Skin & Tonics : Skincare Guides & Product Reviews

[button link=”#” target=”_blank” color=”default” shape=”rounded” size=”small” align=”left”]Press Sample[/button]

Every Saturday morning for the past several months, I’ve made it part of my morning ritual to do some sort of clay-based facial mask. I find it to be an indulgent way to start the day, lounging around in my bathrobe with a mask on my face, drinking hot tea and catching up on my Internetting. I didn’t think it was possible, but I’m pretty sure I’ve discovered a way to take my Saturday morning session to the next, spa-like level: Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Mud-Tox Body Cleanse in Menthe-tea Vanilla.

What is it?

Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Mud-Tox Body Cleanse ($18) is a Ghassoul clay-based, mask-style, body cleanser that promises to remove impurities, cleanse, heal skin, and dramatically decrease acne.

Ingredients:
Moroccan mud (Ghassoul), vanilla bean extract (vanilla plantifola), peppermint essential oil and leaf (menthe piperita)

I think the short, straightforward ingredient list will appeal to a lot of folks. I am personally a fan of it, primarily because no fillers translates to more of the “good stuff” in this instance. The “good stuff” in this product includes:

Moroccan mud – Also known as Ghassoul, Ghassool, Rhassoul, and Rhassool clay, this clay is high in silica content. Silica (not to be confused with silicone!) is a naturally occurring element that slows the degeneration of skin cells by helping collagen and elastin retain moisture. Additionally, Moroccan lave clay is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and extremely absorbent, which is why it’s often recommended as an acne treatment. It also possesses skin-softening properties, and has been used for centuries as a beauty treatment in Morocco.

Peppermint essential oil and leaf – In addition to being cooling and refreshing, topically applied mint is also anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. It’s a wonderful ingredient when used properly, but beware – applying straight, undiluted, mint essential oil, can be extremely irritating and even cause contact dermatitis. If you want to reap the benefits of mint oil, stick to a well-formulated product (like this one) that contains the ingredient.

There are so few ingredients in this list, I didn’t even have the option to save it in COSDNA. However, when I enter the ingredients for analysis, COSDNA shows no red flags in terms of potential acne triggers or irritants.

Performance

Appearance
Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Mud-Tox Menthe-Tea Vanilla Body Cleanse comes packages in an amber-colored plastic jar, with a label donning the stylish, signature Shea Terra stripes. The product comes in the form of a powder, which is a lovely shade of brown – it almost looks like cocoa powder to me.

Smell
Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Mud-Tox Body Cleanse smells like mint – wonderful, fresh, invigorating mint. The smell is present in the product’s dry form, but the wet form is even more aromatic.

Application
The directions for Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Mud-Tox Body Cleanse instruct that a few spoons of Mud-tox be mixed with spring water, milk, aloe juice, or floral water to create a spreadable paste. The paste should be applied to wet skin, allowed to dry, and then showered off, using hands to cleanse the skin.

The color of the clay is actually warmer and more brown-toned than this. I just have really awful kitchen lighting!

I find that 2 heaping tablespoons of Mud-tox mixed with about 7 tablespoons of spring water gives me a nice, smooth consistency and plenty of product to spread over my entire upper body, stomach, lower legs, and the front of my upper legs. I don’t apply any Mud-Tox to the back of my upper legs or my buttocks. I need those for sitting as I spend the next 15-20 minutes reading while the clay dries.

Waiting for the clay to dry is a pretty amazing experience. I would not advise trying this particular flavor of the Mud-tox in the winter if you don’t have central heat! Fortunately, my house is nice and warm. The mint is extremely cooling, and I could feel my sinuses clearing as I breathed it in. The feeling is spectacularly invigorating and refreshing, though toward the end, it bordered on being too cool, as if I were transforming into an ice breathing, X-men character. I liked it though.

The clay came off just fine in the shower, though there were a few patches I had to rub off with a little more effort. I was delighted to find that the minty feeling stayed with me even after the Mud-tox was completely rinsed away. In fact, I felt minty for nearly an hour after my shower was over! I imagine this experience will be extra amazing in the hot, humid months of summer.

So far I’ve only tried the Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Mud-Tox Body Cleanse with spring water, which is magnificent, but I really want to try this out with aloe juice!

Results
I’ve used Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Mud-Tox Body Cleanse twice in two weeks, and each time, my skin felt extremely soft and smooth when I got out of the shower. I’m fortunate not to have any body acne, so I can’t speak to it’s effect on that, but I did have a couple of troublesome bug bites that stopped itching as soon as I applied the Mud-tox, an itch which never returned even after rinsing the clay away. Additionally, the bug bites appeared to be far less red and inflamed after using the Mud-tox. Once again, as much as I am enjoying this product in the wintertime, I’m really looking forward to using the Mud-tox in the summertime, when the number of mosquitos in my yard is straight-up biblical.

Freshly applied – though this is layered on REALLY thick. I grossly misjudged how much I would need to mix up for my arm. I use a much thinner layer when I’m actually doing a body mask.

20 minutes of drying. It’s usually dryer than this when I use it as a body mask – this happens to be an incredibly thick application of the clay. I misjudged how much I would need for just my arm!

I also enjoyed how clean I felt after using the Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Mud-Tox Body Cleanse. That lasting mint feeling is a real treat, and has become something I daydream about during the week when I’m too busy to indulge myself in a body mask.

Overall, I’m extremely pleased with the Moroccan Mud-Tox Menthe-tea Vanilla Body Cleanse, and look forward to incorporating this as a lasting part of my Saturday morning ritual. In fact, I’m going to Mud-tox right now.

Pros:
• Invigorating and refreshing
• Softens and smooths skin
• Alleviates the itching and swelling of bug bites
• Cleansing
• Feels luxurious and relaxing

Cons:
• It might be too refreshing for those with very sensitive skin

Skin & Tonics Rating:

Performance: 5/5 – Refreshing, cleansing, and relieves minor skin troubles such as bug bites

Packaging: 5/5 – Sturdy, pretty to look at, and easy to spoon the product of the wide opening

Ingredients: 5/5 – Excellent ingredients with no fillers.

Overall: 5.0/5

Is it worth the money?
Absolutely. It’s a wonderful product, and this $18 jar is large enough to last a couple of months.

Where to Buy

Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Mud-Tox Body Cleanse retails for $18.00 on the Shea Terra Organics website. Shea Terra Organics sends out a monthly 30% off coupon to all of its email subscribers, which would price this product at $12.60. This month’s coupon code is FEB2014.

This article features a press sample that was sent to me for my unbiased consideration. Any opinion expressed is 100% my own. For more information about my review policies, see my full disclosure.

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