Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment

As someone whose beauty purchases come out of my own paycheck (and not via PR samples), I'll admit that I hesitated before buying the Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment.  Because, after all, $69 for 1.2oz of a mask is a bit rich even for this Chanel nail-loving woman.

This mask is touted as a pore-cleanser and an acne spot treatment that's great for even sensitive skin.  I can attest to the later- many oil-control masks (Origins, Boscia) are too rough on my skin. This is amazing.

Warning: gross pores ahead.

Let's start with the basics.  This is the "white container mask," and designed for pore clearing- not like its sister Youthmud (in the black container), meant for exfoliation and resurfacing. The 1.2oz container feels substantial in your hand.

This is the back:

As an aside, I love the star on the top of the lid:

I'm also a huge fan of the internal extra seal to keep it from drying out. This hard plastic piece can be removed and replaced for each use.

Now that I've broken down the packaging, it's time to consider the mask itself.  Supermud is a charcoal mask, and has the telltale coloring.  It is mainly the same consistency, but there are a few chunks of a second substance that become prominent once the mask is on your face.

From the website, here's a full list of the ingredients:

Water, Kaolin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Hydroxide, Eucalyptus Globulus, Mandelic Acid, Charcoal, Parfum [Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool], Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Maltodextrin, Iron Oxides, Peppermint Oil, Butylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Glycerin, Chamoilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hendera Helix Extract, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

Reading into those ingredients, you have some AHA/BHA acids, eucalyptus (which are the chunks- little leaf pieces), clay, and charcoal as the major actors in the mask.  This is meant for pore-clearing.

To apply this product, I use an old makeup brush for even application. Pro tip: clean it immediately.

Here's a look at the product on my skin.  I use a thin layer all over, carefully avoiding my eye area.  I use far more product in my trouble areas (T-zone, chin).  See the leaf bits?

The mask dries to a lighter color in roughly 20-25 minutes.  This is mid-mask:

Now, time for magic and gross pores:

That's when you can see the magic.  Those disgusting dark spots?  That's sebum that's been pulled out of clogged pores.  I've described this mask as "simultaneously the most amazing and horrifying thing I've ever seen."  It gives true instant gratification- you literally see junk being pulled from your pores. I wish the photo was more clear.


Once the mask dries, it's a simple rinse-off formula.

It's not a magic formula, but my skin feels so much better after I use it.  Once a week is plenty for me, and the jar has at least 15 masks for me.  That makes it roughly $4.60 per mask- way affordable for the benefits, in my opinion.  My skin feels less oily, and my pores look visibly smaller for a day or so.  There's also something great about knowing just how much junk has been removed from my pores.

One of the other marvelous applications is that it's also possible to use it as a spot treatment.  I've found it to work on one of the trickiest forms of acne out there- the hormonal, under the skin cystic acne that seems to show up once a month or so.  After 2 treaments, the bump under the skin largely dissipated and never came to the surface. No fighting for weeks, no trying to draw the ugly mess to a head.  With many other AHA/BHA acne treatments running $50+, the dual nature of this product actually makes it a good value.

Pricing/availability: $69, via Glamglow online, Sephora, Nordstrom online.