Fresh, tight skin (Boots No7 Purifying Sauna Mask)

Member Name: Tracy_1127

Product:	Boots No7 Purifying Sauna Mask
Date:	10/08/09 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see review

Disadvantages: waxy coating and keep it away from the hairline.

Last Xmas I was given a set of No 7 skincare items and until recently this sauna mask was one of the few I'd yet to try. I'd delayed trying it because I wasn't really sure how I felt about a mask that heats up as you apply it, I've got pretty sensitive skin so I didn't know if this would cause a reaction. However eventually I decided to give it a go.

The purifying sauna mask comes in a 75ml tube that is mostly white. It is hypo-allergenic but they warn you not to apply it to irritated or damaged skin. The tube sells for £9.75 at Boots.

Not only is this a mask that heats up but it also contains exfoliating particles. It heats up on contact with wet skin and then you rub it round to get the exfoliating effect before leaving it for a further 2 minutes. It is supposed to "polish away impurities" and "as you rinse it tightens pores". It also says on the tube to shake well before use but as I shook the tube I couldn't feel much in the way of movement in there!

So with freshly washed and damp skin I set to work. The mask is a thick white clay-like substance with tiny little exfoliating particles about the consistency of salt. It feels very thick and I instantly knew it was going to be difficult to rinse it off once it was on!

The heat aspect of this worried me a bit, I wasn't sure how hot it got and if it would be too hot and if it continued to heat up as it was massaged in or if it stopped quickly. As you can see quite alot of confusion about this mask!

So I took a deep breath and applied a blob to my cheek, it was instantly hot but not so hot it was uncomfortable but within seconds it cools down. It's a really brief flash of heat and only happens when applied to damp skin, I tried this on dry skin and it didn't heat up. It doesn't stay hot as you massage it over your face and if it's not too hot for me it won't be for anyone.

Massaging in the product is easy enough, the product doesn't dry so you just rub it over your skin like exfoliator. That done it was time to leave it on for 2 minutes with no massaging etc. I ran a sink of clean warm water while I waited and then when the time was up immediately started to rinse.

As anticipated this was so difficult to get off! I rinsed for ages and thought it might never come off entirely but eventually it did. I must warn you that I found this left a waxy kind of coating on my skin afterwards, like I'd applied serum and this didn't come off until the next day when I washed with soap. I also managed to get a tiny bit in the hairline near my temple and that made my hair feel dreadful, really clogged up and awful and again it didn't come out until I used shampoo so watch your hairline!

Afterwards I dried my face and examined my skin. It looked excellent! I don't have much in the way of open pores so after this I didn't look like I even had any pores and my skin certainly felt tighter but not in a bad, dry way. It also looked loads fresher and I was really pleased with the results.

The only downside to this is the waxy feeling it leaves on your skin and the clogged up hair around the hairline if you're not careful when applying it. I applied moisturiser afterwards and it didn't sink in at all so I didn't imagine the waxy coating.

The effects were amazing, I was astounded how fresh my skin looked and would definitely use it again. Recommended.

Summary: Recommended