natjtan Welcome back to another Beauty Finds! This edition features Shangpree Pore Tightening Mask.
Please scroll down a paragraph for the review.
I have a few requirements when it comes to beauty products: cruelty free, natural, clean, vegan better. I do my best to avoid nasty ingredients such as SLSs, parabens, PEGs, silicones, etc. Petrochemicals are the sneakiest with so many derivatives and aliases. I also avoid palm oil and it’s derivatives as I prefer orangutans. Coconut oil marketed as the good oil I’m also cutting down on as it can be just a damaging crop as palm oil. If I do get products containing palm or coconut oil I try to get organic or sustainably sourced. With make up it’s a little harder so I go for cruelty free brands. I prefer products with less plastic and thankfully more brands are aware consumers don’t want unnecessary plastic (or governments are telling them less plastic). My skin type’s oily sensitive, acne prone and now wrinkles. I know nothing stops those lines, but if I can delay them then….
Beauty Finds: Shangpree Pore Tightening Mask
Shangprees’ signature mud treatment with purifying white clay (Kaolin), Ginseng and Hyaluronic Acid removes excess sebum, impurities and dead skin, while strengthening the moisture barrier for a visibly clear, refined and youthful looking complexion.
Apply a thick layer to clean skin avoiding the eye and lip area, leave on for 10-20 minutes, and then rinse with lukewarm water. Use as often as needed.
Nothing can shrink pores, but this mask does leave my skin feeling degunked and hydrated. Many clay mask can take out all the moisture leaving my skin feeling dry (Most clay masks you should only leave on for 5 minutes!). Sometimes I break the one of the biggest NO NO skincare rules that is not removing make up before bed 🙆♀️. While I cleanse my face in the morning it can still feel blocked up. This mask makes my skin feel cleaner again.
Thanks to all the oils in it, it doesn’t dry like the other clay masks. That’s not to say it doesn’t dry on application, it does, but it doesn’t flake or feel like it’s dried tight on the skin. I’ve often left it on for over 20 minutes and my skin has felt the same as if I left it on for 10 minutes. I still get blackheads however if I use this mask often enough I can keep them at bay and they’re visibly less. With regards to sebum, it’s the winter so I naturally have less shiny skin than in the summer. I have noticed on days I use it, I’m less shiny nose. However with face masks/coverings all make up gets rubbed off and shiny skin is also due to how much water I drink. I use it about 2-3 times week and haven’t reacted to it. The girls at Miin Cosmetics know their products when I asked if they had good clay mask.
It does does contain a few ingredients that I’m a little erm about. That said I’m on my 2nd or 3rd tube. The ingredients are; sodium hyaluronate acid, polysorbate 60, DMDM hydantoin, perfume, and disodium EDTA. Miin Cosmetics only sells cruelty free brands, however I’m not sure if this particular product is vegan due as it contains sodium hyaluronate acid. Shangpree itself is cruelty free according here. There’s huge debate about the source of hyaluronate acid if it’s plant derived or from animals. It’s so hard to find where brands get theirs from. DMDM hydantoin maybe I should stop using it with a little research! The perfume, I haven’t reacted to but I can’t say I like the smell of it. I’d prefer the natural smell.
Would I recommend it? As I’m on my 2nd or 3rd tube, yes. The not so nice ingredients are down the list near the bottom of the in the ingredients. I have my own mix up clays for masks, yet I reach for this as I like it’s ease of using. No mess mixing up clay powders. I don’t think the price, €21.95 is too bad although it’s only 100ml. Each tube lasts me about 3-4 months of 2-3 applications a week (I try to buy it on their discount days). I don’t apply a thick layer, just enough to feel, okay that’s my face and neck covered. It doesn’t contain any silicones or straight up petroleum derived ingredients such as copolymers which many vegan masks can. This is the only product I’ve tried by Shangpree due to it’s a quite an expensive line and when looking at the ingredients I prefer other brands. It’ll be my go to non drying clay mask until I find another or I get good at not making a mess mixing up my own clay masks.
What’s your preferred clay mask? Please share in the comments below!