Ask the Expert: What Is a Detox Face Mask?

Enter charcoal: the beauty, but not so beautiful, ingredient of the moment. It’s been taking over Instagram in the form of peel-off masks (you know what we’re talking about) and viral blackhead-removing videos. Its popularity is not surprising in the least. After all, charcoal is known to help detoxify the skin’s surface. Most detox face masks will include charcoal which are formulated to help keep congestion from building up by drawing impurities and excess oil off the skin like a magnet.

If you’re looking to brighten a dull-looking complexion and detoxify the skin, look to a face mask formulated with charcoal like L’Oreal Paris’ Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Face Mask. To learn more about the benefits of charcoal and how a detox mask like Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Face Mask can improve the look of your skin, we turned to Dr. Rocio Rivera, Head of Scientific Communications at L’Oréal Paris.

What Is a Detox Face Mask?

A detox face mask is exactly as it sounds—a face mask that can help detoxify your skin’s surface. This can include drawing out impurities from the pores and reducing congestion, which can ultimately help your skin not only look cleaner and brighter but can also shrink the look of your pores over time. With benefits like that, it’s safe to say that detox face masks are good for your skin, but not all are created equal. In order for a detox face mask to truly be effective, the formulation will have to include powerful ingredients. That’s why you’ll find charcoal formulated into many of them. “Charcoal comes from bamboo, so it’s not a chemical product,” Dr. Rivera says. It’s boiled, then carbonized, and used in a variety of products to help draw out impurities. Although daily cleansing of the skin is very important, there are times when the skin needs a little TLC, and that’s when a detox face mask formulated with charcoal comes in. 

Who Can Use a Detox Face Mask with Charcoal?

According to Dr. Rivera, all skin types can benefit from charcoal ingredients because at different times of the day, and on different sections of our skin, we have a variety of skin types. Sometimes our T-Zone is oilier than the rest of our face, and sometimes we have spots that are drier. Whatever skin type you have, a little detox from pollution, sweat, and other impurities can always be useful.  

Ready to detox your skin? Wash your face with a cleanser formulated with charcoal to help bring out impurities. Dr. Rocio recommends the L’Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Cleanser. She also suggests listening to your skin and to think of these steps as a pampering session. Up next is the detox mask, specifically L’Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Mask. 

L’Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Mask

This mask can detoxify and illuminate the skin is just ten short minutes. Potent pure clays and charcoal act as a magnet to deep-clean pores and draw out impurities. What’s unique about this clay mask is that it has a non-drying formula. “The right formula doesn’t have to be left on until completely dry,” Dr. Rivera says. “This clay mask has three different clays to help the formula absorb the dirt without over drying the skin.” Expect this mask to leave your skin feeling clean, velvety soft and rebalanced. Immediately you’ll notice your complexion looks fresher and more even, with dirt and impurities removed. To use, start by applying it all over your face, or area-treat along your T-Zone. You can apply it either during the day or evening, but try not to use it more than three times per week.