"I tried four natural face masks in one week. Here's exactly what they did for my skin."

Like a cup of perfectly brewed tea, there’s something about doing a face mask that instantly calms the chaos of life.

It’s 15 or 20 minutes of self care that relaxes the mind and does wonders for your skin.

In an eternal quest for better skin and a more peaceful mind, I decided to do a little challenge. I wanted to boost my skincare routine by doing four face masks in seven days. Despite being notoriously anti-cardio, this was the kind of ‘boot camp’ I could get behind.

And so I came up with the following roster:

Sunday – Life Basics by Nourished Life, Pure White Clay Facial Mask, $16.95.

Tuesday – Andalou Naturals, CannaCell Glow Mask, $22.99.

Thursday – Sukin, Detoxifying Biodegradable Sheet Mask, $8.95.

Saturday – Andalou Naturals, Brightening Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask, $22.99.

The four masks all had different properties. Some were detoxing, others were exfoliating or hydrating, but all of them were ethically made with effective, skin-loving ingredients.

This is how my week went.

Sunday - Life Basics by Nourished Life, Pure White Clay Facial Mask.

I love the feeling of a skin detox for a Sunday self care session. The Life Basics' DIY powder formulation has a lovely and soothing DIY aspect to it and all you have to do is mix one teaspoon of clay with a third of a teaspoon of water. Plus, the clay is 100 per cent natural, vegan, and gluten free.

Given the fact that it's made by Nourished Life, which curates some of the best natural and environmentally-friendly products from around the globe, means you can rest assured knowing the ingredient list has been mindfully checked for potential nasties.

While I just mixed the clay with water, the mask felt lovely. It was definitely on the gentle side, making it great for more sensitive skins, but I could feel the clay gently tighten my skin as it set. As per the instructions, I left the mask on for 15 minutes and my skin looked refreshed and 'perkier' afterwards.

This formulation also comes in a pink clay (for dry and sensitive skins) and green clay (for oily, combination or acne prone skin types).

Tuesday - Andalou Naturals, CannaCell Glow Mask.

Now this was my kind of mask. Coming in at $22.99, it's the savey buy that does exactly what it says. Your face will look brighter and more plump after using this gem of a product - I could literally feel it working in my pores.

The botanical enzymes eat away at dead skin, while the organic hemp seed oil works to nourish and hydrate. The antioxidant-rich, CannaCell hemp stem cells also help fight damage caused by oxidation and pollution. Talk about a hard-working mask.

 

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I did experience a bit of 'tingliness' and warmth while wearing the mask (that's the botanical enzymes working), but my skin didn't feel irritated or sensitive after I washed it away. There may have been a little bit of redness in my skin afterwards, but that faded very quickly within five to 10 minutes.

Thursday - Sukin, Detoxifying Biodegradable Sheet Mask.

Their A+ selfie potential aside, using a sheet mask before applying makeup will make your products sit better and longer on the skin. Whenever I take the extra step to do this before a wedding or a night out, I'm rewarded with a 'lit from within' complexion that doesn't need touching up as often.

Sukin's Detoxifying Biodegradable Sheet Mask did just that. The mask was soaked with a generous glug of serum rich with antioxidants, vitamin E, baobab oil and avocado oil. On the face it felt cooling and juicy and after leaving it on for 15 minutes I massaged the leftover serum into my skin.

Additionally, its mix of superfood extracts like kale, spirulina, parsley and chlorella make it practically the skincare version of a green smoothie. Needless to say, I'm a fan.

Also, I think we're all trying to be kinder to the environment with our lifestyle choices, and unlike most sheet masks on the market, it's made with 100 per cent natural cotton fibres that will biodegrade six months after use. The packaging itself is recyclable too.

Saturday - Andalou Naturals, Brightening Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask.

If you've ever watched one of those videos of a baby smiling with glee after they try chocolate for the first time, that was me with chemical exfoliation. Unlike scrubs which use psychical exfoliation to buff away at dead skin, chemical exfoliants like AHAs, glycolic acid and lactic acid dissolve dead skin and sebum which can cause breakouts and dull skin.

And when it comes to products which do just that, this cult-favourite mask is one of my personal picks.

Not only does it kind of smell, and look, like the inside of a pumpkin pie, the wonderful combo of glycolic acid, fruit stem cells, Vitamin C, Manuka honey and antioxidant-rich pumpkin puree works to give you the deliciously radiant skin you crave.

In terms of tingliness, there was less sensation than the CannaCell Glow Mask but the results were equally as impressive. My pores appeared tighter, and the texture of my skin felt smoother, brighter and just... better.

For a review of what the mask looks like on, you watch me and You Beauty's Amy Clark road-testing this mask here. Post continues below.

The results:

So exactly what did my week-long skincare challenge do for my skin? The extra self care left me feeling zen and my skin looking refined, dewy and not at all flustered at all the extra TLC it was receiving.

Although I loved trying all four products, the CannaCell Glow Mask and Brightening Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask from Andalou Naturals were my favourites. What can I say? I'm a sucker for the 'glow'.

Have you tried any of the above products? What did you think? Tell us in a comment below.