The Body Shop Chinese Ginseng and Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask | Product Review | Skin Care Essentials

“Be good to your skin. You’ll wear it every day for the rest of your life”.

I had always been very irresponsible and negligent about my skincare. Blame it on my hectic schedule, or rather, my sheer laziness, it took me a lot of coaxing and cajoling to even wash my face! I remember this incident in 2012, while I was getting my pre-bridal facial done at a popular salon in Kolkata, the salon lady had clearly spotted signs of my continual negligence towards my skin. She had exclaimed, “Madam, facials can help you with your skin upto a certain extent, but including cleansing, toning, moisturising in your daily routine is a must”. I had obviously shrugged off her piece of advice, only to realise later the damage that had been already caused to my skin.

It was only when I had started taking interest in makeup, sometime by the end of 2014, that I realised, how important it is to remove the makeup before hitting the bed! Thus, skincare became a part of my daily routine. I would religiously wash my face before going to bed, and slather a night cream all over my face.

I have tried face masks in powdered form, where you need to mix the powder with water/rose water to use it. But, I had never used the “Ready to Use” masks before. When The Body Shop launched this particular product, it immediately caught my attention. I had read great reviews of this product,specially from women who had dry and dull skin woes. However, the steep pricing made me think twice, before I finally purchased this product when it was at FLAT 50% off on its website (Yes, I got lucky!). This was the first time I was trying a face mask from The Body Shop. Naturally, I was hoping that the product would better be worth its steep price.

The Body Shop Chinese Ginseng and Rice Clarifying Polishing Mask can be used straight out of the jar. At a first glance, the packaging felt really luxurious. The brown glass jar with a twist top lid came in a cardboard box. The ingredients, manufacturer’s information, price and benefits were clearly mentioned on the box.

After a long tiring day at office, I take a shower and use this mask after cleaning my face. This is a must-have product for lazy women like me, who can use this directly from the jar. I spread the product using my fingers on my face and neck evenly. You could also use a face brush for doing so. This is a clay based mask that draws out all the impurities from your skin, and has thick grainy particles that act as an exfoliating ingredient.

After keeping the mask on my face for around 15 minutes, I rub the mask gently on my skin, till the mask dissolves. The dead skin is scrubbed off in this process, and you are left with a fresh feeling. Not to forget, the pleasant smell of the face mask and a cooling effect. My face really feels fresh thereafter. No signs of dryness or dehydrated skin!

Full ingredients list: Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit, Kaolin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil/Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, PEG-100 Stearate, Alcohol Denat., Decyl Glucoside, Cera Alba/Beeswax/Cire d’abeille, Perlite, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Parfum/Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Limonene, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Menthol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract/Panax Ginseng (Ginseng) Root Extract, Disodium EDTA, Citral, Citronellol, Linalool, Menthoxypropanediol, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Eugenol, Dextrin, Oryza Sativa Extract/Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide.

    Main ingredients:

• Ginseng from China – known for its toning and stimulating properties that help revitalise skin.
• Rice Extract from China – traditionally used to both moisturize and brighten the skin.
• Community Trade Sesame Seed Oil from Nicaragua – rich in oleic and linoleic acid to soften the skin.

Thumbs up for :

• It does what it promises. Period. It promises to brighten up your skin, and it lives upto its promise.
• The mask can be used directly from the glass jar, thus it saves time.
• The open-mouthed glass jar minimises wastage. You can see how much of it is left.
• It smells pleasant.

Thumbs down for :

• Being expensive. A 75 ml jar is priced at Rs.1995/- (Well, I got it at a discount, but other’s might not.)
• It isn’t very hygienic to dip in your fingers every time you apply the mask.

Would I buy this again?

Yes, I would! This has helped me with soft and smooth skin, and has never left my skin dry. Hence it is a boon for all dry skin people out there. In fact, I would really love to try their other face masks as well.

You can buy them from their stores, all across the globe or find them on their WEBSITE or NYKAA

I hope this review was of help to you. Do let me know your favourite products from The Body Shop. I look forward to hear from you. Till then, Sayonara! Or what do they call that in Chinese?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and the product has been purchased by me from their website.