Pores… Can they ever be too small or too clean? I would say no. Finding good quality pore care products, even in Korean beauty, is difficult. My latest acquisition is MISSHA Black Ghassoul Tightening Mask, meant to clean and tighten pores, control sebum production, and help make the skin more clear. It’s available on* eBay, Amazon and YesStyle.
A little side note - for years, before I discovered Korean beauty, I stayed away from clay masks. Like many others, I thought that a proper way to use a clay mask is to let it dry completely on the face, then wash it off. Well, I have fair skin that turns red from the slightest physical irritation, and of course dry clay is very hard to remove without rubbing. Hence, all clay masks always left me with dry, red, irritated skin.
After getting into Korean skincare, I discovered that clay masks are NOT meant to dry on your face! In fact, doing so makes them pull all the moisture from your skin (not good). The proper way is to leave the mask on for the recommended time and let it absorb impurities, then wash it off before it’s dry. If your specific clay mask type dries out too quickly, use any facial mist to keep it moist.
MISSHA Black Ghassoul Tightening Mask contains no parabens, talc, mineral oil or fragrance. I’ve read good reviews about it and decided to purchase. It combines several types of clay - kaolin, bentonite, and Moroccan black ghassoul - to absorb and remove impurities.
How to use:
Wash your face and apply toner
Spread an even layer of the mask over your face, avoiding eyes and lips
Wait 10-15 minutes
Wash off with warm water; follow with the rest of your routine
Use 1-2 times a week
My impressions:
I have combination skin with an oily t-zone and dry-to-normal cheeks. My problem areas when it comes to pores, sebaceous filaments, and an occasional blackhead are cheeks (under the eyes, close to the nose), the nose itself, and the chin. I apply the mask all over my face at least once a week, sometimes twice. It never completely dries in the recommended 10-15 minutes, but that could also be because I use it while sitting in a warm bath and the moisture levels in the air are high.
Afterwards, I like to hydrate with a good quality sheet mask (read my reviews of various kinds here). Even without the sheet mask, my skin feels clean and clear but not stripped. The pores and the sebaceous filaments appear smaller and not clogged. If you are not familiar with what sebaceous filaments are, they are a natural part of the skin that supplies oil to the surface. In plain words, it’s the little black dots we might see on our noses and chins, but they are not blackheads. They shouldn’t be extracted. Unlike a blackhead, which typically doesn’t come back once removed, sebaceous filaments constantly refill (which is natural) and trying to pop or squeeze them out is a thankless task that is likely to leave you with red, irritated skin and possibly even scars (and, eventually, enlarged pores).
MISSHA Black Ghassoul Tightening Mask makes my sebaceous filaments pretty much unnoticeable. I am very pleased with this product. It’s thick but easy to spread, and each application uses only a small amount. I’m not completely sure how many times I have used it by now, but several, and I still have more than half of the jar left. It’s a fantastic solution to anyone who wants to clear and tighten their pores without harsh and potentially damaging measures like manual extractions. You can read more reviews about pore care products here and more MISSHA reviews here.
Let’s connect - follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, check out my Facebook group and subscribe below for blog updates.
*Affiliate links
MISSHA Black Ghassoul Tightening Mask ingredients: Water, Kaolin, Butylene Glycol, Bentonite, Propylene Glycol, Moroccan Black Ghassoul, Glycerin, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Charcoal Powder, Fomes Officinalis (Mushroom) Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Sanguisorba Officinalis Extract Pelargonium Graveolens Extract, Uncaria Gambir Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Polysorbate 20, Panthenol, Steareth-21, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Acryloyldimethylaurate/VP Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77499