Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask

I went on the hunt for a new face mask, I love the luxurious idea of them. I normally throw one on while I'm in the bath, or sometimes if I feel like my skin is particularly down in the dumps, I'll slap one on. Browsing the No.7 stand in Boots a while ago the really nice assistant told me about their thermal face mask and I liked the sound of them. But it would cost me the guts of €20 so I went looking for a cheaper alternative to see if these kind of masks worked, without breaking the bank.

Sanctuary Spa has the 5 minute thermal detox mask for 'oily congested skin prone to blemishes and dullness' is normally €13.69 for 100ml, but after a while of gooing over it online, I noticed that it was(and still is!) on offer for €9.13 - bargain! I never think of Sanctuary Spa when it comes to skincare, so this was an extra treat. This mask is self heating and the heat helps to open pores so the kaolin clay and charcoal draws out all the impurities and face uglies deep in the skin without damaging it. 

I thought that the heating part sounded like a gimmick, but I was wrong. The texture of the product is an almost gel like substance, but its thicker and not as easy to spread. Once you start to apply and rub in the mask, it heats up and then cools down again in a few minutes. It doesn't dry out like most masks, so theres no time limit or indication when to take it off. If your like me and forget easily, leave a timer on your phone or you might walk out of the house with a grey/blue face. (I've not done this, but theres been a few close calls.) Its recommended that you use it twice weekly to help reduce blemishes but I don't see any harm in using it more if you were so inclined.

Its easy to rinse off with warm water and a face cloth - its harder to get it off without one. I've been using this for about 2 weeks now and although it more or less sticks to the site where you place the mask to your skin, I don't actually use that much. In the 5 times that I've slapped it on, I've not noticed groundbreaking results, but my skin is having a good spell. I have however noticed that my skin feels fresher and looks brighter after using it and also my spots aren't coming up as big, ugly or red. I think it might have something to do with the mask as I've not been using any other spot treatments while trying this out, just to see if it really made a difference. 

If you can get past the fact that it does heat up on your face, I'd suggest having a poke around and picking it up while its on offer in Boots. I think its a very underrated product that needs more love for all the help it gives. I'd say over time with even more use I'll see further results and it will continue to improve the face uglies.