Freeman's Clay Masks | The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

About a year ago I became obsessed with face masks. I don't know how it happened but suddenly I couldn't resist the need to have drying clay tightening on my face. I started small...and by small I mean cheap.

So where does one go when they want to experiment with their skin on the cheap? Walmart, of course. I ended up buying 3 of the Freeman's clay masks and really, how can you go wrong paying $4.50 for 6.0 oz?! I'm not kidding, these tubes are HUGE. Plus they have a ton of different types to choose from depending on what your skin needs and from what I can tell they're constantly coming out with new types - so it was pretty easy for me to justify buying them.

So let's review the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of these 3, shall we?

The Good #1: Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask - 7/10

The website describes this mask as a creamy clay mask with avocado and oatmeal which purifies and nourishes for soft skin. I do have to agree that once taken off, this mask does leave your skin feeling super soft. While it doesn't have any exfoliating or acne-fighting properties, due to its added avocado oil it's definitely a moisturising mask and that's fairly obvious once its washed off and even through to the next day. I do have to say that I don't particularly enjoy the smell, it isn't overpowering or anything but I've never been a big fan of the smell of avocados in the first place. For $4.50 though, this is a good deal and was a big help for my skin during the Winter months when my skin felt tight and dry.

The Also Good #2: Mint & Lemon Clay Mask - 8/10

By now I hope we're all aware of how much I enjoy products that smell good and this mask really does! It's described as a "cool and crisp" mask which I can get behind. It certainly has a bit of a cooling effect on the skin which is nice since this mask is targeted for reducing oil and breakouts and a lot of the time similar products which target those problems tend to be kind of harsh and irritating, so thankfully the Mint & Lemon mask isn't like that. It does have Bentonite as its second ingredient which is an absorbent clay, so this makes me feel better in the sense that we're not all being duped by the packaging and it's actually doing what it says it does...I hope. Obviously this is a good one for the Summer and early Spring when all of our faces tend to be a little shinier but I've used it year-round and still really enjoyed it. It's my favourite of the 3 that I've tried so far.

The Bad AND the Ugly #3: Chocolate & Strawberry Clay Mask - 1/10

OH GOD, I don't know what went wrong with this one but whatever it was I had to throw it out after using it once. This mask is supposed to tone the skin, absorb oil and mositurize. It contains both Shea and cocoa butter which usually I'm not irritated by but something about this Chocolate & Strawberry mask went horribly wrong. It gave me a blotchy red rash all over MY ENTIRE FACE! In the realm of rashes, the face is probably the last place you want a rash...on second thought...moving on!

I gave this a 1 out of 10 simply because this mask smells really good. If this scent came in candle form I would buy it in a heartbeat but other than the smell this mask was a total nightmare for me. First of all, it burned. It burned the second I put it on and continued to do so until I couldn't handle it any more a minute or two later when I gave up and furiously washed it off. Then the rash - it focused mostly on the perimeter of my face (weird?), such as my forehead, cheeks and jaw. THEN it proceeded to turn those places into itchy dry patches! It marked me, I tell you! For 2-3 days after that horrific experience I was still mocked by that stupid mask every time I looked in the mirror. Chocolate and strawberries have never done me wrong before, I don't know what I did to anger them so.

Even though that last mask what a total shit-show I'm still pretty eager to try out more of what the Freeman's Beauty line has to offer. I'm still working through the first two (like I said, they're HUGE) and I also picked up a clay mask from Origins back in September that I need to finish - but once those are done I'm definitely trying out of of their peel-off masks. They have a Sweet Tea & Lemon peel-off as well as a Cucumber one. But what I really want to get my hands on is their Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask and see if it has any similarities to the Origins one I'm using now.

Anyway, I hope this was fun for all of you and maybe you'll check out this brand the next time you're in Walmart. But whatever you do, just remember, chocolate and strawberry are for eating not for smearing on our faces or you too may feel their wrath like I did.