Let’s face it: Tatcha is killing the game in terms of skincare experience. From the unique unboxing to the luxe sensorial experience, Tatcha knows what they’re doing—and they do it well. I’ve been trying out The Clarifying Clay Mask for the past few weeks and I’m ready to write an honest review.
Because $70 for a clay mask? Yeah, you’re going to get my full honesty.
The full-size product fits in the palm of my hand
What Is a Clay Mask Used For?
Like all clay masks, this is great for oily or combo skin folks to help get excess oil out of the skin and pores. Over time, it will help your skin regulate its sebum production to help encourage your skin to be “less oily.”
Beyond that, I find clay masks often help my skin feel softer almost instantly. I’m not sure if it’s just a placebo but I do notice that my skin feels much smoother when I pat on my toner after the clay mask.
What’s Good about the Tatcha Clarifying Clay Mask?
The unboxing process is very much in line with other Tatcha products: an amazingly folded box and you get a little spatula! I am always a fan of getting little add-ons beyond the skincare product.
The tatcha experience
True to form with Tatcha, this mask isn’t just your average one—it’s a cool one! It warms up as you apply and rub it into your skin. If you’ve ever used the Farmacy Honey Potion Mask, you’ll be very familiar with the slight warming sensation that gives you a “spa-like” experience. Tatcha says this is from the Japanese volcanic ash.
The pink color shift is *chef’s kiss
The warmth is one experiential layer, but the second layer is that as you continue to rub the clay into your skin, you’ll note a color change from green/gray to a vibrant pink. One thing about me, I love a dynamic product. So when I used this for the first time, I was super pleased with the warmth plus the color change. Taking a quick look at the ingredient list, it looks like the color shift is from the green/gray clays starting to spread thinner and drying, which helps the iron oxide pigments show through to give the pink color.
The texture itself is slightly gritty, but it is not irritating. If you’ve ever used a mask with coffee grounds or ground-up fruit pits, those are much more abrasive. The Tatcha one just feels like it has a little bit of a grit to it.
tatcha clay mask ingredients
Here are some key callout ingredients of the Tatcha Clarifying Mask:
Kaolin: this is a common ingredient you’ll see in most clay masks, so it is expected to be in here
Illite: this was an interesting find for me! I don’t think I’ve come across this ingredient before, but it is also known as French Green Clay. It helps purify the skin and improve texture.
Bentonite: this is also another common clay mask ingredient, so that’s to be expected too.
Glucomannan: it’s a sugar product that helps reduce the growth of acne-causing bacteria, which makes it a perfect ingredient for this pore-refining mask.
Hydroxyapatite: honestly this is also the first time I’ve noted this ingredient, but it’s involved in bone mineralization. Curious what the benefits are for skin! This chemical supplier notes that it is a chemical abrasive, so it can be acting as an exfoliating ingredient in this mask.
Hadasei-3: all Tatcha products have to have it!
How much product should i use?
For me, I take about 2 teaspoons for my entire face. I’ll take a little glob on the spatula, swipe it on one cheek and repeat. It rubs down to a super thin layer and you get your nice color shift.
On the Tatcha website, their product photos have a thick layer of the mask, which I feel is excessive and just used for the marketing purposes. I would not recommend using this much of such an expensive mask! And when you lay it on thick, you likely won’t be able to see the color change as readily either.
Does the clay rinse off well?
One of the most critical points for clay masks is how completely does it wash off and how does your skin feel after. For me, this was such a quick mask (3 minute recommended usage) that the clay was still moist, ensuring a clean wash-off experience. After a quick rinse, my skin felt clean, soft, and not stripped. I followed up with the Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser, and my skin did not feel dry at all. And that’s a big ask for a lot of clay masks!
No residue, no mess (because I rinse off in the shower), and no dryness? A win for me.
What Are the Negatives about This Mask?
The number one negative about this clay mask is the price: $70. You can usually find clay masks for dirt cheap, literally. There are Ulta options like I Dew Care Cookie O’Glow for about $25, but if you want one from Sephora, the Youth to the People Superclay Purify + Clear Power Mask is $38. The YTTP clay mask (my review) also gives you a little bit more product too.
clay mask usage time
Some people are also going to hate the fact that this expensive mask is only on your skin for 3 minutes before you wash it down the drain. And by some people, I mean me. I absolutely will quantify just how much I used and how much I just “wasted.” You can leave it on for longer if you want… But I am also a rule-follower, so when the instructions say 3 minutes, I do 3 minutes.
tatcha’s renowned packaging
And on the topic of how expensive it is, I do want to bring up one packaging note: I love the creams because there’s a little spot to put your spatula between uses. I love when brands think holistically about where your items go!
The same cannot be said here—the spatula is larger than the one for the Dewy/Water Cream and it does not have a little notch to slide it into. The top of the jar is also the slightest bit curved and that same slippery plastic that other Tatcha products come in. That means I can’t rest the spatula on there either because it just slips off.
My jar also gets a little messy from the inner cap and scooping out the product. I’m honestly not sure what the solution to this would be (besides me being more careful and not a hot mess lol). But when you scoop the product out, it’s bound to hit the lip of the jar.
Is the Tatcha Clarifying Clay Mask Worth It?
If money is no object, yep! If money is an object, not really!
Look, I loved the experience, loved the usage, loved the results. But for $70, I can’t not cry every time I wash it off. I’ll easily spend $70 on a cream because that is going to be on my skin for a much longer period of time (and I won’t be using as much product).
I think this makes an amazing gift for someone who will understand the product. It’s also a great treat-yourself gift. But is this a 2x-weekly product? Nope! I simply do not have the funds to sustain this lifestyle.
Are you interested in purchasing it?
*Links in this post may contain affiliate links, which cost you nothing but help keep this blog running.