I Tried This Top-Rated Clay Mask from Amazon—And My Skin’s Never Felt Better

Yes, the Aztec clay mask is totally worth the hype. Here's why you should try it and what to know beforehand.

As a woman with sensitive and drier skin, I’m super picky about the skin-care products I buy. I stick with my skin-care staples (looking at you, TruSkin Vitamin C serum and CeraVe retinol serum) and try new products with caution. Recently, though, my skin was begging for something new and fresh.

After moving into a new place and experiencing a streak of hot (and sweaty) weather, my face was feeling pretty lackluster to put it nicely. No matter how much I cleansed and washed, it felt like I couldn’t get rid of the gunk in my skin. I quickly realized that I needed something to really clean out my pores and make my skin feel brand new. So, I decided to use the Aztec clay mask, a top-rated clay mask on Amazon.

Check out how often you should wash your face to keep it healthy and moisturized

What is a clay mask?

A clay mask is a facial mask that’s made of some type of clay, whether it’s white clay, green clay, or bentonite clay. There are several benefits to using a clay mask, including pore cleansing and oil absorption. Think of it as a mask that sucks out the bad stuff (dirt, bacteria, and excess oil) from your pores.

The Aztec clay mask is made from bentonite clay, a fine clay that’s made from aged volcanic ash. This type of clay has been used as a skin remedy for thousands of years, and for good reason—it’s powerful stuff.

Aztec clay mask review

My best friend, who has incredible skin, recommended this product to me. Since I have drier skin, I’m always cautious about using products that could completely dry it out. Bentonite clay masks suck out the dirt and excess oil from your skin, so I was a little worried it would leave my face feeling like the Sahara and I’d need a ton of moisturizer to make it better. However, after reading just a few of the thousands of glowing reviews, I had to give it a shot.

Prepping my skin

I used a makeup remover to get all the makeup off my face before applying the mask, including my eyeliner and mascara. The barer the face, the better! Then, I grabbed the tub of clay and got ready to mix.

Mixing the mask

Since the packaging says to use non-metal utensils when mixing, I mixed the clay with water in a plastic bowl with a rubber spatula. You can mix the clay with raw apple cider vinegar, too, which many happy reviewers have done. I mixed about five spoonfuls of clay with ten spoonfuls of water and quickly realized a little clay goes a long way. I wound up with way more of the mask than I needed, so if you’re doing this mask for just yourself I’d recommend reducing the measurements. If you do wind up with extra clay, the packaging says you can use the mixture for things like foot soaks, body wraps, and even for soothing insect bites.

Once I got the mask mostly smooth, I applied it to my face. It went on easily and I was able to cover my entire face with about 1/8-inch coating in no time. The label says to leave the mask on for five to ten minutes if you have delicate skin, so I went about my normal routine until time was up.

Letting the mask dry

After about two minutes, I could feel the mask working. I felt my face tingling and tightening, and the mask was drying quickly. FYI, the drier the mask gets, the harder it is to move your face—so if you need to crack a smile, try doing it before the mask dries. The mask actually starts to crack a bit when it’s drying, even without moving your face! When the ten minutes were up, the mask was mostly all dry and my face felt very tight, but it wasn’t painful.

Washing the mask off

I washed the mask off my face with warm water in my bathroom sink. It took about five minutes of consistent washing to get all the mask off, and luckily none of it came off in large chunks. I didn’t experience any redness in my face after washing the mask off, but it is normal to see some slight redness afterwards. It should go away in about 30 minutes if it does happen.

After patting my face dry, I was blown away by how great my skin felt. It felt so soft and clean, and I didn’t experience any additional dryness. Ten minutes later, I actually had to stop myself from touching my face because my skin felt that good. To say I was impressed (and now obsessed) is an understatement.

Aztec clay mask pros:

  • It’s easy to mix and apply
  • A little product goes a long way
  • It’s a fast-acting product, it only takes 10 minutes to do its job
  • My skin felt incredible after using it

Aztec clay mask cons:

  • It took some time to wash off
  • It can leave some green speckles in your sink after washing, but they’re easy to wipe away. If larger chucks come off, though, it’s easy get them out of the sink and into the trash
  • It can be tough to get a completely smooth texture while mixing, but the longer you mix the smoother it gets

Aztec clay mask tips

  • Start out with a small amount of clay and water at first; you can always add more as needed
  • If you’re concerned the mask will irritate your face, test it on a small portion of your skin first
  • Keep a damp washcloth by the sink in case mixing, application, or removal gets messy

Other reviews about the Aztec clay mask

As of this writing, there are 19,707 Aztec clay mask reviews on Amazon. Here are just a few of them:

Lindsay: “WOW! This stuff is like magic! My teen has really bad acne which has caused her a lot of self esteem issues. I applied this stuff ONE TIME and half her acne was GONE! After three applications, she has ZERO acne! I am amazed at how well this stuff works!”

Kat: “So far love this mask! I can’t even imagine how many masks I’ll get out of this mask and it’s so easily customizable for what your skin needs! Took me a couple tries to figure out consistency but noticed letting it sit for a bit helps everything blend. It’s crazy how you can feel everything pulling to the surface so I know it’s getting deep in my pores but my extra sensitive skin isn’t irritated at all! I like to add ACV, honey, lavender EO and TTO to mine!”

Madelyn: “Love it! I tried it with water and with the apple cider. Both liquids work well, but the apple cider definitely works better. I have very sensitive skin (thanks to my eczema) and it worked SO WELL. My skin was red for 30 min after, but this is completely normal—it even says it on the bottle. This works better than anything I’ve bought at Ulta. Just buy it and thank yourself later.”

And I’m not the only one at Reader’s Digest who loves this product; fellow editor Emma Taubenfeld says she adores it: “It made my skin feel so soft and smooth, toned down the acne scars, and overall my face just feels healthier.”

Final verdict

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Face Maskvia amazon.com

One hundred percent yes, the Aztec clay mask is completely worth it! If you’re looking for a powerful clay mask that makes you face feel like a million bucks, add this product to your cart ASAP.

Shop Now

Next, read up on slugging, the viral skincare trend that took TikTok by storm.

Sources: 

Kelly Kuehn
Kelly Kuehn is a former editor for Reader’s Digest who covered entertainment, trivia and history. When she’s not working you can find her watching the latest and greatest movies, listening to a true-crime podcast (or two), blasting ‘90s music and hiking with her dog, Ryker, throughout the Finger Lakes.