have used all 175ml of it? While my skin felt cleaner and more hydrated after use, it did not deliver that essential boost, so nope. There are better masks, for more or less the same price. In fact, the other masks in the Freeman range, mentioned above, actually do a better job than this one. Do your skin a favour and rather check out the unisex Cucumber Peel-Off Mask, highly recommended for clarifying and moisturising. Its peeling off process is also cool if, like me, you’re into that kind of thing.
Freeman 5-in-1 Total Control Clay Mask with Whiskey Rye (R92.95 for 175ml) is available from Dis-Chem stores.