Mud On Your Face Is Not A Disgrace: 10 Of Our Favorite Muddy Masks

We’re on an endless quest for the next miracle beauty product – that’s a given. And, although it seems like a new breakthrough formula is constantly threatening to replace last week’s beauty phenomenon (we’re looking at you, plasma injections!), there are some tried-and-true formulas that we keep coming back to. Case in point: mud masks.

We know you’ve heard of them and, chances are, you tried one out during a teenage slumber party, at some point. So, what exactly is the point of smearing deep-sea residue all over your T-zone? Annet King, director of global education for The International Dermal Institute and Dermalogica, says mud and clay masks are the perfect antidote for oily, congested skin: "They deeply clean the skin by removing blockages from pores, which helps to refine them and keep them clear. They also soak up excess oil to give your skin a clean, clear, and matte appearance."

Sounds like sound reasoning to us! King also recommends using mud masks – which often contain bentonite (a clay that balances by removing toxins), silt (an absorbent soil deposit), or charcoal (to clean out pores) – one or two times a week, or before a long day when you'll need your makeup to last.

We scoured our go-to troves for
the most effective T-zone tacklers out there, so settle in with your Netflix queue (a glass of wine is optional!) and get to slathering.