Lixirskin is a small London-based brand best known for their fabled Vitamin C paste. Apparently it really is the bee’s knees. But me being me, I decided to buy one of their lesser known products. The bee’s ankles, if you like. I always did identify more with the underdog than the popular kid in class.
Also I love a mask, and this sounded very similar to some of the Korean face masks I’ve tried before. Lixirskin Soft Clay Rubber Mask is both an exfoliator and a mask in one. Leave it on for a minute then rub off to exfoliate (similar to a Korean peeling gel), OR leave it on for 5 minutes and then rinse off.
If your skin is very congested, you can do both – use it as an exfoliator, then rinse the bits off and repeat again as a mask. There’s not a huge amount of product in the pot, plus it’s quite a full-on treatment, so you might only want to do that occasionally.
This is a product for anybody who likes a physical exfoliation, but still wants to keep it gentle. You know how some exfoliators are so rough it feels like rubbing cat litter on your face? This is like the opposite of that. It doesn’t rub too harshly on the skin, washes off easily and leaves everything beautifully soft afterwards. It’s a pleasure to use.
Given that this is a fairly full-on exfoliator containing keratolytic enzymes, tread carefully with it if you’ve got sensitive skin. And ignore the instructions to apply generously if you’re planning to use it in rub off mode. The clay needs to dry a little for the rubbing off process to work, so applying it sparingly helps with that.
I think this mask would be of most benefit to people with congested skin that’s prone to blackheads. It’s not so much for the aul gimmers like me, though we do need help with exfoliation too. Once you get to 35 plus, then your skin gets less effective at renewing itself, and this is when an exfoliator will really help, especially if you haven’t used one before. If you’re looking for a gentler exfoliating product then something like Flower Peel Serum is a good shout.
Product details
Lixirskin Soft Clay Rubber Mask is £28 for 60ml. I bought it from Liberty, but it’s also available via other sites including Cult Beauty, Victoria Health and Asos.