I'm usually a creature of habit when it comes to face masks, I generally don't go for anything but clay because clay is the most well known formula for helping to calm skin down and reduce redness and inflammation but they are also well known for making a bit of a mess during application and they can take a bit of getting off. Recently I've been trying out a couple of face masks from Elemis which are completely different to what I would have normally have gone for so it's been nice to have a bit of a change.
The first one I tried was the award winning Papaya Enzyme Peel (£23.60)* which is an exfoliator made with papaya and pineapple fruit enzymes to help 'smooth and clarify the complexion'. I think whenever I hear 'peel' or 'exfoliant' I instantly think of chemicals which I know would probably put some people off using such a product (although I have to point out that an occasional chemical exfoliant should be absolutely fine), but this one relies on natural fruit enzymes which makes it perfect for sensitive skin.
First of all, it smells amazingly fruity which makes it a pleasure to have on your skin; 10-15 minutes of relaxion with this on my face really is heaven. The creamy consistency makes it easy to apply and also easy to wipe off when you're done, I didn't feel any tingling with this one and it didn't leave any redness when I wiped off which surprised me because lots of exfoliants have sort of irritated my skin before they've made any positive difference. Straight after removing it my skin felt really smooth, especially my nose which is a place in particular where I struggle with blackheads.
The mask I've been trying is the Fruit Active Rejuvenating Mask (£23.20)* which again uses fruit extracts from strawberry and kiwi fruit. Incidentally this is great to use after the Papaya Enzyme Peel and it's great for tired, dull skin which is in need of a boost to give you a glowing complexion. It's the same creamy consistency but maybe slightly thicker with it being a mask; this one does tingle a little bit when you apply it but it's nothing to worry about, in fact I quite like it because it feels like it's 'doing something'. (the only time you should worry is if it feels like it's burning, that's not good and you should wash it off immediately!). I felt like this one was a less suited to my oily skin as it seemed to stimulate the oil in my skin which is presumably how it achieves the 'glow' after use but for me it made my skin produce a little too much oil. I have no doubt that this would be great for dry skins but unfortunately this one isn't for me.
Although the mask wasn't suited to my skin, overall I'm really impressed with my first experience with Elemis products. The quality shines through and I can totally understand why they're one of the top spa brands in the country, I would recommend the Papaya Enzyme Peel to anyone even if you've got sensitive skin an and the Fruit Active Rejuvenating mask would be fab if you struggle with very dry skin because I do think it'd do a brilliant job of putting some life back into your skin if it's feeling a bit lacklustre. There's actually an 20% off event on the Beauty Expert website at the moment so if you were looking to try something Elemis (or you need to stock up on a favourite), now would be the perfect time!
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