Last month I used a black peel mask to help my skin feel a bit more rejuvinated, but this month I thought I’d go for an exfoliator rather than a mask. The Sand&Sky Australian Pink Clay Exfoliator is a “cult” product for some, and it’s ingredients boast many helpful additions which can improve the skin. A key part of me wanting to try this out is that you both exfoliate and then leave on as a mask for five minutes before rinsing.
Where to Buy
| Sand&Sky |
Sand&Sky Australian Pink Clay Flash Perfection Exfoliator
Alternatives:
Ingredients
Aqua, Kaolin (Australian clay), Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Macadamia Integrifolia seed powder, Vitis vinifera (Grape) seed oil, Bambusa Arundinacea (Bamboo) Stem Powder, Stearic acid, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Olea Europea (Olive) fruit oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Rosa eglanteria (Rosehip) seed oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Sap Extract, Microcitrus australis (Australian citrus) fruit extract, Microcitrus australasica (finger lime) fruit extract, Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract, Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) extract, Organic Seaweed extract, Calcium carbonate (Pearl powder), Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Petitgrain) Leaf/ Twig Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens(Geranium) Flower Oil, Viola Odorata Flower/Leaf Extract, Natural Vitamin E, Carrageenan, CI77491, Lactic acid.
Ingredient Benefits
Cetearyl Alcohol is used as an emolllient and helps soften your hair and skin.
Glycerin promotes skin cell maturation which can help fight effects of skin problems such as psoriasis whilst improving the appearance of skin in general. It is a humecant and helps the skin maintain it’s moisture which in turn makes the skin look healthier.
Kaolin helps cleanse and exfoliate debris and skin cells. It absorbs moisture into itself which helps support products that are self preserving and helps keeps products fresh.
Lactic acid belongs to a family of acids called alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). It is extremely effective in treating hard, thickened skin as it gently breaks down the ‘glue like’ bonds between cells in the upper layer of the skin and triggers repair. This helps the hardened skin cells to fall off and helps the skin keep more water in, softening and improve the appearance of hard, callused skin.
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil is a hair conditioning agent which enhances the appearance or feeling of hair. It increases body, suppleness and sheen whilst improving texture of dry or damaged hair.
This helps to balance the production of sebum, calms inflammations, clear acne and relieve eczema.
Sugarcane attracts water to the skin and absorbs it to keep the skin moisturised. It also works as a natural exfoliant.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is used as a fragrance ingredient, surfactant and emulsifier. When combined with other fatty acid ingredients, the outcomes often are moisturising products.
Vitamin E is a naturally occuring antioxidant which is used in skincare products. It is a skin conditioning agent which helps reduce inflammation and rebuild skin cells.
Water helps improve product consistency and spreadability, helps improve ingredient penetration and absorption.
Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract is a naturally derived AHA which gently exfoliates dead skin cells and removes bacteria. It also minimizes and repairs cell damage caused by free radicals.
Ceteareth-20 is an emulsifier which keep the formula from separating, it also helps to thicken the formula. As an emollient it fills, smooths and softens the skin, creating a velvety smooth texture to the skin.
Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract is ared algae that keeps the skin moisturised and is a rich source of nutrients. It also thickens the formula to make it easier to spread.
Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil is also known as Lime Oil, it has astringent, antibacterial and antiseptic properties which helps to treat acne and fight free radicals thus preventing signs of ageing.
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Extract functions as a skin-conditioning agent to help moisturise dehydrated, dry and flaky skin.
Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil is a naturally occuring AHA which helps with hyperpigmentation, anti-aging and gentle exfoliation. It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties to fight against blemishes and acne.
Glyceryl Caprylate is a stabilizer for emulsions where it replenishes the oils in the skin and adjusts the moisture levels in the skin. It is also a preservative to prevent products from spoiling.
Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract is a skin-conditioning agent which has tannins which provides its astringent properties. It also has anti-inflammatory properties which will help to soothe irritations.
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil is an emollient that has fatty acids in order improve the skin barrier which will keep the skin hydrated. It also has antioxidant properties due to the phenolic compounds.
Calcium carbonate (Pearl powder) has skin-regenerative properties thus beneficial for acne prone skin and helps with fine lines/wrinkles. It also reduces signs of hyperpigmentation and redness due to its calming properties.
Sodium Anisate is a natural preservative which keeps the formulas for spoiling and has antimicrobial properties to kill bacteria and fungi on skin and in the product.
Sodium Levulinate is a preservative and skin-conditioning agent. It should be noted that it is a derivative of levulinic acid which has been found to be an irritant.
Bilberry has some of the best antioxidant compounds and is known to strengthen skin against redness, and soothe irritation.
Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil hashigh level antioxidants which helps firm and nourish the skin and aid skin repair, cellular turnover and even skin tones.
How To Use
Cleanse face thoroughly
Apply product evenly across across face, avoiding sensitive eye area. Massage for approximately 30 seconds. Leave on for 5 minutes.
Rinse off with warm water and gently pat face dry.
Continue with rest of routine.
Step in Skincare Routine
- Cleanser
- Masks and Exfoliators – Use after cleansing but before using a toner.
- Toner (+exfoliating toner)
- Treatment Products (acne, antioxidant serums, acids, retinols/retinoids)
- Mists
- Serum
- Moisturiser
- Eye Cream
- Oil
First Thoughts
Sand&Sky Australian Pink Clay Exfoliator is a cruelty free product from a cruelty free brand. It also claims there’s no sulfates, silucones, parabens or phtalates in their range. For me, this highlighted that their products are probably using a lot of natural ingredients which are good for the skin. They also use a lot of Australian local ingredients, which is interesting (although not completely green, as it did need to be shipped to the UK).
The only other brand I can think of, off the top of my head, for creating 2 in 2 masks and exfoliators is Lush. But, they often market their masks with an additional exfoliating element, so I was curious for Sand&Sky’s because it’s sold more as an exfoliator.
During Use
Immediately after applying to my face all I could think of was how rough it felt against my skin. When you’re massaging it to exfoliate, you can feel it removing dry skin and also cleaning your face. Sand&Sky Australian Pink Clay Exfoliator feels like it really does exfoliate which is great.
When leaving on your skin for the face mask portion, it feels a bit strange as it’s so like an exfoliator. It doesn’t dry like a traditional face mask, so there’s not an exact feel for you to know when to rinse. With the amount of moustirusing ingredients in this product though, I was excited to see how the mask helped hydrate and calm after exfoliating.
With rinsing the mask, it re-exfoliates quickly and I think this is a great addition to the product. After the clay helps pull oil and dirt from the skin, this really helps ensure your skin is clean and clear.
After Use
After use my skin looked so much clearer than before. My skin felt clean without being overly tight, and my pores around my cheek and nose looked visibly smaller too.
The Sand&Sky Australian Pink Clay Exfoliator is great to remove dry skin because of how tough the exfoliation is. It helped remove most of the dry patchiness I get with eczema. But the oils and emulsifiers helped soothe it immediately after, helping it heal and reducing irritation from microdermabrasion.
Another thing is that exfoliators can sometimes leave your skin feeling dry. But my face didn’t feel this way at all. I found my skin to look bright and hydrated on top of the other benefits I’ve mentioned.
Would I Re-Purchase Sand&Sky Australian Pink Clay Exfoliator?
Definitely! As soon as this one is finished I’ll buy a replacement because it’s just that good!